Transcriber’s Note:
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
THE PALMER METHOD of BUSINESS WRITING
A Series of Self-teaching Lessons in Rapid, Plain, Unshaded,Coarse-pen, Muscular Movement Writing for Use in AllSchools, Public or Private, Where an Easy and Legible Handwritingis the Object Sought; Also for the Home Learner
| Published by THE A. N. PALMER COMPANY | |||
| NEW YORK | BOSTON | CHICAGO | CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA |
| COPYRIGHT, 1901, BY A. N. PALMER | COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY A. N. PALMER | COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY A. N. PALMER | COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY A. N. PALMER |
An explanation.—The object of this book is toteach rapid, easily-executed, business writing. It hasnot been written to exploit any one’s skill as a penartist. It aims to be of use to those who are ambitious tobecome good, practical business writers. The lessons it containsare not experimental, but have been the means ofguiding millions of boys and girls, young men and women toa good business style of writing.
As will be seen at a glance, the Palmer Method of BusinessWriting has nothing in common with copy-books which havebeen so largely used in public schools for more than half acentury. If they are right, this book is wrong. The twomethods of teaching writing are absolutely antagonistic.
In teaching writing, as in other subjects, the final resultshould be the criterion. Pupils who follow absolutely thePalmer Method plan never fail to become good penmen.On the other hand, no one ever learned to write a good, free,rapid, easy, and legible hand from any copy-book that wasever made.
The copy-book has but one purpose—to secure absolutemechanical accuracy. The copy-book headline is usuallyfirst carefully penciled by a skilled penman after a givenmodel, and shows none of the individuality of the penmanemployed in its construction. The penciled copy is given toa skilled script-engraver, who engraves it by hand and furtherperfects it wherever possible. This impossible and lifelessideal the child is required to imitate through long, drearypages of copying. No wonder he fails!
It has been proved, through at least two generations, thatthe copy-book kills individuality and makes freedom ofmovement impossible. It compels slow finger-action in theformation of letters, giving a fair degree of accuracy whereonly slow writing is required; but the pupil’s work inevitablybecomes scribbling when the least speed is attempted. Inthe Palmer Method, freedom of movement is the foundation,and, through a constantly repeated series of rapid drills, theapplication of movement becomes a fixed habit of the learner.Under this plan the pupil’s first attempt is naturally crude,but every drill practiced in strict accord with the printedinstructions tends to add grace and accuracy to his work.The sure result is a handwriting that embodies these fouressentials—legibility, rapidity