Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Curriculum
New Zaner-Bloser Handwriting © 2025 engages students with even MORE opportunities to shine as writers, composers, communicators, and creative thinkers!
Research-based and proven effective, Zaner-Bloser Handwriting helps students learn to write in manuscript and cursive with just 15 minutes of instruction per day.
The Zaner-Bloser method has helped generations of students to write fluently and efficiently and enjoy a measurable impact on their short- and long-term academic success.
What’s New for Zaner-Bloser Handwriting © 2025
Full-color print editions and interactive digital resources feature the hallmarks of Zaner-Bloser instruction.
- Keys to Legibility (Shape, Size, Spacing, Slant) for instruction and self-assessment
- Three-Step Lesson: Model, Practice, Evaluate
- Four basic strokes to form all letters (manuscript and cursive)
- Simple, student-friendly language
The © 2025 edition has been updated for better teacher and student experience based on educator feedback!
© 2025 At a Glance
Student-focused
- Perforated Student Edition pages combine instruction, practice, and self-assessment for each daily lesson
- Easy-to-customize online handwriting quests invite additional practice and remediation
Teacher-friendly
- Intuitively designed MyZBPortal.com digital resources and print/online Teacher Edition provide point-of-use support for teachers
- Clear, 3-Step Model requires just 15 minutes of instruction per day
Inclusive for All
- Multimodal instruction provides multiple pathways to reach all students
Measurable Student Impact
In our digital age, it’s tempting to see handwriting as optional. However, handwriting is still a key foundational skill for literacy development. Handwriting success supports students’ reading, spelling, and written communication for the rest of their lives!
“The very act of handwriting activates the language areas of the brain, demonstrating a link between handwriting and other aspects of language learning.”
(James & Engelhardt, 2012; James, 2017; Vinci-Booher et al., 2019)
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting is proven to benefit students in both the short and long term.
Short-Term Wins
Efficiency
Strong handwriting makes communicating through writing easier because students can focus more on expressing their ideas than on letter formation.
Opportunities for Writing
Automaticity
Students spend less time forming letters and more time expressing themselves through written words.
Grades 2C Student Edition
Long-Term Gains
Strong literacy skills like handwriting enable students to express themselves thoughtfully and communicate effectively to build community, curiosity, and confidence.
Community
Students learn to express themselves in writing and share their thoughts and opinions with others.
Curiosity
Students focus on exploring ideas and opinions and developing their composition and creative writing skills.
Confidence
Students craft personalized signatures and present their ideas in ways that are empowering for themselves and accessible by others.
Building Communication Skills
Proven-Effective Manuscript & Cursive Handwriting Instruction
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting is research-based, aligned to ESSA levels, and is based on a solid instructional logic model. The comprehensive handwriting curriculum provides consistent, systematic instruction in manuscript (grades K–2M) and cursive (grades 2C–6.)
Research Based
Independent analysis by LXD Research details how Zaner-Bloser Handwriting meets ESSA-Level criteria for effectiveness. Download paper to explore:
- Importance of handwriting instruction
- Research-based origins of the program’s design
- Instructional Model
Awarded March 2024
Awarded December 2023
Awarded January 2024
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting © 2025
- ESSA Level Evidence Badges
- Digital Promise’s Research-Based Design Certification
“Schools with high adoption of Zaner-Bloser Handwriting had an additional 22% of students meet handwriting proficiency.”
LXD Research
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Student and Teacher Edition Samplers
Preview Materials for Each Grade
Browse online lesson samples for print Student Edition, Teacher Edition, and Practice Masters here.
Interested in reviewing a physical kit? Request a sample!
Handwriting: Real-World
Applications and Celebrations
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting provides numerous opportunities for students to write across content areas and practice real-world writing application. We celebrate students’ progress and each year with The Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest!
Prisha, Grade K 2024 Grand
National Champion
Bring the Benefits of a Handwriting Program to Your Students
Introduce research-based materials to engage your students while improving their handwriting efficiency, legibility, and automaticity.