What’s New for 2024
We’re excited to announce some big changes to the Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest for 2024!
Revised Entry Date
All school-winning entries for the Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest are due February 1, 2024.
Why the Change?
As school year start and end dates continue to shift earlier, many schools would like more time to prepare for assemblies to recognize winners in the spring. Pushing back the entry date provides more time to announce—and celebrate!—winners during the school year.
Refocus on Current Students
The Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest will recognize students currently learning with Zaner-Bloser Handwriting K–6, Zaner-Bloser La escritura K—6, and The Superkids Reading Program K–2.
Why the change?
We are aligning our contest with our levels of instruction. Since we no longer provide cursive instruction at grades 7 and 8, we will no longer include grades 7 and 8 students in the national contest.
Resized Recognition
School winners will still compete against their grade-level peers but will now be recognized at each grade level (K–6) on a regional stage: West, Central, Northeast, Southeast. Grand National Champions will be selected from this new level of 28 Regional Winners. There are no changes to the Nicholas Maxim Manuscript Award Process.
Why the Change?
The regional honor is more competitive than the state level and represents a bigger level of achievement. Regional Winners will also have time to enjoy recognition for their accomplishments before we announce Grand National Champions and Nicholas Maxim Awards.
What Hasn’t Changed
The Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest is still a unique opportunity for students actively learning manuscript and cursive to showcase their handwriting skills and enjoy recognition for their hard work.
We will still award prizes at the Grand National Champion and Nicholas Maxim levels to celebrate the best in manuscript and cursive penmanship according to the Four Keys to Legibility.
See the How to Enter page for helpful tips, complete rules, entry forms, submission instructions, and participation certificates.
