Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting Series, Books A-G

Name: Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting Series, Books A-G
Brand: Handwriting Success, LLChttps://handwritingsuccess.com/

by Handwriting Success, LLChttps://handwritingsuccess.com/

ElaGrades K–6

Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting Series: Specialized Cursive Writing Program

The Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting Series is a specialized handwriting curriculum for grades K-6 that teaches an italic writing style rooted in calligraphy. The program uses a unique approach where printed and cursive letter forms are nearly identical, making the transition from print to cursive seamless.

Best for

Students needing specialized handwriting instruction, particularly those who have struggled with traditional cursive methods, in grades K-6

Evaluation Criteria

2 strengths · 1 concern · 2 neutral · 4 insufficient evidence

Teacher TrainingStrength

The curriculum includes substantial teacher support materials.

Comprehensive teacher guide covers scope and sequence, techniques for left- and right-handed writers, evaluation methods, blackline masters, and Teacher Companion PDFs with lesson plans and practice sheets

Direct InstructionStrength

The curriculum employs direct instruction methods for handwriting technique.

The program uses explicit teaching of letter formation with clear modeling, guided practice through the 'look, plan, and practice' approach, and systematic progression through skill levels

Knowledge RichConcern

The curriculum has minimal knowledge-building content beyond handwriting technique.

Books C-G include supplements for reading historical documents by Benjamin Franklin and others, but the primary focus is handwriting instruction rather than systematic domain knowledge

Retrieval PracticeNeutral

The curriculum includes practice opportunities but limited evidence of spaced review.

Teacher Companion PDFs provide extra practice sheets for students needing additional work, and the approach emphasizes repeated practice of letter formation

Writing InstructionNeutral

The curriculum provides systematic instruction in handwriting mechanics but not broader writing composition.

Students learn letter formation, spacing, and cursive techniques using a 'look, plan, and practice' approach, with instruction in shape, strokes, size, slope, spacing, and speed

Text ComplexityInsufficient Evidence

Text complexity is not applicable to this handwriting-focused curriculum.

The curriculum focuses on letter and word formation rather than reading comprehension of complex texts

Systematic PhonicsInsufficient Evidence

This handwriting curriculum does not include phonics instruction.

The Getty-Dubay series focuses exclusively on letter formation and handwriting technique without addressing phonics or decoding skills

Vocabulary BuildingInsufficient Evidence

The curriculum does not explicitly focus on vocabulary development.

While students practice writing letters and words, there is no mention of systematic vocabulary instruction or word knowledge building

Whole Books Vs ExcerptsInsufficient Evidence

This handwriting-focused curriculum does not involve reading whole books or excerpts.

The curriculum consists of handwriting worktexts that teach letter formation and writing skills rather than reading materials