Italic Handwriting Book B – Grade 1 Italic Handwriting Book B teaches your first grader to write lowercase letters, capitals, and numbers using the Getty-Dubay italic method, with practice words and sentences building alongside each new letter. The letters are sized for first-grade hands, and the workbook turns from the long edge so his writing hand isn't fighting the spine. For years, this was the only handwriting program Timberdoodle carried. The reason is the italic letterforms themselves: the printed alphabet a child learns in Book B is the same alphabet, structurally, that becomes cursive later—so the transition to joined writing is mostly a matter of adding connecting strokes, not relearning how letters are shaped. Kids who start with traditional ball-and-stick printing often have to unlearn it before cursive makes sense. Italic skips that step. Book B assumes no prior handwriting instruction—just a first grader who's ready to start. It's also the last book in the series focused solely on basic italic; Book C and up bring in cursive italic alongside the basic letterforms. If your child is ready for first-grade handwriting and you want one method that carries through to cursive, this is the right starting point.
