Primarium Launches Free Resource on Latin Script Handwriting Instruction Around the World
Prague, Czech Republic, January 31, 2024 – Primarium, a research project and non-commercial literacy venture by international type foundry TypeTogether, has launched a new website (https://primarium.info/) to provide a comprehensive resource for introductory handwriting education in countries that use the Latin script. Developed with the support of Google Fonts and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in Brazil, the project has collaborated with over 80 experts from around the world to create a free, data-rich, and accessible platform for ongoing research.
The website aims to collect and organize crucial information about handwriting education in primary schools, including its role in school curricula, the handwriting models and resources used, and the teaching methods employed in classrooms. Through extensive research, which includes legislative documents, curricula and syllabi, teaching materials, and academic publications, as well as interviews with teachers, parents, educationists, administrators, and designers, the project currently covers more than 40 countries across five continents.
Jonathan Dubay, CEO and curriculum specialist at Handwriting Success, LLC, expressed his appreciation for the project, stating, “I appreciate your due diligence in the project, which in the end is one of the reasons it is – and will continue to be – so valuable.” The collected research is presented in the form of country-wise essays illustrated with samples from historical and current textbooks, as well as original infographics that visually describe the most popular approaches to handwriting instruction in each region.
José Scaglione, co-founder of TypeTogether, commented on the project, stating, “Primarium is a one-of-its-kind resource that, for the first time, gathers information about handwriting education from diverse domains and resources and presents it in an accessible format.” The project’s readership targets include educators, students, parents, type and graphic designers, researchers, those interested in anthropology and culture, linguists, communications students and professionals, calligraphers, neuro-cognitive aficionados, developmental and child psychologists, lifelong learners, and the general public.
Pooja Saxena, one of the lead researchers working on the project, added, “Primarium is a living educational project, and, aligned with how we value research and sharing that knowledge, we look forward to expanding both its scope and reach.” Currently, TypeTogether is actively seeking new partners to extend the project coverage to more countries, scripts, and languages.
The project’s factsheet includes the following information:
Title: Primarium: Handwriting Education in Primary Schools
Published by: TypeTogether, with support from Google Fonts and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
Editors: José Scaglione and Pooja Saxena
Design: website by Ashler Design, logo by Petra Dočekalová
Website typefaces used: Belarius by TypeTogether
Website: https://primarium.info/
TypeTogether is an internationally awarded type foundry established in 2006 by Veronika Burian and José Scaglione. The foundry, which focuses on solving the greatest problems in the professional typography market, has built a truly multinational and multilingual network of type designers and type and language experts. With a commitment to research and knowledge sharing, TypeTogether has become one of the most influential and productive type foundries today.
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