Book excerpt: Daily Handwriting Practice, Modern Manuscript is more than just a handwriting book; it is a learning tool that helps developing young minds practice basic skills in an interesting and unique way. For example, as students learn to clearly write, "The gray ant is in third place," they are reinforcing their understanding of colors and ordinal numbers. Students write letters, words, and sentences about a variety of content-area topics appropriate for the primary classroom. Monday through Thursday, the weekly subjects for writing exercises include nutrition, our solar system, pets, and vehicles. On Friday, a full-page exercise draws the topic to a close by reviewing what was learned earlier that week. This book is a useful and effective teaching tool because each letter is introduced and practiced before students are asked to use it. Practice includes the following important vocabulary words: - color words - number words - days of the week and months - position words - sports - family members Curriculum topics addressed include: - nutrition - the solar system - the layers of the Earth - recycling - fractions - the continents - geometric shapes - money - energy Skills reinforced that help keep handwriting legible include: - correct letter formation - letter placement - spacing between letters - spacing between words