The D'Nealian Method (sometimes misspelled Denealian) is a style of writing and teaching handwriting based on Latin script which was developed between 1965 and 1978 by Donald N. Thurber (1927–2020) in Michigan, United States. Building on his experience as a primary school teacher, Thurber aimed to make the transition from print writing to cursive easier for learners.
History
Donald Neal Thurber (December 15, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan – January 6, 2020 in Monroe, Michigan) received a bachelor's degree from the University of Toledo and a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University. He began teaching elementary pupils in Luna Pier in 1953. While teaching first grade in 1961, Thurber examined what he regarded the illogic of handwriting education in the US. From 1965, he developed the D'Nealian Method as an alternative to teaching scripts then available. The name of the D'Nealian Method comes from Thurber's first name contracted with his middle name ("Neal"). Thurber's system of writing was first publicly introduced in the United States in 1978. Thurber eventually retired in 1984 as principal of Chapman Elementary...