Despite what modern educators and technology wizards may think, legible handwriting is not obsolete. It brings a personal touch to our correspondence. The Spencerian form of penmanship is a highly-regarded and beautiful form of cursive writing. The very affordable series can be used to introduce cursive to elementary students, to improve the handwriting of older students and adults, or as an art form much like calligraphy.

Book 1 introduces all the short letters. Only four strokes, or principles as Spencer called them, are needed to produce these letters.