The present paper is part of a broader reflection on the role or ability of using the body in communication in the most basic function of visual communication, literacy. It addresses the phenomenon of early childhood literacy from the perspective of visual communication, or more specifically, typography and calligraphy. This particular paper is the first part of a broader whole that focuses on historical examples of literacy in Slovene-speaking areas through a content analysis of existing didactic materials from different periods and secondary sources from the field of education where children learned to write. Literacy in the 19th century was based on calligraphic writing inspired by German, Italian or Czech models. The research into methods, materials and pedagogical approaches was intensive and the results are also found in the periodical trade press. School textbooks, which often included instructions for teachers, were published by publishers or printers certified by the state. Vertical handwriting was prescribed no later than 1926, and later the “school writing” model became established. Student notebooks were divided by level and used alongside the reading books, which also contained model letters for teaching reading and writing. Despite the ubiquity of handwriting throughout history, the teaching profession has not been much concerned with the visual aspects, and experts in the fields of art, design, typography or calligraphy have only exceptionally been involved in the development of literacy methods.
|
