What is Handwriting Analysis?

DAY ONE (LAB)

Watch this clip:  "You got all that from his handwriting?"

Handwriting analysis serves two purposes:
1- to tell if multiple documents were written by the same person, and
2- to inform the analyst of personality characteristics of the writer.

Even if two people learn to write cursive in the exact same style, their handwriting will be different.  One person may slant to the right, the other to the left.  One person may write with heavy pressure, the other light as a feather.  These variations reflect the personality of the writer.

Analysts look for four basic qualities in the writing they study:

1. Form:  the shape of the letters, proportion, slant, angles, lines, retracing, connections, and curves.
2. Line Quality:  what type of pen/pencil was used, how much pressure did they write with, and how does their writing flow?
3. Arrangement:  spacing, alignment, formatting, and distinctive punctuation.
4. Content:  spelling, phrasing, punctuation, and grammar.

It can be tricky to analyze handwriting sometimes.  A person may deliberately disguise their handwriting, which can make it complicated but not impossible to interpret.  The writer may also be influenced by drugs or alcohol, and that changes their handwriting.  Still, certain qualities in the writing will remain consistent and therefore give the writer away.

If someone is asked to give a handwriting sample, there's a specific procedure to follow:
1. The subject should not be shown the questioned document
2. The subject should not be helped with punctuation or spelling
3. The subject should use materials similar to those of the document
4. The dictated text they're assigned should match some parts of the document
5. The dictated text should be repeated at least three times
6. The subject should be asked to sign the text
7. Someone should witness the procedure to see it's done right

Instructions:  choose one of these articles to read and take careful notes on it.  Write me a paragraph in which you answer ALL of these questions:
1- What are the basic traits you were taught to recognize in your article, and what do they reveal about the writer?
2-  What surprised you as you were reading?
3-  What/who did you think about as you studied this article?
4-  What will you do with this information?

Idiot's Guide to Handwriting Analysis- Margins
Idiot's Guide to Handwriting Analysis- Line Spacing

DAY TWO (LAB)

Write these sentences three times in your typical handwriting, cursive or manuscript, using a pencil:  The little black and white train that could and did. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dogs.
      
Study these links as a class, taking notes about which traits your own handwriting shows and what it means.  When you're done, you can play the handwriting analysis game.

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You? -Infographic
What Does Your Handwriting Say About You? -Short Video
Handwriting Analysis Game