Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” But Shakespeare knew this long before Mark Twain spoke these words! Have you ever…

January 2024 is right around the corner! Pages classes are designed to foster competence, creativity, and confidence in students as they press into the important work of becoming literate.  Being able to communicate an original, BIG idea is the ultimate…

While cleaning out a closet I found some treasure! Real writing gold. A stash of letters my mother had written to my father over the course of a year while she was simultaneously raising 4 children and trying to sell…

Hands, fingers, eyes, oh my! When it comes to writing an idea, students are often thwarted by the complex activity of coordinating the minute muscle movements of the hands and fingers holding a pencil, with the sight of the eyes…

Enter by using the form below to submit a photo of your student’s most beautiful lettered-by-hand version of the following pangram:   Win a penmanship mug or a set of our beautiful Blackbird & Company stationary. Four winners will be chosen…

Accentuate your friendly letter with a fall-themed crafty insert! This project began with a package of fall leaf table confetti. But you can just as easily begin by tracing real leaf shapes on colored craft paper, cutting out the shapes,…

It’s November and we’re celebrating the art of letter writing, let’s embellish! Once you’ve composed a friendly letter first draft, it’s time to choose stationary. There are all sorts of envelopes and flat cards in many colors, shapes, and sizes…

About a dozen years ago, a friend shared with me that she decided to bypass teaching her children the art of penmanship. Her children would jump straight to keyboarding: “This is the computer age. Cursive handwriting is archaic. Why do…

Let’s start a tradition! Let’s write friendly letters! Composing a letter by hand—a non-electronic letter—is a relational, social activity that teaches generosity, idea making, and the nature of beauty. Once upon a time there was no such thing as email,…