D'Nealian vs Zaner-Bloser: What's the Difference?

• Zaner-Bloser teaches vertical, "ball and stick" print, then a separate slanted cursive that looks different from the print letters.
• D'Nealian teaches slanted print with small exit strokes, so that the later cursive letters are close relatives of the print ones.
• Which is better? There is no strong, widely accepted evidence that either produces clearly better handwriting. Consistency, practice time and good instruction matter more.
• What should you do? Follow the model your child's teacher uses. If you are an adult learner, choose whichever letterforms you find easiest to read and write.

The rest of this page explains the reasons behind those four points.

Zaner-Bloser is the name of a handwriting method and of the educational publisher that produces it, based in Columbus, Ohio. Its approach goes back to the Zanerian style of penmanship taught in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it has been revised over many editions since. The present-day program is a classroom method for the elementary years.

D'Nealian was developed by Donald Neal Thurber, a teacher in Michigan, in the 1970s, and the name comes from his middle name, Neal. His aim was to make the move from print to cursive easier by making the two styles resemble each other. The program was later published by Scott Foresman.

Neither program is a single fixed alphabet: each has had revisions, and teachers often adapt them, so you may meet versions that differ slightly from the descriptions here.

In Zaner-Bloser, the print alphabet (called manuscript) is vertical. Letters are built from straight lines and circles, which is why it is called ball and stick. Each letter is a separate unit, with the pencil lifted between strokes. Supporters like that it is easy to read and matches the typefaces children see in books.

In D'Nealian, the print alphabet is slanted forward. Many letters are written in one continuous stroke, and several of them end with a small tail, an exit stroke, that points to where the next letter would join. A child who writes a, d, h, m, n and similar letters with these tails has already practiced the movement that cursive will need.

Critics of D'Nealian point out that the tails make the print letters look unlike the typefaces in books, which can make early readers' own writing look different from the books in front of them. Critics of Zaner-Bloser point out that vertical print and slanted cursive are two separate alphabets to learn. Both criticisms have some basis, and neither has settled the argument.

The big design difference is the transition. In D'Nealian, the cursive letters are meant to be recognizable from the print letters, so that most of the change is adding connecting strokes. In Zaner-Bloser, cursive is introduced as a new style, with its own letter shapes, usually at about the third year of school, and it does not try to look like the print forms.

In both, lowercase letters connect by the same basic idea: letters end with an exit stroke that leads into the next one. If you want to see how connections work in general, our cursive joins guide covers it. The differences between the programs are mainly in the capitals. Traditional cursive capitals, such as the Q that looks like a number 2 or the loopy G, are more typical of Zaner-Bloser-style models, and D'Nealian capitals tend to look like the print forms with a slant. Exact shapes vary by edition.

When the two are compared by experts, they usually come down to this: D'Nealian is easier to move into cursive, while Zaner-Bloser keeps print simple and treats cursive as a distinct skill.

Treat the table as a guide, not a specification. Both programs are published in several editions and teachers sometimes mix them, so what your child brings home may differ in small ways.

The honest answer is that nobody has shown it conclusively. Reviews of handwriting instruction generally suggest that how much children practice, how clear the model is and whether the teacher gives feedback matter much more than the brand of program. A well-taught D'Nealian class and a well-taught Zaner-Bloser class generally produce similar handwriting, and a poorly taught class does worse with either.

If you have read claims that one style is dramatically better for dyslexia, speed or spelling, treat them cautiously. Some of these claims are based on small studies or on opinion. For children who struggle, an individual assessment is more useful than a choice between programs. See our guide to dyslexia and dysgraphia for more detail.

1. Ask the school first. If your child is in a class, the teacher's model is the right one. Ask which program or edition they use, and whether children are expected to write cursive at all.
2. Do not mix models in the same week. If you practice at home, use one alphabet at a time, so the letters do not blur together.
3. If your worksheet uses a different style, point out the difference and let the child follow the school model. A small mismatch in a single capital is not harmful.
4. If you are an adult learner, look at both and pick the letterforms you find most readable. Our cursive for adults guide has a plan.
5. If you are homeschooling, both programs have published workbooks. A consistent, well-paced workbook is more important than which one you pick.

For a broader look at the print-versus-cursive question, see cursive vs print.

The letter guides, alphabet and worksheets on Cursive Atlas use one consistent school-style cursive model. They are not copies of D'Nealian or Zaner-Bloser, and we do not claim they match either one exactly. They are intended for general practice of letter formation, joins and spacing, and they work well alongside whichever program your school follows. When a sheet shows a capital that looks different from your textbook, use your textbook's version.

If you want blank paper to practice any style, the cursive lined paper page has printable sheets in three sizes.

• Pencil grip and posture matter more than the style. See the pen guide for comfortable tools.
• Left-handed children need extra thought about paper position, and our left-handed guide covers it.
• Keep sessions short. Ten focused minutes, a few days a week, usually beat one long session.
• Check legibility, not perfection. The goal of both programs is writing that other people can read quickly.

For a ready-made schedule, try the 30-day practice plan or the guide on teaching kids cursive.