Slant  and  Quality
A  preliminary  study  of  the  relation  between  the  several
slants  and  the  quality  of  the  writings  indicates  that  in  general
the  vertical  writings  are  the  most  legible,  the  medium  slants
next  and  the  extreme  slants  next.  The  number  of  samples  of
back  hand  and  mixed  slants  is  so  limited  as  to  render  the  data
with  respect  to  the  speed  of  reading  these  two  styles  of  doubtful
value.  The  following  figures  show  median  rates  in  words  per
minute  at  which  the  writings  of  each  style  were  read : —

Median  Rate  of
Number  of  Reading  in

Samples      Words  Per  Mimrre

Vertical  ("A")  255  180

Medium  Slant  ("  B  ") 670  176

Extreme  Slant  ("C") 580  172

Back  Hand  ("D") 27  168

Mixed  ("E") 46  I74

Slant,  Speed,  and  Quality

The  conditions  under  which  the  samples  were  obtained  pre-
clude any  extensive  study  as  to  speeds  for  the  reason  that  the
writing  was  done  from  copy  in  which  the  words  were  thrown
out  of  context.  This  made  the  copying  of  the  material  a  most
unusual  exercise  for  the  children,  and  renders  dangerous  any
conclusions  from  these  data  as  to  the  comparative  writing  rates
of  children  of  different  grades  and  cities.  Nevertheless,  compari-
sons between  speeds,  slants  and  qualities  may  be  tentatively
made,  since  the  writing  conditions  were  equal  for  all  the  children.
