Abstract
Czech primary school has been undergoing a transformation process since 1989. This vast transformation concerns the education process provided by primary school, methodology, but also ways of evaluation including the role of a teacher.
Close attention has been paid to basic literacies development, mainly reading, writing, Mathematics, but also to what is known as applied literacies. Initial writing instruction has undergone a significant change in recent years.
Initial writing skills development belonged to one of the most challenging issues in primary schools. Fear of failure was often a reason for a deferred primary school entry.
The change in initial writing instruction involves mainly the field of didactics and psycho- didactics. In the past period, pupils' writing competencies have been defined with appreciation of their educational needs and possibilities.
Methodology has changed towards giving preference to active and creative aspects of instruction; emphasis on legible writing as opposed to neat and well-organized writing (which used to be the aim of the "traditional" writing) has become the aim of teaching. Gradually, a debate started over letter shapes of the handwriting alphabet in terms of their difficulty and legibility.
In 2009, R. Lencová, a graphic designer, came up with a suggestion of unlinked vertical script, which is very similar to the shapes used in Western Europe; Comenia Script.
Teachers became interested in teaching their first graders this particular script very quickly. Based on requirements of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports a pilot implementation of Comenia Script has been carried out in the teaching of writing in the first grades of 33 Czech primary schools.
The pilot project lasted 2 school years. Pupils were monitored in the first and second year of primary school.