Giving them a hand to write neatly, legibly

Dilip Manikantan, a student of DAV School in Mogappair, is spending his summer holidays learning to write with his left hand. He has to master it by March next year in order to appear for the Plus-Two examinations.In January he injured his right arm badly and his doctor advised him not to exert it for three years. The 17-year-old, however, intends to continue his studies using his left arm to write.Growel Skills, a handwriting academy, is training Dilip. "I practise every day. Learning to write all over again is difficult," he said.

Dilip's problem is unique, but Growel Skills has plenty of regular students enrolling to improve their handwriting. "A student who has worked hard at his lessons may score poorly because of illegible writing," said P. Mohanakannan, who founded the handwriting academy.He said people of any age could learn to write neatly. Sanjay Aditya, an engineering student, and S. Ashwin, who has just completed his UKG, are both pupils at the academy. Lalitha Kannan, co-founder of the academy, helps children with learning disabilities to improve their reading and writing abilities.Mr. Mohanakannan has a few handwriting improvement tips: Concentrate on writing; space letters evenly; use an even slant to the right and practise writing on ruled notepaper. He teaches students to write legibly, add style and improve speed.Classes are held between 9 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. during the summer holidays and between 3 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. the rest of the year. The academy has centres in Anna Nagar and Saidapet. Call 98408-18050 for details.