Zaner-Bloser Announces Top 16 National Winners in 20th Annual National Handwriting Contest

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Zaner-Bloser is proud to announce that 16 students from across the country have displayed excellent handwriting skills to become national winners in its 20th annual National Handwriting Contest.  This year, more than 220,000 students participated in the annual contest. Zaner-Bloser estimates that more than 2.5 million students have participated in the contest during its 20-year history.  

Schools held their own handwriting contests and entered the winning student for each grade level. The contest entries were judged according to the Zaner-Bloser Keys to Legibility: Size, Shape, Spacing and Slant.

The top 16 National Winners include:

• Sara Dang, Blessed Sacrament School, Westminster, CA, Grade 1
• Madleine Rose Launstein, Big Pine Academy, Big Pine Key, Florida, Grade 5
• Chukwubueze Desmond-Isaac Emefo, St. John the Evangelist School, Hapeville, GA, Grade 8
• Erin Fisher, Emerson Elementary School, Wheaton, IL, Grade 4
• Ysabelle Pinpin, St. Constance School, Chicago, IL, Grade 2
• Karen Wang, Walt Disney Elementary School, Mishawaka, IN, Grade 3
• Samantha Kambol, Corpus Christi School, South Bend, IN, Grade 7
• Jackson Hake, Tipton Community Grade School, Tipton, KS, Grade 1
• Stephanie Felicia Thomas, Lantham Christian School, Lanham, MD, Grade 5
• Richard Jensen Schmitt, Jr., Woodland Cons Elementary School, Woodland, ME, Grade 7
• Nicholas Dante Otten, Christ Household of Faith School, Saint Paul, MN, Grade 4
• Shantel Herner, Mott-Regent School, Mott, ND, Grade 8
• Tyler Scarola, Washington Drive Primary School, Centerport, NY, Grade 2
• Raeanna Ramos, Willard Middle School, Willard, OH, Grade 6
• Julie Nguyen-Winn, Valley Catholic Elementary School, Beaverton, OR, Grade 3
• Cassie Kriebel, St. Joseph Grade School, Lucinda, PA, Grade 6

"Zaner-Bloser is very proud of each and every one of these students who have demonstrated strong handwriting skills," said Zaner-Bloser President Bob Page. "We believe that handwriting is an invaluable skill that is critical to developing literacy and leads to academic and career success." Judges selected state winners in grades 1-8 for both public and private schools. State winners competed against each other to become one of the 16 public and private National Grade Level Winners. The National Grade Level Winners then competed to be chosen as one of eight Grand National Champions.  

The eight Grand National Champions will officially be announced at the International Reading Association Annual Convention on May 10 in Orlando. The annual Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest encourages legible handwriting by testing the abilities of students in Grades 1-8 in both Public and Private Schools who use the Zaner-Bloser Handwriting program.

Zaner-Bloser  awards cash prizes, sponsorships and educational materials with a total value of over $100,000 to winning students, teachers and schools who participate in the annual contest.

About Zaner-Bloser

Zaner-Bloser, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Highlights for Children with more than 120 years of experience in education, is one of the premier publishers of research-based reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and handwriting programs. The Zaner-Bloser mission is to create dynamic, appealing and effective educational programs and services. Zaner-Bloser focuses on distinctive programs that inspire all students to become engaged, literate participants in the global society.

SOURCE Zaner-Bloser