Leng Chunhua Coordinate Grid Mnemonic Character Practice Method: The Revolution of Character Practice -- Regular Script

Author: Leng Chunhua / Leng Xiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: "Leng Chunhua Coordinate Grid Mnemonic Handwriting Method," a revolutionary innovation in the history of Chinese character writing, bringing the method of writing into the digital era simultaneously. This handwriting method is specifically designed for handwriting teaching, characterized by its practicality, ease of learning, and user-friendly operation. Using the coordinate grid for handwriting practice (patent number: ZL200330112735.6), one must first understand what a coordinate grid is. This requires looking at Diagram 1 to identify the positions of the nine coordinate points in the square grid; then, Diagram 2 to memorize the names of the coordinate points; next, Diagram 3 to clarify the eight directions (virtual secondary coordinates) of each coordinate point; and finally, Diagram 4 to understand the usage state of the coordinate grid. In this way, when the learner writes in the coordinate grid, they can clearly determine the numerical position and directional trend of each stroke, accurately grasping the three essential elements of a character (starting stroke, movement stroke, and ending stroke), thereby achieving precise stroke positioning. At the same time, it reflects the aesthetic beauty of the character form. For thousands of years, common tools for practicing handwriting—such as the square grid, rice grid, and nine-grid—have been widely used. Although these tools also have certain advantages, teachers often lack specific guidance, and learners cannot accurately place their strokes. Using this coordinate grid to guide students in handwriting practice employs digital expressions in teaching language, making it easier for teachers to teach and learners to learn. For example, the upper dot of the character "" (yong) starts from the upper-left of point A2 and ends on the right side of A2, with a slanted stroke form. To help learners improve efficiency, grasp patterns, and develop interest, the author has selected 519 model characters and grouped them into 173 sets of three using a similar character classification method. Each set is summarized with a mnemonic rhyme that encapsulates its writing characteristics. For instance:
- "，" (The character "" has a long lower horizontal stroke)
- "，" (The character "" has a slanted vertical stroke)
- "，" (The character "" has a flick, vertical, and curved stroke)
- "，" (The left-side wood radical should avoid long dots)
These rhymes are catchy and easy to remember, playing a pivotal role in helping learners master the writing rules of strokes in different positions and the principles of radical formation. Additionally, each character in the book is accompanied by its pinyin and stroke order diagram. The author has also composed additional rhymes such as:
- "，，" (Three "" strokes: feet and shoulders aligned, move forward while writing)
- "，，" (Characters in a row: form a straight line, look left while writing)
- "，，" (Rows in a paragraph: equal spacing, align heads and tails with the top and bottom)
These rhymes provide an overview and summary of handwriting posture, character grouping, line grouping, and overall layout, offering foundational and supplementary support for learners' future writing applications. This is one of the key features of the book.