Stressing the importance of instructional objectives, this discussion explores the relationship of handwriting to child characteristics and societal expectations. The nature of writing is described, and questions are specified for teachers to consider before determining educational objectives pertaining to handwriting. Guidelines for initial instruction in handwriting are offered. Subsequently, general objectives in handwriting are listed for cognitive skills and attitudinal domains; in addition, guidelines including examples are provided for writing specific learning objectives. The remaining third of the discussion points out opportunities for handwriting learning activities in several curriculum areas, including mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, and health. (RH)