Resources for Pre-Anniversary (1916) Gregg Shorthand

If you are studying the 1916 manual, this post is especially for you. Studying the 1916 manual may seem difficult because of the dearth of reading and practice material in the book. However, there are many resources available that at the time of their publishing were designed to supplement the manual. Let me summarize the resources that are available.

First, you should get the “Key to the 1916 Manual.” Having the key gives you a safety blanket, given that you don’t have a teacher nearby.

After each lesson is completely studied, you should turn to the corresponding reading from the 1919 edition of “Graded Readings in Gregg Shorthand” for additional reading practice.

Additional words for each lesson can be found in the “Most Used Shorthand Forms” booklet.

More words, sentences, and letters can be found in the “Supplementary Exercises in Gregg Shorthand“, again correlated with each lesson.

Words and sentences written in type appear in the “Word and Sentence Drills for Gregg Shorthand” book. Instructions on how to use this book appear in its preface.

The first edition of “Gregg Speed Studies” is important in the study of Gregg. As with all other books, the lessons are correlated with the manual. The “Teacher’s Key to Gregg Speed Studies” contains valuable information about how to use this great book in your studies. Speed Studies XXI to XXX reinforce the material from the manual and could be used once the study of the basic manual is completed.

Lastly, if you’re interested in additional pointers for each lesson, turn to William Wheatcroft’s “Notes on Lessons in Gregg Shorthand.” In this book, you will find tips related to each lesson and rules, in addition to other drills.

Unfortunately, Google Books doesn’t have a copy of the 1916 edition of “Progressive Exercises”, the student workbook designed to be used with the manual. However, given that the other books are available, there is little to be gained by studying this book, other than some additional penmanship and small reading/transcription drills.

I hope this post will help you navigate through the maze of 1916 material and motivates those who chose pre-anniversary Gregg to continue their studies. And always remember, mastery before speed: study each lesson thoroughly and make sure you know the principles before starting a new lesson.


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8 comments Add yours
  1. Thank you for getting all these links in one place! I already had most of these Pre-Anniversary materials, except for the key books, and Wheatcroft's book. I've been doing each chapter in each book multiple times, and I think I'll add the extra drills in the Wheatcroft, so it'll be a review of lessons 1-13 for me.

    1. Thanks for pointing this out. Gurtler's book is a good small reference for those who want to be become pen reporters, regardless of the series. The original intention of this post was to list out books for those wanting to study the New and Revised Edition (1916) of Gregg Shorthand, but didn't know how to go about it. There were other books printed during the period that were used for dictation practice, but I didn't include them here either, as they are to be used once the manual is complete, and not as beginning books.

  2. Thank you for these resources. I would like to ask what order you would suggest doing these in (e.g., doing Lesson 1 in the manual, then its corresponding section in Speed Studies, then its corresponding section in Graded Readings, etc.).

    1. You're welcome! Taking each lesson followed by Speed Studies and the Graded Readings is a good approach. You can also test yourself after each lesson by reading the Supplementary Exercises book. The Notes on Lessons book also has good study suggestions.

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