Google for Education Australia and Google Fonts partnered to make Foundation Fonts for Australian Schools available on Google Workspace, including Google Workspace for Education. The fonts are also available for download from the Google Fonts website.
Australian teachers are required to use state-mandated handwriting styles to teach reading and writing to school children from ages four to nine. Designed by Tina and Corey Anderson, the five Foundation Fonts exemplify proper handwriting for English and other languages using the Latin writing system, and include common math symbols. The regular weight of each font imitates the pencil thickness of handwriting, making the fonts easy for students to recognize as they learn how to write letter shapes.
The availability of these fonts on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides is also important for the adoption of Chromebooks and Google Workspace for Education in Australian schools.
“Using the state-prescribed fonts in Google Workspace makes it easier for students and teachers to collaborate and create documents and projects using Chromebooks and Google Workspace for Education. We are thrilled to improve our platforms to align with Australian education standards," explained Kimberley Hall, Australian Teaching and Learning Lead, Google for Education.
Google for Education Australia received many requests for these fonts to be added to Google’s products and since their release, teachers have expressed their excitement that the fonts are finally available.
“Having the Foundation Fonts available on Google Workspace and Google Fonts is important to Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten, ages 4-5), Stage 1 (Years 1-2, aged 5-7) and Stage 2 (Years 3-4, ages 7-9) teachers. These fonts are required in our English syllabus. To expose students to the correct ways to write, we use these fonts in worksheets, wall displays, posters, and other written materials. I did professional development with an occupational therapist who stated that exposure to Foundation Fonts in the early years is essential for children to recognize letter shapes so they can read and write,” explained Alfina Jackson, a teacher in New South Wales.
The Foundation Fonts are in the OpenType variable font format and are available in weights ranging from 400 to 700.
To use these fonts in Workspace products, select “More” in the Fonts menu and type the name of the font, or “Edu” in the search bar.
Select the “More” menu to find the Foundation Fonts for Australian Schools.
To download the fonts from Google Fonts, visit:Edu VIC WA NT Beginner for Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory
Edu NSW ACT Foundation for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
Edu SA Beginner for South Australia
Edu TAS Beginner for Tasmania
Edu QLD Beginner for Queensland
For more information, visit the AU School Handwriting GitHub page.
To see how these fonts are used to teach children to write, visit the New South Wales Department of Education’s Handwriting guide for parents.
Posted by Susanna Zaraysky, Google Fonts Content Strategist