ELLENBORO -- Logan Campbell is one of the top first graders in the nation when it comes to good penmanship.

Campbell, a student at Ellenboro Elementary in Ritchie County, made the top 15 out of 24,000 other first graders in the National Handwriting Contest, run by Columbus, Ohio-based Zaner-Bloser.

For Campbell, good handwriting is a way to honor and remember his grandfather, who died last May.

"[Campbell's grandfather's] handwriting was really good," said Kristie Campbell, Logan's mother. "Logan's a lot like that - he takes his time."

She said her son has been paying more attention to his handwriting since his grandfather's death. "He wants to be more like him," she said.

She said she's very proud of Logan for what he has accomplished. In addition to his success in the National Handwriting Championship, he has also won an essay contest and a conservation poster contest.

The National Handwriting Contest is run by Zaner-Bloser, a sister company of Highlights for Children. In the competition, students reproduce writing samples based on Zaner-Bloser's writing techniques. Schools select preliminary winners, and Zaner-Bloser then judges those winners based on features like shape, size, slant and spacing.

Dennis Williams, National Handwriting Product Manager for Zaner-Bloser, says the program's intended to improve students' academic abilities.

"Children who like to write and feel good about their writing want to write more, and they want to attempt other areas," said Williams. "Success with handwriting and confidence in handwriting will allow them to tackle other areas such as composition writing."

As one of 15 national winners, Campbell will now compete for the Grand National Championship. He has already won a plaque, a $500 savings bond, and a critical thinking video game.