Name: Teach Them Diligently (Branson)
Start: 2025-05-15T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-17T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Branson, MO

Tagged: copywork

This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 10 months ago by petitemom.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

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September 6, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Debbie
Participant
Just curious what resources you use for copywork? Something ready made or If you use history, science, scripture etc…. from you lessons do you make your own copywork book from those sources or do you have your child copy directly from the source? Make sense? Also, how do you go about choosing what to use?
In the past I have used books from Queens homeschool but thinking about doing something differently….just not sure the best way to go about it.

Thanks
Debbie

September 6, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Sara B.
Participant
I’ve been using Horizons because we ordered that before we knew better. 🙂 We’re only halfway through it, and we’re into our 2nd year using it. In other words, we don’t do a lesson a day, we do 5-10 min. worth of work a day. It works out to about 2-3 lines per day or so because I want them concentrating rather than just getting it over with.
If we ever get done with this book I will be using a special “copywork book” for each of them, even my almost 5yo. We think they’ll do a better job if they have a special book to keep through the years. We will be finding special quotes from their books or Scripture, ones that they’ve said are cool or are special to them for one reason or the other. For my youngest, I will start with tracing (I’ll write it with dashed lines for her to trace) before moving on to copying next to it (these would start with letters, then move on to her words she is learning for reading, then moving onto sentences and Scripture quotes). For my 7yo, she is still working on copying next to or underneath, so I’ll write it first. My 8yo can copy directly from something else onto her own paper, so I’ll just have her open the book and copy the quote.
HTH!
September 6, 2011 at 10:05 pm
suzukimom
Participant
I would say it depends on the writing skill of the child.
our handwriting program says never trace… so we don’t do that step…
Step 1
1. – Line of quote, blank line to copy quote, line of quote, blank line to copy…. (at this step – keep the quotes short!) Quote is in same “font” as the child is writing
2. – Entire quote at top, then blank lines to copy – same size and “font”
3. – Entire quote at top in a smaller size but same “font” – blank lines to copy
4. – Entire quote at top in a font similar to ones used in books – blank lines to copy. [note this is a big step!]
5. – Copy the quote from the original book.
Note these are steps based on copying abilities… not steps that are used on a single quote…. so grades 1 and 2 would be using the first couple of steps…. grades 3 and maybe 4 should be working up to copying from the original book. [just an estimate of timeframe]
hope that helps!

I make a page with the quote written (at the same size) at the top, and lines for them to copy underneath. (our handwriting program says not to have them trace…) As they get better, I have the quote written (in the same “font” they are writing) smaller at the top, and lines for them to copy at the size they are wri
September 7, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Christine Kaiser
Participant
I use resources we are currently reading or working on. So this may be the weekly bible verse, weekly poem, hymn or word groups we are working on at language arts and so on. We started with D’Nealian handwriting and I use a worksheet generator to print the passages or word groups. It is a free generator and it has a few flaws, like it doesn’t print the dot on the i, but that’s an easy manual fix. This is the website p://www.handwritingworksheets.com/index.htm
You can also generate print and cursive worksheets from it.

Blessings Christine
September 7, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Sara B.
Participant
Christine, that site is awesome! Thank you!
May 30, 2012 at 1:51 am
eawerner
Participant
digging this back up…
I appreciate the list suzukimom put up. I am curious about something though. Where would a separate sheet of paper with same size and style font be in the mix? I have a ‘draw and write notebook’ from HWT that has the top of the page for coloring and the bottom lined for writing. I think it may encourage dd5 to do very careful work if it’s in a book format like that and she could decorate her work with a picture but I wouldn’t want my writing in there too so I would need a separate sheet for the model.
any thoughts?
May 30, 2012 at 2:33 pm
suzukimom
Participant
Well, I would just modify the steps I suggested… my list wasn’t to say it was the only way to do it…. so do something like this I’d just do the first couple of steps in a different book or paper, until ready to do it in the nice draw and write notebook you would like to use….
so something like….
1. – Line of quote, blank line to copy quote, line of quote, blank line to copy…. (at this step – keep the quotes short!) Quote is in same “font” as the child is writing
2. – Entire quote at top, then blank lines to copy – same size and “font”
3. – Entire quote on another piece of paper is same font (if on a paper strip, student can have it sitting at top of page), then blank lines to copy – same size and “font”
4. – like #3 – smaller size, but same font
5. – like #3 – using a Times-new-roman or similar font [note this is a big step!]
6. – Copy the quote from the original book.
May 30, 2012 at 3:53 pm
petitemom
Participant
Suzukimom would you happen to know why it is not recommended to have kids trace?
I would think it would help when they first learn the letters to get a feel of it but maybe not!?!
May 30, 2012 at 4:34 pm
suzukimom
Participant
Well, we aren’t doing that method anymore (although I still don’t have my kids trace…) you can look up peterson directed handwriting to get more on the reasons….
Basically, it is because tracing impedes fluency in writing…. tracing puts the child in “drawing” mode instead of “writing” mode. The method used saying the stroke names in a rhythmic beat while they are writing (then stroke numbers) – to encourage a rhythm to writing, and encouraging muscle memory. At least, that was the jist of it.
May 30, 2012 at 7:18 pm
petitemom
Participant
thanks! we were using reasons for handwriting this year which has the kids tracing. I told them to skip the tracing after reading about it (probably from you ;)). I knew there was probably a good reason, makes sence!