Okay, I’ll admit it: I once thought copy work was dumb. I mean, where’s the critical thinking in copying exactly what’s written before you? What’s the point? No thinking, no analyzing, just plain old copying. But I have been reformed. In case you’re not familiar with the idea of copywork, it is really a Charlotte Mason idea. The idea is that you take great quotes from literature and have the children copy it.
Ironically, the curriculum I use has regular copywork assignments, which until recently, I skipped over. It has to be just about the only thing I didn’t like about Charlotte Mason’s method. . .but I have come to realize that copy work can play a vital role in homeschooling and is often a missing element of more modern language arts program. So if you’ve ever thought that having your child copy sentences was tedious and boring–keep reading.
Penmanship Skills
I am one of those people that does think that my children need to be able to write legibly. The only way I know of, to get them to learn to write legibly is to practice, practice, practice. I’ve come to realize it’s not as much about the handwriting being legible as it is about training children to be deliberate and careful in their work. With that said, doesn’t it make so much more sense that once children have learned to form letters that they copy literature, Scripture or something meaningful rather than row after row of letters?
The Benefit of Exposure
Last year, when my daughter had to memorize a passage of Scripture for a presentation in church guess what I did? Yep–I had her write it out. So is the point to memorize? Not necessarily, although that can be an added benefit. I know people who copy great quotes, sentences from their literatuare, or other things. While the student is copying, the parent discusses, and if you are consistent, you will see improvement in your child’s ability to think. . .simply from being exposed to the ideas.
Learning to Write
It seems that one area many homeschooling parents struggle with is writing. Do you get a grammar work book and have them memorize it? Do you just have them keep practicing? Actually, copywork is a great way to work on writing and grammar skills. We actually copy certain sentences from our work. Then we cover grammatical points through those sentences. For example, my son just learned all about capital letters from copying a sentence from his reader. It’s a very natural way to learn these skills.
So if you haven’t tried copywork. . .give it a try. You will be surprised how much your child’s penmanship, critical thinking skills, and writing skills will improve!
Related Articles:
Charlotte Mason: What’s the Point of Copywork?
More on Charlotte Mason and Living Books
Blogging: An Unconventional Writing Curriculum