Oct. 19, 2006 - Copywork? What's that?
We utilise Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy in our learning and home life. One of Miss Mason's recommendations was that children do copywork.
What is copywork? It is a letter, word, sentence or paragraph that is neatly copied by a child in her/his best printing or handwriting. The best opportunity for doing copywork is in one's own Creation Appreciation Journal aka nature notebook.
Initially, keep it simple: have your children print a one- or two-word label. It can be quite a challenge for young children to manage the hand-eye coordination required to neatly and correctly print a group of letters. If doing this is beyond their capabilities at this time, print the label for them.
As your children mature and their abilities develop, they will be able to do more copywork. As well as short labels (flora and fauna names), encourage them to print one or more of the following:
~ a scripture verse,
~ poem or prose,
~ hymn/song lyrics,
~ excerpt from a book.
Hints for Success:
~ For young ones and those who find copywork difficult, keep it simple.
~ Provide suggestions and guidance for choosing copywork selections.
~ Ensure it is something relevant that he/she wants in his/her nature notebook.
~ Have everything ready; lined paper (or a ruler), pencil, eraser, sample to be copied.
~ Use a timer; set it for five to fifteen minutes, depending on his/her needs.
~ Encourage them to take their time and do their best printing/writing.
~ When the timer goes off, take a break to shake out hand/body tension.
~ If more time is needed, go back and finish the copywork then or at another set date.
|
::
Send to a Friend! ::
|
|
