Copywork – Homeschool Family Journey

What is copywork?

Copywork is a strategy that is as simple as it sounds! Made popular by the Charlotte Mason style of education, copywork is simply copying a selection from another text. The text will vary based on the age of the student, but it can range anywhere from a line out of a favorite picture book to a passage of Scripture to a paragraph from a great work of literature.

You might think that this sounds like little more than handwriting practice. While it can be combined with handwriting lessons to help a student practice, it’s also much more than that. Copywork impacts learning in spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, great literature, reading, and comprehension.

Benefits of Copywork

How does copywork accomplish all of that, simply through the act of copying a selection of text? Many of the benefits come down to choosing the right kind of text. When you choose rich selections from solid pieces of literature, students glean a wide variety of benefits. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Handwriting

Copywork can add a bit of fun to handwriting practice. When students get to copy excerpts from their favorite stories, they are not only reminded of the stories but they also find greater enjoyment in the handwriting work.

Language Arts

Familiarity strengthens learning. This is why well-written literature is important for language training. When copywork selections are pulled from solid literature sources, students practice correct spelling, vocabulary, and grammar mechanics.

Literature Exposure

Of course, language learning is not the only benefit here! When selections are pulled from great literature options, children are exposed to that literature. The result is that they often can’t wait to read more, thus whetting their appetite for good literature!

The Little Details

Because children have to slow down to copy a selection, they tend to notice more details from a passage than they would by simply reading the passage. This increases attention to detail and encourages thought and response to the passage, leading to great opportunities for discussion as well as comprehension development.

Memorization

Is memorization a part of your school routine? Copywork and memorization can be combined by having your child copy the memorization passage, either in part or as a whole. Penmanship and memory are exercised in the same activity, more thought and attention are given to the passage, and memorization occurs more quickly and solidly.

Tips for Selecting Copywork

I keep mentioning the importance of making good selections for copywork. But what does that actually look like? Sometimes the easiest way to get started is by searching online for ready-made copywork, assembled by teachers who have a great deal of experience selecting quality content for copywork assignments.

But, it’s also not hard to dive into making selections on your own!

Here are some tips to help you get started.

Start by pulling passages from your child’s favorite books. The familiarity of a favorite quote or line can make the copywork task more fun.
Look for literature, historical documents, or quotes that fit with other topics you’re currently exploring in history or science.
Some great literature utilizes poor or “free” grammar or is written in outdated English. When selecting copywork passages, choose passages that represent solid grammar, good vocabulary, and modern language.
Select passages from a variety of sources, and consider allowing your student to choose. For young students, you might offer a choice of two or three passages or allow the student to choose which passage he will copy on which day that week. For an older student, occasionally ask her to choose her own passages from something that she is reading or studying.
There is nothing wrong with assigning longer passages of text to younger students if it is of interest to them. Just make sure to divide the passage into appropriately sized sections for the developmental level of the student.

Tips for Implementing Copywork

Once you have found good passages for your child to copy, there are a few additional things that will help make the assignment run more smoothly.

Format is very important. You want the passage your child is going to copy to be easy to read and follow along. So, avoid handing your child a book and pointing to the selected sentence or paragraph. Instead, create a document where you can type in the passage or handwrite it yourself in clear block letters. If you are typing, choose an easy-to-read font and make sure the font size is large enough for your child to clearly see each letter and word. Oh, and don’t forget to edit for typos!

Here are some additional tips to consider:

Don’t Start Too Young

Although it is a good idea to start early, keep in mind that the Starting Out years (preschool through first grade) are probably still a little too early. Make sure that your child’s fine motor skills, concentration, and attention span are ready for copywork. The earliest copywork can even take the traditional form of tracing letters, short words, or even shapes to help develop coordination. If copywork becomes a major daily stress, set it aside and try again later.

Start Small

Start with short sentences and gradually increase to full passages. Remember that the increase progresses over two or three years, not weeks or months. For instance, a second grader may always only copy single sentences, although the sentences may increase slightly in length. You’ll know it’s time to increase the length or complexity of a copywork assignment when you notice that your student completes an assignment quickly while still writing neatly.

Developmental Needs

Pay attention to the development of your child when assigning copywork. The ability to space words is a neurodevelopmental milestone. If your child is struggling, be patient as you wait for that development to occur. Also, the physical act of handwriting is a huge challenge to some children, and copywork may be a challenge even on into third or fourth grade. Encourage your student to persevere, but do not increase selection length beyond their endurance.

Plenty of Time

Do not feel a need to rush copywork, but also do not exceed your child’s attention span. Figure out how much your student can comfortably and neatly write in about 5-10 minutes, then choose a selection that fits the time frame.

Talk it Out

Using copywork time to reinforce poetry or Scripture memorization is a great practice, but these selections frequently end up with interesting grammar structure. Be sure to talk through these grammar differences with your child to avoid confusion.

Quality Work

Go for quality over quantity. A short, neatly copied passage is much better than a longer, sloppy one. Encourage your student to slow down and do the job well. It might be helpful to set a timer and let them stop, wherever they are, when the timer goes off.