Copywork for the youngers & scheduling question

[Pam H]

Hello Ladies,

 

In reading the 'do you have your plans together?' thread, I noticed that many of you are having your youngers doing copywork. What exactly do you use? Is it always the same length passage? How long for, say, a 2nd grader?

 

Also, I'd love to look at some real time schedules; especially from you moms of many. How do you do something two days and something else for three days, etc? I am a chronic planner but am a disabled scheduler - odd combination!

 

Lastly, I'd like to bring attention to the fact that I now own 50 posts! :thumbup:

 

Thank you for your advice.

[Faithr]

Hi Pam,

 

We do copywork right after breakfast. It varies every morning so sometimes it takes longer than other times but no more than 20 minutes max. Right now our rhythm is:

 

Monday - Latin quotes (from Latin curriculum or prayers)

Tuesday - jokes/tongue twisters/riddles or quote from books their currently reading. If there is copywork as part of a writing curriculum, this is the day they do it.

Wednesday - Scripture (may come from a scriptural rosary book or from scripture read over breakfast)

Thursday - poetry

Friday - freewrite. This isn't really copywork. We started it last year and the kids demanded we con't. I put the timer on for 10 minutes and everybody writes as fast as they can anything they want. Spelling and penmanship don't count and they may or may not read it aloud afterwards. Depends on what they want. This has sparked many little poems and short stories. The kids get so into writing they go off and continue afterwards. This is an idea from Julie Bogart's Brave Writer.

 

My first grader will just copy over one or two Latin words on Monday; she usually draws a picture on Tuesdays, on Wednesdays she works from A Reason for Writing, on Thursdays she usually just copies rhyming words and on Friday she usually draws pictures again.

 

My older kids write much longer quotes of course.

 

Hth!

[Julie in GA]

(This is the ideal schedule, which sometimes gets switched around.) After breakfast, we have a silent memory work time, followed by devotions, which also doubles as read-aloud practice for the children. (During memory work time, they are looking over their memory verses, current poem, and catechism question.)

 

Next comes copywork, as follows:

 

Monday - copy new memory verse (or trace a few words for the 1st grader learning cursive)

Tuesday - begin copying weekly poem (one or two stanzas per day)

Wed - continue with weekly poem, or new hymn

Thurs - history copywork (from my copybooks, or from the text we're reading)

Fri - anything or nothing

 

After this, I do the history read aloud with the middle children while #4 plays with #5, and #1 does Omnibus on his own. (M,W, & Th)

 

After this, I work with #4 (dd6) on her spelling log & cursive while #3 plays with #5, and #1 & #2 do math/algebra on their own.

 

When #2 finishes math, he's in charge of #5, and I work with #3 on Classical Writing Aesop while #1 continues with his algebra (he takes twice as much time as #2 does with MUS Epsilon).

 

At this point, all the younger children are then free and go play outside, while #1 and #2 do Latin.

 

Then comes lunch, nap for #5, and Classical Writing for the older ones, followed by one hour of silent "book time" for everyone (#5 is still asleep).

 

#1 & 2 have a couple more items to finish after book time, and by 4:30 we're usually completely done.

 

That's a rough sketch. I can send you my excel weekly schedule if you like. It is quite tricky with a full house of children, but it can be done. One thing that makes things simpler is that I delay formal math & grammar until age 9 or 10.

 

HTH,

[MelissaMinNC]

Well, I'm not a mom of many, so my schedule would probably be no help to you whatsoever. As far as copywork goes, I try to take a Charlotte Mason sort of approach. My dd is 1st grade - copywork is usually about 1 sentence. We will probably go to 2 sentences sometime in 2nd grade. I pick the sentences - verses from the Bible, something from our history or science or lit reading, it can pretty much be anything. As long as it's something good, LOL. I really want her to copy good quality sentences, because it's not just handwriting practice; it's also reading and spelling practice, and grammar exposure, and exposure to good writing in general. I've been just writing the sentences out for her (in my best italics, LOL) and having her copy. However, I just purchased Startwrite, so I'm going to start using that, so she always has a correct model to copy.

 

Is this at all helpful?

:)

Melissa

[Mallory]

I have 4 kids (and one on the way) dd12, ds8, ds6, ds2.

 

My boys are not big writers. For second grade (the oldest boy I consider a beginning 3rd and the next is almost 2nd grade), very short sentances are enough. I would rather they sat down with a 6-8 word sentance or phrase so it looks doable and they will try hard and get it neat, then be overwhelmed by a long sentance and it be a huge battle.

 

We use poems they are learning for memory work, and occasionally a sentance from a book we are reading. Again, even a short poem, takes several days at this age.

 

We have weekly lesson plans, each kid has a sheet with a table to write down what subjects that get done every day. The table has two groups of subjects-morning (individual subjects: math, reading, english,ect.) and subjects we do all together in the afternoon (history, science, art).

 

My middle schooler does things she can do all alone or skips to the next subject while I get the boys things done (thier morning stuff takes about 1 hr for the 6yo and 1 1/2 hrs for the 8 yo). Then I have time to help her for the next 1 1/2 hrs or so until lunch (while the boys help occupy the toddler). The subjects can be done in any order as long as they get done.

 

For the afternoon subjects (history, sci, and art) we tend to do better at picking one subject for that day and sticking with it then jumping around. That leaves one afternoon a week for the library, and another for field trips or whatever (groceries;)).

 

We also fit in 10-20 minutes of chores after breakfast and again after lunch (depends on how quickly morning subjects get done) and finally before bed. We split into two groups in the morning and evening (me and one boy, and dd and the other boy) and one group does the kitchen and downstairs bathroom, and the other does the livingroom, school room, and upstairs bathroom, then at lunchtime everyone does their rooms and I get some laundry done (which they fold and put up).

 

Before 8:00- If you get up before 8 it is free video game/tv time. My 8 yo regularly sets his alarm for 7 and plays some DS. It works so well for us. He is hard to get up but is happy and dressed by 8 if he gets some time on his game boy.

 

8:00-up, dressed, eat, teeth (we listen to classical music)

8:30-chores (everyone's areas)

9:00-start school, I work with boys, dd on her own

10:00- or so boys go play and keep toddler busy, I work with dd

12:00-lunch, chores (bedrooms, laundry)

 

Afternoon much more variable-- may go somewhere, or may quickly start school, or may wait until naptime.

Usually we do History the first free afternoon and Science the second free afternoon and I don't worry if we don't get to art everyweek.

 

HTH,

Mallory

[dalynnrmc]

I'm probably not much help on the copywork - my just-turned-9yo son has some fine motor skills issues, and we do 2-3 Bible verses per week. One sheet of handwriting paper, twice weekly.

 

As for schedules, that I can do. ;) In fact, what we've done is to print out "tabs" in the right numbers for each subject (even color-coded). Each week I hand my son the bag of tabs, and he places them in a homemade pocket chart to make his own schedule for the week. In the case that we don't get to something, he can physically move it to another day. It's been a relief for us since we've started!

 

Anyway, here's our schedule!

Math - 5 days/wk

Language Arts - 5 days/wk (grammar - 3 days, vocab or spelling - 2 days)

Reading - 4 days/wk plus book club meeting every other week

Bible - 3 days/wk

History - 4 days/wk

Science - 2 days/wk plus 1 day of co-op

Culture - 3 days/wk (one each for foreign language, music, and art)

Skills - 4 days/wk (2 for handwriting, one each for typing and pre-logic - by son's request)

 

We haven't been placing time restrictions on these subjects. We have a certain task to complete, and we continue in that subject until it is finished. We are changing this slightly. We're going to trial a time where he has an hour for each subject, half an hour for those subjects in the culture and skills areas. If he finishes in only 40 minutes, he has the remaining 20 for any activity he desires. He will still have a minimum task to accomplish; if he spends the entire hour working and still does not accomplish it, then extra time from some other subject will be eaten by finishing.

 

So, if he finishes his math in 45 minutes, he has 15 to play Star Wars. Then it's on to English. Let's say he works for the entire hour, but still has 10 exercises to complete. It's time for a break, so we move on to history for a while. He finishes his history in 25 minutes. Usually, he would have the other 35 to go jump on the trampoline, but since he is not yet finished with his English, he must do that first. If he finishes his English in only 15 minutes, then he still has 20 minutes of free time before we start Bible.

 

 

We've found in the past that having him to work for 40 minutes doesn't necessarily get the task done, and it could take him an entire week to finish a single handwriting page if I let it. ;) So we switched to the task-concentrated method and have had success for almost a year now. At this time, his attention is beginning to concentrate more on the cobwebs on the ceiling (or SOMETHING lol), and so limiting his time, giving him the reward of free time, but still having a minimum task to accomplish seems like it will suit him for a while. We shall see. ;)

 

PM me if you want to know what sorts of things he must do on each day for the subjects! Sometimes it's just "follow the plan" from the book itself (R&S grammar is one), and sometimes we stretch a lesson over a week, just depends. Anyway, if you want more detail on the schedule we use than what I have here, just msg me! :)

 

Good luck! Blessings!

[Reya]

I use memory work as a source for copy work. The kids love the memory work, and so the copy work generates a pretty good level of contentment, even regularly reaching enthusiasm. When you've got a dysgraphic kid EXCITED about his copy work, that's nothing to sneeze at. *g* I really, really recommend using familiar sources for younger kids especially. Young kids get excited about things they recognize.

 

With my K-er, I am doing 20 min of copywork and penmanship combined per day. For us, that is one page out of Getty-Dubay Italic and two lines (on K-level lined paper, portrait orientation) of copy work. He'll probably be doing 4 lines by first. But I want to keep it nice and manageable so he can do his best work without tiring him too much.

 

Edit: I will be doing almost all other writing for him until he obtains ease with writing. With fine motor skills issues, it doesn't make sense to demand that he carry that kind of overhead when also having to *compose* something. So legibility and speed will be mastered before I require that he physically write his own narrations, etc.

[chiguirre]

We'll be starting copywork next year due to fine motor issues, too. To make it easy on ME I'm planning to use the Writing With Ease workbook that will be out in June. It includes more than copywork, but that is a major component.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

For copywork, we use poems that we are memorizing, bible passages, sentences from literature, missed spelling words, and anything else that pops in my mind when I write it. Most of the time it's probably 4-5 lines of 3rd grade handwriting paper.

 

We alternate a few subjects...

History (MWF) and Science (TR)

Spelling (MWF) and Grammar (TR)

I just try to match up 2 subjects that I think require about the same amount of time and the same amount of participation from me. Here's a link to our schedule.

 

HTHn

[marsha617]

Pam,

I read your signature and looked at your picture and noticed you have six boys. I am pregnant with my fourth boy. All boys - gotta love it!!!!

 

I have a first grader who loves copywork. He copies scriptures from Rod and Staff reading curriculum or A Reason for Handwriting. I may make up some sentences using sight words. His birthday was Tuesday so he will copy simple thank you notes to send out to family and friends. Poetry is another good idea. He doesn't usually copy more than 2-3 sentences. So second grade will probably be a bit more. This may seem like too much for some but he wants to do copywork so I let him. Just depends on the child. One other thing he enjoys is copying bible scriptures or notes on border pages. A Reason for Handwriting and Edupress have these available.

 

Our scheduling goes like this:

 

Reading/phonics, writing, math everyday

History 2x a week

Science 3x a week

Extras are geography and art

This isn't much but it's something!!

 

I hope those suggestions help.

 

Marsha

[JenBlok]

We just use the Abeka Penmenship Books. K/1/2 are based on phonics, Bible verses, and character issues. 3/4/5 expand to include quotes by Great Americans, a state/province study, animal/bird study, etc. The "Tests" include longer Bible passages, songs, poems, and speeches.

 

Ds9 copies Awana verses every Monday.

Ds7 enjoys Draw.Write.Now books and has completed books 1&2 this year.

I also throw in a Happy Scribe book based on a current unit study topic. They liked the Lord of the Rings one.

Dd3 copies her name ALL DAY LONG!

 

AS for scheduling-- they just complete 1-2 pages per school day, more if they want to.

 

I guess we do a lot of writing/copywork:tongue_smilie:

 

 

HTH

Jennifer

Ds9, Ds7, Dd3

Abeka Lang Arts, Classical Writing alternating with Stack the Deck (Creative Writing), Evan-Moor Literature Pockets Series, SOTW, Apologia Elem. Science, Latin for Children, Math U See

[asher]

We usually do compy work 2-3 times per week. My ds is in 1st grade this year. I bought Draw Write Now and he'll do 2 sentences from it. I think he enjoys the art beforehand. We'll also do a scripture verse, or short (1-2 sentences) of summary from his lessons. I agree w. the previous posters in that it's more about quality than quantity for me.