COPYWORK and Handwriting-SEVERAL questions- Do I need teacher's editions?

[VBoulden]

I purchased Zaner Bloser's Handwriting K- Manuscript for my five year old about a year ago. We have been working through it, slowly...

 

I was reading in The Well Trained Mind today and it said, "Both the spelling and handwriting books require the child to write short sentences, so he'll be writing one to three sentences a day."

 

This sent up a red flag for me. :001_huh:

 

We aren't doing spelling, yet, so we haven't been writing those "short sentences."

 

And, I did not buy the teacher's edition for her handwriting workbook... I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that I didn't need it because I would be sitting right next to her as she worked. I thought the teacher's edition was just a bigger edition of the workbook for a woman (or man) who'd have to manage to teach handwriting while standing in front of a class of several kids... I didn't think it would offer much "extra."

 

Does the teacher's edition have "extras" in it, like these "short sentences" for copy work that The Well Trained Mind mentions?

 

I see that there are sentences at the END of my daughter's workbook, (are these the sentences Bauer's referring to), but to date, we haven't written any yet, because we aren't at the end of her book... so she hasn't gotten much practice copying sentences. :tongue_smilie:

 

Does the teacher's edition to Handwriting K give sentences for the child to copy and I've missed them all along because I haven't purchased it??!!

 

Do any of you own a teacher's edition for Zaner Bloser workbooks?

 

If so, did you found it useful in certain ways? Are there "extras" I might want to have?

 

Should I purchase the teacher's edition for the other books I buy in the future?

 

When we start spelling (in a few months), will my daughter start getting more practice in copying sentences?

 

I may not use Spelling Workout with my daughter... I was thinking about using All About Spelling, so will she get ANY practice copying sentences?

 

Should I make sentences up for her to copy?

 

Is there are strictly copy work book that you recommend?

 

Offer any advice that you feel compelled to.

 

Thanks!

[kwickimom]

:bigear: I plan on using all the above for my kiddos. Interested in peoples input!

[Faithr]

Hmm. Usually the first intro book to handwriting just has kids copying letters and then maybe some words. Don't panic about the sentences. You can just make up short sentences, like 'Pup is up' and such. Probably future handwriting books for Grades 1 and up will start to have sentences. I've jumped around a lot with handwriting books. I don't know if I've ever actually used Z-B but I think you can pass on the TM's. The thing to do is to get your child forming the letters properly and you probably know how to do this if you've ever handwritten anything yourself (tongue in cheek there!). So just slow down your own writing and figure out how you form letters and then show your child. Simple as that. And make sure she copies you or the book correctly so she'll get into proper habits.

 

It is really easy! Don't panic! If your child doesn't copy sentences at age 5 there is no loss; no harm done. Really!

[Aurelia]

The first and second grade Zaner-Bloser workbooks have the child writing sentences. We didn't use the K book. I wouldn't bother with the TM, the workbook is really enough, IMO. As far as spelling, the sentence copying depends on the program. AAS, for example, doesn't start with sentences right away, but with single words and short (2 word) phrases for dictation. I think SWO requires more writing.

 

If you just want copy work, you can make up your own. When Ariel did K, she finished her K workbook the first semester and spent the second working through Beatrix Potter Copywork for Beginners, which I downloaded from Currclick. I liked it, since everything was laid out for me, and progressed from tracing the words to copying them on the line below. This year she did WWE1.

[VBoulden]

Thanks, Faithr. (I took a big, deep breath since I wrote my questions. I just really annoyed at myself at the thought of missing something from the teacher's editions that I didn't buy cause I am so cheap!!!)

 

I'd still like to know if there are any "extras" in the teacher's editions that I missed?! Does anyone know???

 

My daughter actually just finished doing handwriting for today. I have to sit with her and keep my eyes on her page because she's still learning formations, working on remembering the ones she's learned, etc. like you said Faithr.

 

I checked her Zaner Bloser K-Manuscript book again today.... and we are almost to the sentences at the back. So, I just decided to skip about six pages and I tore the first sentence page out and we did those, since she is ready to start writing sentences. I'll keep doing that, giving her a letter to learn and some sentences everyday that way.

 

I think I will also write some sentences I pull out of her phonics readers onto practice paper. "The plump frog jumped." and such... until I start All About Spelling and see what it offers in the way of copy work, if anything.

 

Does anyone know if All About Spelling has copy work?? I guess I should look into that before I buy, but I think I want the program for other reasons anyway, not for copy work... Arg! So much to learn!!! :001_huh:

 

If ABS doesn't have copy work, I think I will just do what The Well Trained Mind suggests doing AFTER the simple copying from the first handwriting and spelling books and that's:

 

Take a few sentences at a time from books by EB White like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little (which I love), write those down and have your kids copy those. That way they learn to hear and see good writing at the same time.

 

What do you guys think??!!

[VBoulden]

Wow! Thanks, Aurelia. I am feeling a lot more confident about not getting the TM now and we are still in the K book, so maybe the writing The Well Trained Mind was talking about will just come later, like in the 1st grade book... like you said. The Beatrix Potter program sounds interesting. I will have to look into it. Thanks!! :001_smile:

[nicholsonhomeschool]

All About Spelling does not have copy work, but does have dictated phrases and sentences at the end of each lesson. We use AAS and I'm planning on choosing sentences out of books we are reading for copy work.