Is all that copy work really necessary?

[airforcefamily]

Our almost seven year old is doing WWE1 and it's going well but he can't stand the copy work. He likes to make it look nice which makes it take longer. I've tried encouraging him to write more quickly, even if it doesn't look quite as nice, but that's how he wants to do it.

 

Eight weeks into the school year and we're both starting to dread the copy work. We've started to do two lessons a day since he picks it up quickly and it's just so.much.copying. It doesn't help that many of the narration pages are now set up so the student narrates a sentence or two that the instructor writes down for the student to copy.

 

The eight lessons we do each week usually involve 10 sentences to copy. Each sentence takes 5-15 minutes, depending on length. With an average of about 10 minutes each it amounts to 100 minutes - more than an hour and a half - of copy work each week.

 

It just seems like excessive busy work for a first grader and I'm wondering if it's really necessary.

[stacywatkins34]

Don't do it! Do what works for you. What objective is intended by all the copywork? If he can meet the objective by doing less copywork, then you don't have to do it to the point of redundancy.

[chepyl]

I have my 7 year old write two dictation sentences a day. Sometimes less is more. We have an agreement - he does neat work, in short time, correct spelling and punctuation- two a day. Sloppy work or slow work gets extra sentences.

 

Next year we will add more sentences, but for now the two sentences accomplish my goals.

[Soror]

If he is picking it up so easily why not just skip some lessons instead of making him do double, it wasn't intended to be done 2 lessons at a time. Last year we just did WWE and sometimes other copywork on the days when there wasn't any copywork in WWE. Writing is a difficult task for my son though. This year his endurance is much greater and he can do about half a dozen sentences with a mix of copywork and dictation. He still doesn't love it but he doesn't hate it near as much and I do see the value in it.

[NittanyJen]

1. For each lesson, there are usually two sentences. It is fine to pick one of the two sentences and not do both. The instructions will often even say to pick the sentence of the more appropriate length for your child.

 

2. Don't ditch the copywork. I was sooooooo skeptical that 'copywork' sounded like something of a . . . (I am about to offend a great many people on this board) . . . carryover from right-wing fundamentalist gotta whop'em on the head and make'em miserable in order to prove that they're learning wingnuts (sorry, really, that wasn't nice, but it's how I felt at the time) that actually accomplished nothing. However, for whatever reason, I gave it a try, and despite my kids' complaining, I stuck with it. Guess what? It worked. I had one kid who has no diagnosed problems who nonetheless hated writing and despite being lightyears ahead of grade level in every other respect including reading, wrote about 4 grade levels below his ability, and one kid with professionally diagnosed dysgraphia and other language disorders. I started both in WWE 1 despite their ages (we accelerated it tremendously, 1 "week" per day) and they both enjoyed tremendous progress. DS11's writing today is night and day versus where he stood two years ago, as is DS 9's.

 

3. It is a slow, day by day process. Doing it, leaving it, coming back, leaving it . . . doesn't work so much. Sticking with it (think of it like practicing piano. You can't just do it once in a while and hope to make steady progress). If you stick with it, it really does work.

 

4. It really did work. I was really wrong. It did really work. It also wasn't nice of me to think of other people that way. The copywork also really did work.

 

5. Did you hear Diet Coke makes you repeat things?

[airforcefamily]

What objective is intended by all the copywork?

 

That's just it.... I don't know. Maybe the point is to accomplish something really great that can only be done with copy work? Maybe it's to practice handwriting (a non issue except for speed)? Maybe it's to practice writing dramatically correct sentences (again, not a problem at this point)?

[airforcefamily]

*grammatically* correct sentences but, fwiw, most of our sentences are dramatically correct too :P

[happypamama]

I would do less copywork. I don't know that I'd double up the days frequently, though; I think some of those skills need some time to sink in.

 

My 7yo has exceptionally neat handwriting, so I don't have him doing the copywork for that skill, not primarily, anyway; I have him doing the copywork to help him absorb vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation, etc. So I don't always make him do two sentences, unless they're short.

 

Charlotte Mason advocated having the child do shorter copywork but doing it well; I try to err on that side -- I'd rather my son write fewer actual letters/words but have them be neater.

[airforcefamily]

I would do less copywork. I don't know that I'd double up the days frequently, though; I think some of those skills need some time to sink in.

.

 

Normally I wouldn't but he was in a very academically advanced private school last year so he knows a lot of the material already. I don't know exactly what he already knows and I don't want things skipped so we're going to do the whole book to be sure everything is covered, even if it's more review than anything.

[happypamama]

Normally I wouldn't but he was in a very academically advanced private school last year so he knows a lot of the material already. I don't know exactly what he already knows and I don't want things skipped so we're going to do the whole book to be sure everything is covered, even if it's more review than anything.

 

Ah, that makes good sense, then. I am doing that with my DD's Latin; I think doubling up/going fast works well as a solid review.

[Susie in MS]

I have him doing the copywork to help him absorb vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation, etc. So I don't always make him do two sentences, unless they're short.

 

Charlotte Mason advocated having the child do shorter copywork but doing it well; I try to err on that side -- I'd rather my son write fewer actual letters/words but have them be neater.

 

:iagree:

 

Copywork is more than just handwriting. So much more.

 

 

Jen, you cracked me up! :lol:

[nansk]

The benefits of copywork.

 

I used WWE copywork to teach cursive handwriting. My dd doesn't need much help with spelling, basic grammar or mechanics. After cursive was mastered, I started dictating the WWE copywork sentences. But I still make dd copy lovely poems or quotations, then decorate the page. She loves to look back at her past work.

[Bear23]

My oldest didn't use it but my younger two did and I made them do it all. Then again I am one of those who just has to do everything in the books (why we take so long in anything). I think it does help out in the long run. Everyone has really good handwriting - when they want to. I have noticed better sentences too.

[sewingmama]

Set a timer for an agreed upon amount of time - I do 10 minutes with my 6yo but you might want to do 15. Do copywork - when the timer goes off you are done. Keep the focus on quality - not quantity. So if your DS ends up writing half a sentance in that time but it's beautiful then that's fine. Better then 6 sentances that are sloppy.

[abba12]

I think copywork is more about consistency than quantity, i.e. the important thing is to do a little every day as opposed to finishing every sentence in the book.

 

If it were me, and we were doing 2 lessons a day, I'd just choose one lesson's copywork, not both. Or half of each assignment. Each lesson has an appropriate amount of copywork for one day, and nothing is achieved by doubling that particular component of LA. It's not like grammar where each lesson is something new, copywork is the same thing over and over, so doing more of it does not produce better results faster.

[FO4UR]

Yes, it's necessary.

 

If he's complaining about it, not comfortable with his natural hand (ie taking a long time to do a perfect job), then I'd say that it's a sign he needs to keep doing the copywork. It should be done past the point of, "Oh, this is easy....Done, Mom!"

 

 

 

 

That's just it.... I don't know. Maybe the point is to accomplish something really great that can only be done with copy work? Maybe it's to practice handwriting (a non issue except for speed)? Maybe it's to practice writing dramatically correct sentences (again, not a problem at this point)?

 

 

The mechanics of writing need to be 2nd nature. It's muscle memory and visualization of the written word. These things take time to instill long after basic handwriting is mastered...a LONG time for some kids. The copywork needs to be easypeasy before ramping things up through dictation.

 

 

IME - My dc don't complain so much about easy work. They whip it out in a minute and ask for more just like it the next day. That is when I know they are ready to move on. When they complain about the work, that's my cue to scale back, re-teach, sit-at-elbow, and hunker down until it gets easy.

 

 

Normally I wouldn't but he was in a very academically advanced private school last year so he knows a lot of the material already. I don't know exactly what he already knows and I don't want things skipped so we're going to do the whole book to be sure everything is covered, even if it's more review than anything.

 

 

I would only do 1 lesson a day, regardless of what he did last year.

 

 

Read the WWE textbook. Seeing the bigger picture will help you to make informed decisions about when he's ready to move to the next step. Not all kids are in lock-step with the workbooks, and that's fine...but the pattern of teaching writing can only be seen looking at all 4 years of WWE as a whole...and you need to see the pattern before you can make a decision like that in YR1. jmho

[airforcefamily]

I see what you're saying but I'm not sure I can justify holding him back and making him spend another year on mostly the same material simply because he can't/won't write more quickly. He's already less than thrilled over redoing some things. It's difficult for him to say 'yes, I've already learned that' before we're most of the way through the lesson.

[thebacabunch]

Hmmm. He's 7 and in wwe1. If you just did 1 lesson a day he would be about11 when you finished and were ready to move on to wws. That sounds right to me. A lot of language arts instruction is repeated through the grades in order to learn mastery. My dd7 is learning nouns in ffl and guess what my dd12 is learning? Nouns ha ha ha! At a greater depth of course:001_smile:. Did your ds's school do the same kind of dictation and copywork? If not your dc may have learned a lot of the same stuff but in a different way. One of the benefits of the classical model of narration/dictation is giving the kids a real depth of understanding of well written sentences and grammar. I wouldn't push to do 2 lessons. SOunds like your kiddo wants to take his time to make things look nice. That is a great thing!

[Susie in MS]

I see what you're saying but I'm not sure I can justify holding him back and making him spend another year on mostly the same material simply because he can't/won't write more quickly. He's already less than thrilled over redoing some things. It's difficult for him to say 'yes, I've already learned that' before we're most of the way through the lesson.

 

My dd is also 7, and like your ds, has perfectionist tendencies. We don't use WWE, but we do use copywork. It can take her quite a while to copy a sentence at times. But one thing that helps motivate her is allowing her to draw a picture of what the copywork is about. I have never seen WWE so I don't know the types of sentences, or if it is a workbook. I get a Mead Composition book for K-2nd (or is it 1st) that has the lines for training hand writing and the top of the page is blank. So she does the copywork below and the picture on the top. Maybe something like this will encourage your ds?

[kdownie]

My 6 year old is using WWE1 and also FLL. Copywork is not her favorite, but we still do a short amount every day. However, if there is copywork in FLL on a particular day, we do narration in WWE instead, even if it is a "copywork" day. This week and next, she is copying one stanza (about 2 lines) of a poem each day and that is a fine amount for her. Other times, we just copy one medium length sentence. I think the repetition of a small amount each day is more important than longer pieces, for a first grader anyway.

[Sahamamama]

Our almost seven year old is doing WWE1 and it's going well but he can't stand the copy work. He likes to make it look nice which makes it take longer. I've tried encouraging him to write more quickly, even if it doesn't look quite as nice, but that's how he wants to do it.

 

Copywork did wonders for my remedial students years ago when I tutored. It also seems to be working here, but we never use the actual student pages with WWE. The lines are so huge, it's time consuming to write neatly on those big lines. Would your son feel more comfortable using another paper, with smaller lines?

[RootAnn]

My 6 1/2 yr old is doing WWE1 at double pace as well. However, we only do one sentence per session (and completely skip the Day 4 copy-what-she-said stuff). I also allow myself to skip some lessons when I know she's "gotten" a concept. So, while we might do two weeks worth of lessons in one week, she only copies four sentences total (one per day).

 

If you want, pick the longer sentence. You don't have to, though. As you progress in the workbook, the shorter sentences naturally get longer. I wouldn't encourage him to be messy in the interest of time. Practicing good handwriting is part (but not all) of the value of copywork.

 

We don't use the WWE sheets either. We use one of those story journal things where you can draw in the top half & the lines are in the bottom half. (I have a girl, so we do a craft or some sort of activity that goes with the topic of the passage. It makes her happier if she's got something to look forward to after the copywork.)

[Hedgehogs4]

Our almost seven year old is doing WWE1 and it's going well but he can't stand the copy work. He likes to make it look nice which makes it take longer. I've tried encouraging him to write more quickly, even if it doesn't look quite as nice, but that's how he wants to do it.

 

Eight weeks into the school year and we're both starting to dread the copy work. We've started to do two lessons a day since he picks it up quickly and it's just so.much.copying. It doesn't help that many of the narration pages are now set up so the student narrates a sentence or two that the instructor writes down for the student to copy.

 

The eight lessons we do each week usually involve 10 sentences to copy. Each sentence takes 5-15 minutes, depending on length. With an average of about 10 minutes each it amounts to 100 minutes - more than an hour and a half - of copy work each week.

 

It just seems like excessive busy work for a first grader and I'm wondering if it's really necessary.

 

If he is not able to handle extra copy work, then I don't think I would have him do extra lessons. What is the rush in getting him through WWI? My dd7 is in WWE1--she gets it, it is easy for her, so I thought she was ready for WWE2. She cannot handle the length of the dictations, so it was back to WWE1. It all works together to prepare them for writing. If they can do one part, but not the other, then they are not ready to jump ahead, imho. Now that my DS11 is in WWS 1, there is no way I would rush a kid to that. It is hard. EXCELLENT, DOABLE, but not easy in any way. He went through WWE 1-3, but he did not start WWE 1 until he was 8. He was very ready for WWS and is doing very well. Take your time.

 

Don't fall into the trap of wanting your kid to be "ahead." There really isn't much value in it.

[Mom2Es]

Copywork did wonders for my remedial students years ago when I tutored. It also seems to be working here, but we never use the actual student pages with WWE. The lines are so huge, it's time consuming to write neatly on those big lines. Would your son feel more comfortable using another paper, with smaller lines?

 

We don't like the lines in WWE, either. It's difficult for ME to write neatly on them. Luckily, I bought the PDF version, so I was able to print the student pages at 80% so they'd be easier to work with.

[kitten18]

I see what you're saying but I'm not sure I can justify holding him back and making him spend another year on mostly the same material simply because he can't/won't write more quickly. He's already less than thrilled over redoing some things. It's difficult for him to say 'yes, I've already learned that' before we're most of the way through the lesson.

:confused: But what is the same material? Did he do WWE style narration, dictation and copywork at his private school?

If so, then move forward.

 

 

My 6 1/2 yr old is doing WWE1 at double pace as well. However, we only do one sentence per session (and completely skip the Day 4 copy-what-she-said stuff). I also allow myself to skip some lessons when I know she's "gotten" a concept. So, while we might do two weeks worth of lessons in one week, she only copies four sentences total (one per day).

 

 

I would do something like that. We're moving double fast through WWE2 with DD who just turned 9. In our case, I modify the dictation.

[FO4UR]

I see what you're saying but I'm not sure I can justify holding him back and making him spend another year on mostly the same material simply because he can't/won't write more quickly. He's already less than thrilled over redoing some things. It's difficult for him to say 'yes, I've already learned that' before we're most of the way through the lesson.

 

 

But, you are not "holding him back" if the physical mechanics of writing are not 2nd nature yet. You would be pushing him too fast if you rushed through or skipped this stage, imho. He will be frustrated at a higher level trying to walk and chew bubble gum at the same time.;)

 

 

Dump the WWE workbook, if it isn't working for you. Keep the copywork though. Use StartWrite to generate your own copywork from books he's already reading. Do narrations for books you are otherwise reading also so it doesn't seem so much like school.

 

That, and I am not easily swayed by the "I don't wanna!" when it comes to the skills of reading/writing and math. Too bad, you must do it. I am 100% observant and careful to judge how much of what kind of work is needed, and I adjust when I see the needs change. But - that the child is less than thrilled is not a factor in my decisions. It's worth the push, in that instance, to see them come out on the other side. (My 9yo hated copywork once too. He enjoys it now b/c he's really good at it...and he's really good at it now only b/c I made him do it daily for so long.)

 

 

I can't stress enough how important it is for you to have a long-term vision of what you are doing with writing. Dictation will be killer if copywork brings on the whining. It isn't about enjoying the workbook. It's about prepping for the next step in a line of steps. hth

[airforcefamily]

But, you are not "holding him back" if the physical mechanics of writing are not 2nd nature yet. You would be pushing him too fast if you rushed through or skipped this stage, imho. He will be frustrated at a higher level trying to walk and chew bubble gum at the same time.;)

 

 

Dump the WWE workbook, if it isn't working for you. Keep the copywork though. Use StartWrite to generate your own copywork from books he's already reading. Do narrations for books you are otherwise reading also so it doesn't seem so much like school.

 

That, and I am not easily swayed by the "I don't wanna!" when it comes to the skills of reading/writing and math. Too bad, you must do it. I am 100% observant and careful to judge how much of what kind of work is needed, and I adjust when I see the needs change. But - that the child is less than thrilled is not a factor in my decisions. It's worth the push, in that instance, to see them come out on the other side. (My 9yo hated copywork once too. He enjoys it now b/c he's really good at it...and he's really good at it now only b/c I made him do it daily for so long.)

 

 

I can't stress enough how important it is for you to have a long-term vision of what you are doing with writing. Dictation will be killer if copywork brings on the whining. It isn't about enjoying the workbook. It's about prepping for the next step in a line of steps. hth

 

Just because he doesn't rush through it doesn't mean he's physically unable to do it faster. He wants it to look good and that takes a long time for a six year old. I feel very strongly that it's never ok to pause a child's education simply because one minor detail of, in this case, writing quickly is not there.

 

He will do the work without excessive complaints, it just takes way too long. He has never, ever sat there and whined 'I don't wanna', as you say.

 

I/we like the book, my question was more on if doing all the copy work is really that important.

[airforcefamily]

Don't fall into the trap of wanting your kid to be "ahead." There really isn't much value in it.

 

To each their own but we do see the value of a child being ahead of their age/grade peers. In homeschooling in particular we see no value in putting a retainer on a child's progress and learning so they can stay with their age/grade peers (who they don't see in many academic settings anyway).

 

I think a lot of my thinking on this is from growing up as the kid who was made to slow down when I was itching for more difficult work. He's eager to move on to other things and it just doesn't feel right to not allow it.

[Hedgehogs4]

To each their own but we do see the value of a child being ahead of their age/grade peers. In homeschooling in particular we see no value in putting a retainer on a child's progress and learning so they can stay with their age/grade peers (who they don't see in many academic settings anyway).

 

I think a lot of my thinking on this is from growing up as the kid who was made to slow down when I was itching for more difficult work. He's eager to move on to other things and it just doesn't feel right to not allow it.

 

So really, it sounds to me like you have your mind made up. If your son does not like copy work then reduce it and move him ahead. Perhaps WWE is not the right program for you, because WWE 2 continues with copywork, dictations that are very long for a 6 year old, and more difficult narrations. If you drop the workbooks / scripted lessons, then you can tailor it to suit his needs.

Edited October 13, 2012 by Hedgehogs4

[FO4UR]

Just because he doesn't rush through it doesn't mean he's physically unable to do it faster. He wants it to look good and that takes a long time for a six year old. I feel very strongly that it's never ok to pause a child's education simply because one minor detail of, in this case, writing quickly is not there.

 

He will do the work without excessive complaints, it just takes way too long. He has never, ever sat there and whined 'I don't wanna', as you say.

 

I/we like the book, my question was more on if doing all the copy work is really that important.

 

 

 

"He wants it to look good and that takes a long time for a six year old."

 

 

This is my point. This is completely normal for 6yo's. Daily copywork will produce a child who writes neatly and easily and quickly, without having to think about the mechanics. That is the main goal.

 

I don't think that this is a *minor* detail. I think it is foundational.

 

You will not be pausing his education by doing copywork. Copywork should take about 15min daily. There is plenty of time in the day to build other writing skills. Oral narration is equally as important as copywork. Writing down his narrations while he watches is highly beneficial. (It's OK if his copywork and narrations are at different quality levels. Once his hand catches up with his mind, it will make no difference. Just keep both skills going steadily and he'll get there.)

 

If the workbook is not fitting, you can still use the classical method of teaching writing via copywork, narration, dictation. (Give him 15min worth of copywork daily, however much that is.) If you don't want to continue with copywork, then maybe another method for teaching writing would be a better fit.

[Soror]

"He wants it to look good and that takes a long time for a six year old."

 

 

This is my point. This is completely normal for 6yo's. Daily copywork will produce a child who writes neatly and easily and quickly, without having to think about the mechanics. That is the main goal.

 

I don't think that this is a *minor* detail. I think it is foundational.

 

You will not be pausing his education by doing copywork. Copywork should take about 15min daily. There is plenty of time in the day to build other writing skills. Oral narration is equally as important as copywork. Writing down his narrations while he watches is highly beneficial. (It's OK if his copywork and narrations are at different quality levels. Once his hand catches up with his mind, it will make no difference. Just keep both skills going steadily and he'll get there.)

 

If the workbook is not fitting, you can still use the classical method of teaching writing via copywork, narration, dictation. (Give him 15min worth of copywork daily, however much that is.) If you don't want to continue with copywork, then maybe another method for teaching writing would be a better fit.

I agree it is foundational to to the idea of copywork, it sounds more like you are trying to push him before he is ready. However, no one has to do copywork and one could certainly do another program. Or separate copywork from narration and dictation if you feel he is ready to move on in those areas.

[airforcefamily]

Why all the snarkyness? Last time I'll ask a question that someone might interpret as attacking how they do things....

[ErinE]

To each their own but we do see the value of a child being ahead of their age/grade peers. In homeschooling in particular we see no value in putting a retainer on a child's progress and learning so they can stay with their age/grade peers (who they don't see in many academic settings anyway).

 

I think a lot of my thinking on this is from growing up as the kid who was made to slow down when I was itching for more difficult work. He's eager to move on to other things and it just doesn't feel right to not allow it.

 

Perhaps you should drop the workbook and find copywork on your own, writing with direct and indirect quotes, interesting punctuation, or longer sentences. The point of copywork is modeling correct writing and exercising physical skills without the added stress of composing an original sentence.

 

If your child is able to narrate longer passages, use that sentence as copywork. Since I see benefit in copywork, I wouldn't advocate dropping it all together. Just adapt it for your son's needs.

 

When he's writing independently, is he using correct sentence conventions? Do his sentences start with capital letters and end with punctuation? If he is doing this on his own, start testing short dication sentences if you feel your child is ready. Don't let the curriculum dictate your son's education.

Edited October 14, 2012 by ErinE

[ErinE]

Why all the snarkyness? Last time I'll ask a question that someone might interpret as attacking how they do things....

 

Gently, I don't see snarkyness so much as people stating their experience and why they see benefit in copywork. That was your original question. Some are saying don't require 10 sentences from a 6-year old; others are cautioning at pushing too much writing ahead of a child's physical capabilities. If you don't see a benefit in copywork, don't do it.

[RootAnn]

He's eager to move on to other things and it just doesn't feel right to not allow it.

 

What is he eager to move onto that you can't move onto because of his writing speed? :bigear:

 

Here is a link to an article of SWB's on the benefits of copywork and dictation. Perhaps it will help make up your mind on whether it is right for you & your family or not.

 

For what it's worth (FWIW), I feel one of the great parts of homeschooling is that you can be at whatever level the kid is -- no matter what level their peers are working at. At any time, each of my kids is *ahead*, *behind*, and working at the *same level* as their peers -- depending on the subject area. I have started a kid on K-level school work whenever they are ready - whether that be when they are still 4 or already 6 (as will probably the case with my ds#1). While I see value in moving ahead when they understand the concepts and are ready, I also see value in working on the basics as long as they need to. There was a discussion a couple of years ago (Oct/Nov 2010) about hindsight in spending quality time during the grammar stage on The Basics. I can't find it right now, but if someone could link it, it provides some really good food for thought for those of us who are still in the early years.

[Walking-Iris]

You know, I don't think copywork is "behind" or "ahead" anything. Some very great authors learned their craft from copying another author's work word for word. Benjamin Franklin for example would copy essays that he particularly liked and then outline them and use that structure to write his own. Even up to modern times there are stories of authors typing out a favorite novel word for word to learn the craft.

 

For me copywork and dictation isn't about handwriting or spelling necessarily. It's about learning the art of writing by using great pieces of art as a model.

 

For the OP a very practical consideration when it comes to WWE is to tweak it to fit your needs. Skip having to use his narrations as copywork. Just have narrations be a time for a good conversation about what was just read. Skip using the lined paper in the back of the workbook. We do our copywork/dictation in a nice spiral unlined sketchbook and my ds is free to write in colored pencils if he likes and he draws that scene underneath. You could turn the copywork into a beautiful keepsake book rather than a bunch of school lined sheets of boring paper! :tongue_smilie: Who cares how long it takes him to write it? If he enjoys wring it neatly, then give him the time to do it. Copywork isn't about speed handwriting imho, it's about studying a model to learn the art of writing. That's the way I look at it.

 

Work on his handwriting with a HWT book some other time. But let copywork/dictation/narration be a cozy art filled time. There's value in copywork for an adult (any adult) as well as the 6 year old. I've been inspired to start my own copy book where I write down sections of my current read that really resonated with me, parts of poems or inspirational quotes. Add some watercolor and scrapbook embellishments and there you go---nice use of time. I also freewrite with my ds every Friday.

 

I used to moan and wonder what the point of copywork/dictation was also (it seemed like pointless busy work), but I became completely inspired to look at it a different way when I read The Writer's Jungle and The Vein of Gold.

[stripe]

The eight lessons we do each week usually involve 10 sentences to copy. Each sentence takes 5-15 minutes, depending on length. With an average of about 10 minutes each it amounts to 100 minutes - more than an hour and a half - of copy work each week.

 

It just seems like excessive busy work for a first grader and I'm wondering if it's really necessary.

 

I probably wouldn't do copywork every day. But I think it's valuable to go slow and write carefully, and these aren't holding someone back but teaching depth and precision.

 

If I get to the point where I'm encouraging my kids to do their work more carelessly so we can hurry up and move on, I change what I am having them do or have them do less.

 

Are you refering to repetition in grammar/punctuation marks? Maybe spend some time seeing what he knows. I do this with my kids to target what they need to learn.

[ladydusk]

There was a discussion a couple of years ago (Oct/Nov 2010) about hindsight in spending quality time during the grammar stage on The Basics. I can't find it right now, but if someone could link it, it provides some really good food for thought for those of us who are still in the early years.

 

Is this it? Why you should work on TWTM skills - copywork, narration, dictations, outlining, etc.

 

I found it looking at tags ... I couldn't remember if it was from Jane in NC (under Jane in NC's Input) or Nan in Mass (under Nan's Words of Wisdom). Both of these ladies have added a great deal to these boards over the years, perusing posts with their tags would be well worth your time.

[RootAnn]

That's it, LadyDusk. Thanks. (I looked, but I didn't get the right tag, obviously.)

 

It makes good reading, that thread!

[Pen]

That's just it.... I don't know. Maybe the point is to accomplish something really great that can only be done with copy work? Maybe it's to practice handwriting (a non issue except for speed)? Maybe it's to practice writing dramatically correct sentences (again, not a problem at this point)?

 

If he can already manage the grammar, and his handwriting is fine, then you could drop or cut down the copywork...or move ahead to the end of the book and on to WWE2 if you wanted--or using WWE1 passages, make his work a little more challenging with dictation and so on as there might be in WWE2--but not terribly lengthy since that seems to be the problem. You could also decide a time limit--like 15 minutes copywork twice per week, perhaps.

 

Maybe instead of doubling up the writing part of each assignment, you could halve the writing, while reading the passages and making sure he does know each of the grammatical or other elements being demonstrated at that stage.

 

Or you could let him choose one sentence per day for copywork, perhaps a favorite from something else he is reading.

 

Or you could sometimes let him copy something from history or science or etc. other school work, so the copywork would have an added benefit of helping to learn some other subject and also the conventions of writing in that field .

 

Or, maybe copywork isn't right for your family, in which case skip it entirely.