There are numerous ways to teach spelling, grammar, and writing. One way that has been around for a long time is copywork. In simple terms copywork is just copying a selection of text. At first you may feel that copywork is simply handwriting practice, but there are a lot of benefits to it.
When a child copies a passage they have to look at it very carefully. They focus on how words are spelled, the punctuation in the passage, and different vocabulary words. Over time their spelling and grammar begin to improve. And handwriting may improve as well as you insist on legibility for each section copied.
When selecting a passage for your child to copy it is important that it is well written. Often times passages are pulled from the Bible. This is a wonderful choice as it helps your child become more familiar with God's word. It also helps to instill the positive character traits and good morals that you are already teaching in your home.
Other times copywork is taken from poetry selections or literature selections. Selections can be pulled from history or science texts as well. Copying selections from history and science texts brings an additional benefit on top of spelling and grammar. The child is learning new topics or practicing topics that have been previously taught. It is great for memory work too!
You can find selections for your child to copy almost anywhere, but one of my favorite places is Homeschool Copywork.
As with almost any subject, if your child is interested in the topic they are probably going to do their work with a better attitude and pay closer attention to details. Homeschool Copywork gives you many different options for copy work.
There are Biblical options including:
- Dragons of the Bible – a wonderful choice for boys who dislike writing
- The Greatest of Thee – Based on 1st Corinthians 13
- Character Copywork
- The Armor of God
Poetry including selection from:
- Lewis Carroll
- Emily Dickinson
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- Oh Captain My Captain
Artist Studies and Copywork based on different artists including:
- Claude Monet
- Vincent Van Gogh
- Leonardo da Vinci
Composer Studies including:
- J. S. Bach
- Mozart
There are also seasonal selections, inventor studies, Presidential quotes, and so much more.
What I really enjoy about the copywork from Homeschool Copywork is that there is a selection at the top of the page for your child to copy and a picture for them to color when they are finished. The picture is a great motivation for the child to do a neat job on their copywork. The selections are short enough to keep your child's interest and the writing is easy to read. The type of writing depends on the selection, but there are numerous options for both print and cursive copywork.
The pages print out very nicely and since you are can print in gray-scale, you won't go through too much ink!
A membership to Homeschool Copywork is just $24.95 for a full year of access to all of the items in the member area, or you can purchase a Lifetime Membership for only $45. There are a lot of different products available right now, and each month at least two new products are added.
$24.95 for a years access for your entire family is really a great deal! That is just about $2.08 a month for all of the current products and 24 or more new products throughout the year! You can print as many pages as you want for your own family, and there are enough selections available to last you over a year!
If you are not sure if Homeschool Copywork is right for you, I recommend signing up for a free account. Members with a free account have access to some of the copywork selections. Try them out with your children and see how well they work!