Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

Copywork and dictation

 

There is perhaps no better way to learn good writing than to be exposed to good writing.  Through copywork and dictation exercises, students see, hear and copy passages in the natural setting of great books and stories.  Over time, students come to learn what good writing consists of, and will pattern their own writing on examples of language, structure, style and other aspects of the models they have come to know.   As a side benefit, lessons will also be learned within the context of the literature itself.   

Typically, copywork begins at the earliest ages, when children copy words, and then sentences, and then longer passages.  Several grades later, children begin writing from dictation, and compare their writing to the original passage for correctness. 

Some curriculum products offer copywork and dictation exercises built right in.  Learning Language Arts Through Literature and Writing with Ease are two such examples, but there are others as well.

Families can also do copywork and dictation entirely on their own.  Passages may be chosen from classical literature, poetry, scripture, history books, science books, or any other source of quality writing.  

Although copywork and dictation is valuable for every child, it aligns especially well with the learning philosophies of Charlotte Mason, Classical educators, Ruth Beechick and several others.   Easy and inexpensive, the outcomes of using copywork and dictation are unmatched.

Some links and articles related to this topic are provided below.  Begin with these, and then find others on your own:

Why do copywork and dictation? by Jessie Wise Bauer

Homeschool Interview with Dr. Ruth Beechick

Copywork and dictation in a Charlotte Mason education

Free E-Books from Project Gutenberg

Measure reading comprehension using book studies

Some parents assign reading time as part of the homeschooling day.  Other times, children read on their own, either during the day or at bedtime.

It is natural for moms and dads to wonder if their children remember and understand what they read – this is called Reading Comprehension.  While it is perfectly alright (in fact, recommended) to allow children to read for fun and pleasure with no strings attached, it is also important to know that they comprehend what they read, too.

Assigning a book study is one way to do this.  You select a book, or allow your child to select a book that meets your approval.  Then, over the next several days or weeks, you discuss the story or assign activities to help measure whether she understood the book.     

How is reading comprehension measured? 

One way is to ask the child questions about the story, a little bit every day or once a week.  For example, after every chapter, you talk about what happened in the book.  You make sure she understood the main points and caught the larger details in that chapter, and talk about anything else that she found particularly fascinating or intriguing.  Of course, this method implies that mom or dad has already read the book (or at least a good online summary) and is able to gauge whether or not her answers are correct.  However, there are many discussion questions and answers available for free or for purchase on the Internet to make the process easier for those who prefer to use a prepared lesson plan.

Another way to check comprehension is to assign a project based on the story.  Asking the student to write a little bit about each chapter, keep a journal about the book, or write a book report are just some ideas.  Other projects, for those who prefer alternatives to writing assignments, include acting out parts of the story, creating an artistic representation of something in the story, or creating an audio or video presentation about it.  Just try to choose a project you think your child will love, rather than taking away the fun of reading the book altogether.

Whatever method you choose, aim to find out whether or not your child understood the story.  If there were difficult words or confusing parts, make sure to clear them up as you go – so they do not block comprehension of the rest of the book.  And talk about any parts that you feel, knowing that particular child, need further discussion.

There is nothing that will sap the fun out of a book more than assigning homework about it.  This is why pleasure reading is highly recommended. On the other hand, as a homeschooling parent, you’ll need to know that your child is capable of reading and understanding the books that you assign.  Book study projects can help with this important assessment.

[Photo: Free Digital]

What is “Language Arts”?

 

Homeschooling has a vocabulary.  It includes homeschooling terms as well as other words borrowed from the world of traditional education.  When first beginning to homeschool, it can be helpful to learn what some of these terms are.

What is meant by Language Arts?

Language Arts is the area of the curriculum in which students are taught the range of skills needed to become proficient in using the language.   In the elementary and secondary grades, Language Arts is often used when referring to reading and writing.  In upper grades, Language Arts usually includes oral communication, as well.

Those from a traditional school background may be accustomed to using the word “English” instead of the phrase “Language Arts”.  Sometimes, parents may also use these words that refer to all of the different components of Language Arts:

  • spelling
  • vocabulary
  • word study (or phonics)
  • reading (or literature)
  • writing (or composition)
  • grammar

These are all part of the Language Arts.

Magnetic poetry

 

You can find many neat products on the market to use for playing and learning at home.   Sometimes the simplest ones are the best.

“Magnetic Poetry” falls into this category.  It’s nothing more than a cute little metal tin full of magnetic words that users may piece together to form sayings, phrases, sentences, funny compound words, or anything they want.

Magnetic poetry comes in a “Genius” edition:

 and the “Original” set:

You can also find sets with larger words for younger children as well as some other cool variations, as well.

They’re available online and also sometimes from your local bookseller.

Use them on the tin itself, on the fridge, on a metal file cabinet or anywhere magnets will stick.  [Tip: I recommend a metal cookie sheet.] They stick well on magnetic wall paint, too.

[I am in no way affiliated with the creators of this product and haven’t received any reward for featuring it here.  I just wanted to share another great find with you.]