Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

Workbooks vs. worktexts

Believe it or not, many people don’t like workbooks.  In the homeschooling universe at least, these innocent little activity books often receive a bad rap.  Filled with what many parents call “busy work”, workbooks have earned the reputation of not teaching a whole lot.  And though they may be fun, homeschoolers sometimes avoid them, considering the activities a useless waste of time.

But what about worktexts?

Worktexts, on the other hand, do some teaching. Though they’re filled with activity pages, the pages follow a lesson of some kind.  Thus, worktexts contain pages with a purpose — pages designed to reinforce some concept introduced earlier.

For this reason, while they may look alike, workbooks and worktexts are actually quite different.  Usually done in paperback and frequently inexpensive, both tend to be colorful and fun-filled, not to mention easy to tote in the car or the backpack, ready for when students need just a little something to do.

But worktexts are more than just busy work. Since they offer lessons, time spent with worktexts can be valuable, depending on the worktexts and student, of course.  Parents can feel better about using worktexts because the activities, though they may not alway comprise an entire course in a subject area (though many do) or may be organized somewhat randomly, there is a considerable amount of teaching going on.  And that’s always better than no teaching at all.

When shopping for workbooks or worktexts, make no apology.  In my opinion, there is a time and place for both of kinds of resources.  For homeschooling parents on the fence, however, worktexts may be the better option.

Check out just one of many worktexts you can purchase here.

Check your local retailer or school supplier to shop for workbooks.

Trace and erase

I haven’t yet met a student that doesn’t like writing on chalk boards and dry erase boards. There is just something about being able to draw temporary designs and then erase them that captivates every child, at any age (even grown ups!).

That’s why these products are a tremendously practical purchase for homeschoolers.  They just get used.  A lot.

Since chalk boards can be messy, the dry erase variety is really best.  Even those with a sensitivity to the markers can purchase the low-odor variety; thus, anyone can use them without messes or offensive odors.

Dry erase products come in many shapes and sizes and are available at most major retailers and office suppliers.  For classroom and coop sets, there are vendors online that sell multiples at a discount.  Markers can be found most anywhere, and now come in prettier (even neon) colors rather than the traditional sets once used only by presenters and university professors (how I first fell in love with them!).

One product that I particularly like is the original “Trace Erase Board” clip board and dry erase system:

These handy little boards resemble standard clip-boards, but are thicker, heavier and more durable.  They have a clear surface with space beneath (like a pocket) to slip one or several sheets of paper inside.  Best yet, students can slip worksheets, multiplication practice, manuscript lessons, spelling lists, or anything else inside.  Pages are kept flat and clean, while students write on the clear surface with the marker.  After erasing, sheets can be used over and over again.

Trace Erase Boards come in many varieties, each targeting an age or grade level, like this 3rd/4th grade one:

Each has a set of basic information printed right on the front and back of the board, for instance a ruler, a map or a commonly used set of facts, corresponding to the age/grade level product.

Trace Erase Boards may be purchased online and can usually be found at larger homeschool conventions, as well.  Plus, families may purchase optional cards to slip inside, for teaching additional skills, like these:

Perhaps the best feature of these boards is that they’re portable, making them easy to take outdoors for nature studies and on family road trips. 

These kinds of products may also be useful for children who struggle with traditional written and illustrated work, but are able to use dry erase products instead.

[I do not receive recognition or compensation for featuring products like these — I do it only to bring you great ideas for your homeschooling classroom. Readers are advised to review the suggestions and determine for themselves  the suitability of the featured product or service for their own families.]

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

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