How to Create an Enchanting Experience with Copywork

Copywork is an important part of the writing process. But how can we make it a meaningful and enchanting experience with the written word?

How to Create an Enchanting Experience with Copywork

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Copywork.

Does it bring up images of the hard schoolmaster making students write lines on a blackboard as a form of punishment?

With Brave Writer copywork is so much more.

It is a beautiful way to work on necessary skills like spelling, grammar, penmanship, punctuation, and vocabulary.

We love using the Arrow Guides for our current read alouds, but any book will do. Be it a favorite read aloud, picture book, or even encyclopedia. Use books that your kiddos love! Then look for all the literary and grammatical elements of the piece.

Using Notebooks for Writing

The children and I all keep a notebook for copywork, dictation, and vocabulary words from our Arrow Guides. I simply divide up each notebook into the three separate parts using post-it flags.

This keeps things organized for us come the end of the year.

Plus, it’s awesome to look back at the beginning of our notebooks and see how far our copywork and dictation have progressed.

Enchanting the Copywork Experience for Kids

So how do I make copywork an enchanting experience? Keep it positive. Encourage your child as they take those baby steps to become great writers.

Sometimes copywork is a favorite quote or meaningful passage from a book we are reading. Copywork can even be list making, favorite rhymes or poems. But here are the keys to enchantment:

• Colorful Pens, Pencils, Crayons…even Markers, Chalk and Quill with Ink! – All the pretty colors! They just add a joyful note to our copywork! Because of my son’s love of Harry Potter, he exuberantly used a quill and ink for much of his early copywork. Your child doesn’t have to love Harry Potter to enjoy all of these lovely writing mediums!

The Brave Writer Lifestyle

• Pretty Paper – I encourage my kiddos to take small steps with their writing. For my son, it started as writing just one word as well as he could. Then progressed to multiple words, sentences, and paragraphs. It helped to keep homemade parchment paper on hand like his beloved Harry Potter would have used. My daughter, on the other hand, started out the gate wanting to copy whole books! She loves her copywork, especially when I can supply pretty paper, notecards, and stationery.

*Tip: For paper without lines, simply place lined paper underneath for your student to use as a guide and to follow. When they are finished take the lined paper out from underneath their copywork and viola, beautiful copywork on unlined paper!

Enchanted Writing with Brave Writer

• Candles – Make sure the table is cleared of any clutter and add a vase of flowers if you can. Light your favorite candle or incense. You might even try adding a string of twinkle lights. They can add magic to the writing process.
• Instrumental Music – We love to listen to our current SQUILT musical piece while doing copywork. It lends a soothing tone to the air. You could play your favorite instrumental Pandora station or favorite CD. Music calms the soul and brings a peaceful essence to the writing process.
  

Check out these other fantastic resources about Narration, Copywork, Dictation, and Read-Alouds below:

• How To Know If You Are Using Copywork And Dictation The Right Way To Teach Language Arts by Dachelle at Hide The Chocolate
• How My Dyslexic Son Became A Writer by Shawna at Not The Former Things
• How to Incorporate Narration into Everyday Life by Bethany at Homeschool Mindset with Bethany Ishee
• How to Create an Enchanting Experience with Copywork by Erin at Nourishing My Scholar
• How I Teach Language Arts Using Literature by Michelle at Homeschooling in the Pines

Writing should not cause anxiety in our kids. Instead, let the old tradition of copywork help them to gain confidence and knowledge as they master the written language.

Now tell me, how will you make copywork enchanting for your child?

Do you want to learn more about the Brave Writer Lifestyle? Then be sure to check out these other posts:

• Incorporating the Communication Game into Your Child’s Language Arts

• Playing with Language Games Your Kids will Love

• 10 Easy Ideas for Spending One-On-One Time With Your Child

• Homeschool Art Appreciation and the Brave Writer Lifestyle

• No Stress Poetry Teatime and the Brave Writer Lifestyle

• Poetry Tea Time and the Brave Writer Lifestyle

• Becoming A Family Of Brave Writers

• Big, Juicy Conversations in our Homeschool

• 25 Movies You Can Pair With Books