Copywork

"Children should transcribe favourite passages.-- A certain sense of possession and delight may be added to this exercise if children are allowed to choose for transcription their favourite verse in one poem and another. This is better than to write a favourite poem, an exercise which stales on the little people before it is finished. But a book of their own, made up of their own chosen verse, should give them pleasure." Charlotte Mason, Volume One of The Original Homeschooling Series.



It was my suggestion, tonight, for us to do some copywork ( or, as Mason calls it above, some transcription ) in our journals. There was some "do nothing" time, in between our return home from Mass and waiting for dinner to finish cooking.

We each transcribed our current, favourite passages.

For A, this was a neat copy of a poem that he has been writing - The Machine.

For J, it was song lyrics.

For Anny, it was Tony Hawke's Ten Hardest Skateboard tricks - Anny has just finished reading Hawke's autobiography for children.

For T, it was verse one of The Charge of the Light Brigade. This drew T, Anny and G into a discussion of the Light Brigade, the battles, the Crimean War, differing concepts of obedience and honour and duty.

For me - some words of wisdom about small changes leading to progression, to bigger and better things.

I guess, that if the kids had baulked at copywork, then the whole idea could have been dropped - for now? As it was, it is a family thing - we all ( well, most of us) try to update our journals or nature journals in some way on a regular basis - so it is as natural for us as talking and sharing. It is something we do together - although T has been known to complain.

At times like that, he usually elects to draw while we write or transcribe.