The Power of Copying a Text

Charlotte Mason recommended copywork as part of the language arts curriculum, and I second that suggestion. Copying a text is a powerful way, not only to practice writing mechanics, but also to absorb the cadence of an author’s prose, the fluidity of each sentence, and most of all, the deep meaning of the passage. If you want your students to commit anything to memory, the first place to begin is by having them copy it.

I learned the power of copying when I did calligraphy for hire. Writing out a text gave me time to reflect on meaning, prose style, and more. Poetry and verses that I copied have remained with me, even decades later. Copying is a relatively simple activity that can make your student a better writer. I hope you’ll try it!

The power of a text is different when it is read from when it is copied out.

Only the copied text thus commands the soul of him who is occupied with it,

whereas the mere reader never discovers the new aspects of his inner self that are opened by the text,

that road cut through the interior jungle forever closing behind it:

because the reader follows the movement of his mind in the free flight of day-dreaming,

whereas the copier submits it to command.

Walter Benjamin

Grammar Made Easy- New Question Answered-Gerunds & Verb Phrases

As I post the books we offer, I try to answer all the questions I can think of. Inevitably, others think of questions that would never cross my mind, and I try to add them to the FAQ page to help others who want to know the same thing. This is the latest question to cross my desk, and the answer was graciously provided by Connie Schenkelberg, who knows this stuff inside and out.

Q- Does Grammar Made Easy teach punctuation, gerunds, or verb phrases?
 Read more

Are You Helpful or Nitpicking?

Balance. When evaluating a student’s schoolwork, it can be a challenge to find the right balance between being helpful and nitpicking. Here are a few things to consider:

Relationship

The sweetness of lips increases learning...

Does your evaluation style seem to build or tear down the trust relationship between you and your child?

Do you always play fair by making sure that the student knows the exact expectations for the assignment? Read more

Thankful Thoughts on Freedom, England, Homeschool, and Writing

Dear Readers,

I sometimes come upon a thought so well expressed that I just have to share it! Today’s guest post is the editor’s letter from the Writing-World.com newsletter, and it’s reprinted here with the kind permission of the author, Moira Allen.

This Thanksgiving, my husband and I were deeply aware of the many things we have to be thankful for — chief among them being the fact that we are once again living in the United States.  As most of you know, we spent 15 months in England, pursuing (but not precisely living) a lifelong dream.  Those 15 months made us appreciate so many things that, as Americans, we take for granted.

Freedom, for example.  One thing I’ve always taken for granted is
that if a civil authority (e.g., the police) wishes to enter my
home, a warrant is required to do so, issued by a judge and only on
presentation of “just cause.”  Not so in England!  Any number of
“civil authorities,” including social workers, council
representatives, “wheelie bin police,” and quite possibly the
vegetable seller down the street can legally enter one’s home for
any number of reasons (including things like whether you’re
importing an illegal variety of potato — which admittedly wasn’t
something we worried about overmuch). Read more

Carnival of Homeschooling- The NaNoWriMo Edition

Preface

Don't miss our Thanksgiving Sale!

Welcome to this hundred-and-umpteenth Carnival of Homeschooling! Because November is National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNoWriMo or nano), and I’m over 10,000 words into the writing process (and can’t think of anything but writing, writing, and more writing), I thought it would be appropriate to format this Carnival as sections of a book. I even consulted the Chicago Manual of Style for an authoritative list of book parts!

Introduction

For me, homeschooling is first and foremost a heart matter. In Mangled Schedules and Grateful Hearts, an article I wrote for Home School Enrichment magazine, you can read how a father’s presence and influence can shape a family school. Enjoy! Read more

New Video Review of Excellence In Literature

I just came across another informative review of Excellence in Literature! Kerry Beck of Curriculum Connection has written a great review, and posted a video that walks you through the entire book.

At the convention this past weekend, so many people seemed to already know about EIL, and walked straight into the booth and bought it without asking many questions at all. Maybe these recent helpful reviews are responsible!

Here’s the video–enjoy!

Remember, that in addition to the American Literature and British Literature that Kerry talks about, there are three other levels in the series. Introduction to Literature is English I, and can be used in 8th or 9th grade (or before or after, depending on your student). Literature and Composition is English II, and World Literature is English V.

Intro is currently available, and the other two are scheduled to be available by the end of August. You can read more and order at www.ExcellenceInLiterature.com (there’ll soon be a spiffy new website for EIL as well!). Be sure you’re on the e-zine mailing list so you’ll know as soon as everything is complete!

New Excellence In Literature Review on TOS!

I’m always happy to get a good review of one or more of my books, and this morning I came across a very nice review on The Old Schoolhouse website. Kathy Gelzer has done a beautiful job of outlining the distinctive features of Excellence in Literature, and she offers good advice on the type of student who would be best suited for this curriclum.

It’s sometimes hard for an author to step back and remember to describe something thoroughly enough for others. We’ve lived with our work for so long, it’s all perfectly clear! If you’ve had questions about EIL that weren’t answered on the Excellence in Literature website, Kathy’s review may be very helpful to you. Enjoy!

Andrew Pudewa’s Video on Excellence In Literature

I know that many of you still have a lot of questions about Excellence in Literature. Andrew Pudewa of the Institute for Excellence in Writing has just put together a little video (about two minutes long) to give you an overview of the EIL approach.

If you have enjoyed IEW’s materials, or if you have a teen who loves to read or write, I think you’ll find that Excellence in Literature is an ideal next step for your motivated teens. But I’ll let Andrew tell you all about it!

IEW co-published the American and British Literature levels with me, but there are three other levels (Introduction to Literature is a available now; Literature and Composition and World Literature will be available by late summer, Lord willing–if all goes as planned). All five levels have the same format and approach, and they don’t have to be used in order. You’ll find more about them at www.ExcellenceInLiterature.com.

One of our Convention Season Specials is Evaluate Writing the Easy Way for only $5 with the purchase of any level of Excellence in Literature. This offer is good through July 12, so don’t miss it!

Note: If the video doesn’t show up for you, try playing it at the original site.

Questions About Excellence In Literature from a Co-op Leader

I received an e-mail this morning from a co-op leader, inquiring about the Excellence in Literature (EIL) curriculum. When I receive detailed questions like these, I know that others are probably wondering some of the same of the same things, so I’ll share the questions and answers here.

Q- How easy is this program to adapt to a co-op setting?

A- I designed it to be easily adaptable to a co-op or school. I taught an earlier version of it online for a few years in order to test it, and that helped me tweak it so that it was easy to use. One thing you don’t need is something that requires a lot of prep time, so there are week-by-week lesson plans for each unit, with carefully crafted assignments.
Read more

An Autumn Poem for Copywork

I believe that Charlotte Mason’s method for teaching language arts provides an excellent foundation for future language arts learning. Copywork is the step that begins the process of learning to write. First, read the entire poem aloud, using appropriate inflection. Practice ahead of time, if necessary!

Students of any age can use copywork to practice the mechanics of writing and to internalize the sound and rhythm of the written word. For young students, copy up to four lines of the poem on wide-ruled paper, skipping a line between each line you use. Be sure to use your best handwriting style, whether printing or cursive, and space the letters evenly. This will be your student’s model, so make it as beautiful as you can.* Read more

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