Copywork & Dictation

I am so excited about two words we don't hear used often in the modern education system.   They are copywork and dictation.  I had a bit of experience with dictation when I was a child-student.  We were "co-op-ing" and an elderly German woman named Detta Drake was teaching  German to 6 or 7 of us, ages 11 to 14.  She had us take dictation of German nursery rhymes.  It was all very exciting- first, because the nursery rhymes were so bloody and violent, I couldn't believe Germans actually read them to their small children, and second, because she seemed to expect us to be able to write every word she read in a language we could neither speak nor understand.  Our parents had never asked this of us, so even if it had been in English we would have failed.  And fail we did, when later she asked us to take dictation in our Greek mythology class.  Success was so completely out of our reach that I just enjoyed the newness of this strange and demanding method of Frau Drake.  Were there actually kids who could do this?   Yes there were and there are.  The people who have mastered this discipline are excellent note takers, and spellers.  They are the people who can impress us all by quoting literary classics relevent to the moment.   I am not one of those people, so I plan to join my children on this journey of copywork and dictation.

Copywork:

"Copywork is the method used to teach and give practice in handwriting skills. As the child carefully copies a noble poem, a Scripture passage, an inspirational quotation, or the lyrics to a hymn, he also absorbs grammar and punctuation rules. Copywork lessons should be short with an emphasis on giving one’s best effort rather than hurrying to fill the paper with words. Keep a child’s copywork in a dedicated notebook, journal, or tablet. You’ll be amazed at how much the child’s handwriting improves over time with short, concentrated effort every day or so.  Once your student has mastered the mechanics of handwriting, he can begin doing transcription. In copywork the student copies letter for letter; in transcription the student looks at the word, writes it from memory, then immediately checks his spelling. Transcription is great preparation for dictation lessons." 

Dictation:

"Dictation is the method used to teach spelling and reinforce grammar and composition skills to students. For a dictation exercise, give the child a copy of a selected passage and instruct the child to study the passage until he is sure of the spelling of all the words and knows of all the capitalization and punctuation. When the child is ready, dictate the passage one line or sentence at a time, saying each line or sentence only once and pausing while the child writes it. Be on the alert to catch any misspelling and correct it immediately. Start with short passages for younger children and progress to paragraphs and pages for older children. started using dictation exercises with children around the third or fourth grades."

I am going to use traditional dictation (the method described above) for Samuel who is in 7th grade.  Samson, who is in 5th grade, will also do traditional dictation work, but I will ease him into it by first having him do something I am calling fill in the blank dictation.  After doing the copywork on a passage, I will give him the same passage written in my hand or typed, but difficult words, or words I want him to practice spelling, will be omitted (left blank).  As I read, he will have to read along with me.  When he comes to a space that has been left blank then he will have to fill it in with the correct spelling.  After this we will follow the traditional method in the same lesson.  Joshua (4th grade) and Imana (2nd grade) will do fill in the blank dictation.  One day a week I will have Joshua do the traditional dictation practice with 3-5 sentences.

Google Charlotte Mason for more information about traditional education practices.  I am sure there are many websites dedicated to her methods.  Almost every homeschool website mentions her and her techniques.  Another website is http://simplycharlottemason.com

Is It Procrastination If I Was Busy?

It is August 16th.  I don't know when school starts in our local school district.  I should be ready to start school on the day the elementary school in my district begins classes...but why would I worry about 'when school begins' if school (education) never ends?  I am terrible about handing in records; curriculum plans, quarterly reports, assessments, etc..  I could argue that I am the only teacher and I know my five children; where they are and what they need to work on academically.  I could argue (I could) that all it takes is a conversation between mother and child for an assessment to take place.  I won't make those arguments.  I actually believe that it does help to have some things on paper.  You need to put the things you are "dumb about" on paper.  Math needs to be on paper.  Maybe if I were a math genius and understood abstract math concepts and theory,  then I could teach calculus to a first grader, never using paper.  I could have a simple conversation with her to assess her progress, and see how close she is to getting the big picture, never using a single piece of paper.  But I don't even know what that could possibly mean-  "the big picture", if it means anything at all.  Math needs to be on paper.  Records and attendance for five different children need to be on paper, "Samuel?  Samson?  Joshua?...Yup.  They're all here".  Assessments and narratives for five different children need to be on paper.  I will try to be better about using paper.  My apologies to the local school district superintendent who hates me because I am so bad about using paper and using it on time.  Sorry all my paperwork is late.  Is it procrastination if I was busy?

yours truly,
speaks in parenthesis and semicolons

THE PLAN

The plan is to write.  I am a homeschooler and I plan to write about how bad I am at it.  I will give no consideration to grammar (lie), spelling (lie), or what people think about me (try).  This, not because I am arrogant or anything, but because I want to make an attempt at brutal honesty as a stubborn single mother, and fanatic homeschooler.  My hope is that of the many insane things I think and then share, there may be one or two things that someone out there can relate to.  Let's give it a shot.