Learning to write is a major part of education, but it can be a struggle.
In asking a student to write, the goal is not to produce some mindless product to satisfy an education ministry regulation or a teacher’s whim. The goal is meaningful communication and expression. I love to see each student develop their own “writer’s voice” – the personal style and interests that make their writing unique.
But how can this be achieved? How does a child move from having a brain full of ideas but an inability to print a single letter, to being able to express themselves in writing or print?
A tool I recommend is copy work. Simply put, the task of learning how to print or write is separated from the work of thinking about what to say. So the thinking part is done orally, and learning handwriting by copying a variety of excellent literature.
How to do this?
- Choose a passage from a well written book they are reading.
- Read it over, noting spelling, punctuation, paragraph indentation, writing structure – depending on the passage and on the child’s skill level.
- The student copies it in their most beautiful printing or handwriting. This part is important. Charlotte Mason, the nineteenth century home school specialist, said a single beautiful “a” from a small child was better than a page of sloppy ones.
- Initially, the student should copy word by word, spelling correctly. Over time, as their skill develops, they should try to look at the text and then copy a whole phrase.
- Do this daily. It is better to do one sentence, or one minute, faithfully and well, than ten minutes sloppily sporadically.
- Pick one thing at a time to focus on. (Are they indenting? Are they copying the spelling correctly? Do their letters fly above the line as though pulled up by helium balloons?)
- It could take a number of days to copy the passage.
- Having a special book for this can help the student appreciate the value.
What does this achieve?
The child
- develops the mechanical ability to write
- develops muscle memory
- learns writing conventions (indentations, where to write on the page, spelling, punctuation, etc.)
- in written work of their own composition is free to focus on expressing their thoughts rather than learning rules and mechanics
- learns style from great writers
- practicing the art of paying attention
An analogy would be to compare writing to sports. Showing up for soccer practice and doing an hour of foot drills, without having watched or played a game, is not going to inspire an athlete. However, without those foot drills, the player won’t excel.