Archive for the ‘Copywork Quotations’ Category
Friday, January 11th, 2013
It’s that time of year where we all start sniffling and coughing. Shel Silverstein to the rescue! Use this poem for copywork or poetry teatime or just to read aloud for the sheer joy of it.
Sick, by Shel Silverstein
“I cannot go to school today,”
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
“I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I’m going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox
And there’s one more–that’s seventeen,
And don’t you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut–my eyes are blue–
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I’m sure that my left leg is broke–
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button’s caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,
My ‘pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is–what?
What’s that? What’s that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G’bye, I’m going out to play!”
Posted in Brave Writer Lifestyle, Copywork Quotations, Dictation and copywork, Poetry, Young Writers | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 11th, 2009
Julie,
Could you briefly share with us how copywork and dictation look in your home and include the highest grade you’ve had at home? I’ve shared your arrow and boomerang (the concept) with several friends and the common concern is that it doesn’t appear to be enough. Many believe that copywork and dictation should be daily not weekly. I would love your insight on this matter!
Lisa
Hi Lisa.
Sure, I can share.
My oldest kids are in college (the oldest two are 21 and 18). I homeschooled both of them through high school, though the second one went part time to our local high school as well. Our third child is a junior in high school and goes full time. He was homeschooled through 9th grade. We have two more kids: 8th and 7th grades – all homeschooled.
Copywork and dictation can be done more frequently than weekly. The Arrow/Boomerang are designed to support the homeschooling parent, not to replace her own good judgment and her skills as a home educator. In fact, when I first designed the Arrow (which came first), I used to always say that the goal was to model how copywork and dictation can be done (how to select passages, how to teach them, how to make them more meaningful). Mothers can learn to do it themselves, if they like.
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Posted in Brave Writer Philosophy, Copywork Quotations | 3 Comments »
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Writing wears kids out, have you noticed? They may get that burst of linguistic energy working for them (when the inspiration strikes, they’re hard to stop!), but when they’re done, they’re done. Sometimes after a successful writing project, all anyone wants to do is lie about doing nothing.
While taking some time off, or while your kids aren’t quite proficient enough to write lengthy passages of prose, you might try writing lists. Lists can be an incredibly therapeutic way to interact with language. For one thing, there is no shortage of topics for lists. Let me give you a quick list (ha!) of what you can list:
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Posted in Brave Writer Philosophy, Copywork Quotations, Games, Homeschool Advice, Language Arts, Nature Walks, Unschooling, Words!, Writing Exercises, Young Writers | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
Did you know that? Old hat for Brave Writer fans, right?
One of the funny things about being in the “hot seat” for writing and language arts is that I’ve become a confessor of sorts. Mothers like to corner me at conferences or in the hallways of our co-op to ask me their questions and to tell me their guilty tales of failed writing attempts. One question I get frequently is: “How do I teach poetry? Do I have to? I’ve never liked it and don’t understand it. Truth is: we never read it.”
If that’s you, if you’re wondering how to give a lesson in poetry to your kids when you never spent much time with it yourself, I’ve got some ideas for you! April is obviously just the right month to tackle it.
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Posted in Brave Writer Philosophy, Copywork Quotations, Language Arts, Poetry, Tuesday Teatimes, Words! | 10 Comments »
Wednesday, July 4th, 2007
Copywork for a national holiday.
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote! –Benjamin Franklin
Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you. I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain. –John Adams (1735-1826)
Four freedoms: The first is freedom of speech and expression – everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of everyone to worship God in his own way, everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want . . . everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear . . . anywhere in the world.–Franklin D. Roosevelt U.S. President
And the Bill of Rights.
Have a great day!
Posted in Copywork Quotations, General | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, March 13th, 2007
If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of your favorite nursery rhymes, check out this site. Pick one for copywork and then read about where it comes from. Fascinating stuff.
And did you know there are two versions of Humpty Dumpty, for instance?
Humpty Dumpty poem
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King’s horses, And all the King’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again!
Alternative Words…
Humpty dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty dumpty had a great fall;
Threescore men and threescore more,
Could not place Humpty as he was before.
Posted in Copywork Quotations, General | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 30th, 2007
(Taken from: The Two Noble Kinsmen)
If you worry that your kids think Shakespeare is a bore and totally out of step with today, I’ve got the remedy! Go to the Shakespeare Insulter and let the Bard hurl one at you! The insults would be a fun change of pace for copywork or dictation if language arts are getting a little tedious or routine.
(One small caveat: a few of the insults I turned up have some overtones you might want to preview.)
Check out more ideas about how to incorporate Shakespeare into your language arts program.
Posted in Copywork Quotations, General, Shakespeare | 2 Comments »
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
For those of you worried about whether or not to teach cursive and what to do with all those boys who insist on keyboarding, here’s an article from The Washington Post.
When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2006, just 15 percent of the almost 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive. The rest? They printed. Block letters.
No time to blog today. College son crashed at pad last night for last minute editing help on essay. And they say homeschooling ends…
Posted in Brave Writer Philosophy, Copywork Quotations, General | No Comments »
Thursday, July 27th, 2006
All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse, and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. – Ernest Hemingway
What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. – Anne Lamott
Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. – Gene FowlerÂ
The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new. – Samuel JohnsonÂ
And this one is too true…
The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes. – Agatha ChristieÂ
Posted in Brave Writer Philosophy, Copywork Quotations, General | No Comments »
