Amount of copywork for a mid-1st grader?

[battlemaiden]

I still don't have my household goods after moving, so nary a homeschool resource book to be had!

Can someone tell me how many sentences they give to their mid-first grader to copy?

I'm wondering because I seem to either make it too easy for my daughter or make her cry. Honestly it depends on the time of day, if she hears her siblings outside playing, if the moon is in a certain phase, or her emotions are just bubbling over. :rolleyes: This makes it difficult for me to "just know" what is right for her age/development (that's my hint to those of you tempted to write, "you know your child" ;)).

What does the WTM suggest? Or FLL require?

Thanks.

Jo

[Plaid Dad]

I'm not sure what TWTM suggests, but we keep it to no more than two or three short sentences, sometimes less. I'd rather my dd do a good, focused job on a very short passage than rush through - or freak out over - something longer.

[Karen in CO]

8 to 10 words. We do copy work every day. She is progressing, but I don't want it to be burden on her. We do copy work and math first since those are the subjects I generally hear the most complaints about. I think at this age tears and excessive drama are just as normal as the exuberance and joy.

[Linda]

I'm with Plaid Dad--quality over quantity is my mantra on handwriting. I usually type out one or two sentences from whatever we're reading and he copies. Today's, for example, was: Your heart is about the same size as your fist. It pushes blood around your body.

[Karen in CO]

I knew I got my guidelines from somewhere. The copywork example from lesson 103 of FLL (which is the beginning of second grade) has three sentence to choose from. One has 5 words, one has 8 words, and the last has 9 words. So depending on your child 5 - 10 words is a good length of copywork. More than 10 is probably too much for mid-first grade.

[Kayaking Mom]

I have a mid 1st - and I have to add that copywork for math (like skip counting 7's) has been extremely helpful and beneficial. We also use our AWANA memory verses a few times a week - so for us a sentence or so and math.

[Kay in Cal]

First grader here as well... we do copywork every day, usually just 1 medium length quotation plus the attribution. We also do quality over quantity!

[Jill, OK]

...either a one or two sentence narration about something we're reading, that I put on a whiteboard for them to copy, or I just pick a couple of sentences from their reading.

[frogpond1]

and they can form their letters well this really makes a difference. My little guy 1st grade is doing an AWANA verse several times a week, but he does a lot of word writing in his Phonics Museum and lots of number writing in math. We are adding in history copywork now, but for him it really varies what he can do on any given day. Some weeks he his right on it, and other weeks he is too interested in candle wax or something else. I have the goal of independent history narrations by third grade and that is what I work toward slowly and steadily. He is child 4 and boy 3 and I've finally realize that handwriting won't kill a child, nor will erasing and doing in neat and tidy either. What a revelation for me! So, my 1st grader gets all my left over minutes ... poor 4th born, but he is starting to enjoy copying his verses. Today he did, "And he said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." I forgot where it was found in the Bible, but he added the reference too. He isn't a real fine motor boy, but he's getting it without trouble now- thanks to Handwriting without Tears.

[gandpsmommy]

My 6.5yo first grade dd usually copies a sentence or two for handwriting daily. We do copywork/dictation for FLL most days that it is suggested, but not if I can tell it is going to overwhelm her and push her to tears. We usually only do one or two of the three suggestions.

[Lizzie in Ma]

I have a mid firster too and it depends on the day, the phase of the moon, the weather, her outfit, I don't know.
We aim for her best work in a short sentence relating to her Greek Myths. I write in on the white board for her to copy.
Sometimes I bribe her with a sticker which may or may not work, again, dependent on moon phase blah blah.
She does know that if she gives it short shrift that she will have to do it over so she rarely does so.

[Rhesa]

This is why I lurk around here- usually I feel so much better! My 1st grade son is doing 1-2 short sentences on an (almost) daily basis. I have often had panic moments- "Am I doing enough?" These posts reassure me that we're ok.

Thanks everyone!