Tag Archives: Eclectic Readers

How I Became a Reformed Copy Work Supporter

Okay, I’ll admit it: I once thought copy work was dumb. I mean, where’s the critical thinking in copying exactly what’s written before you? What’s the point? No thinking, no analyzing, just plain old copying. But I have been reformed. In case you’re not familiar with the idea of copywork, it is really a Charlotte Mason idea. The idea is that you take great quotes from literature and have the children copy it. Ironically, the curriculum I use has regular copywork assignments, which until recently, I skipped over. It has to be just about the only thing I didn’t like … Continue reading →

Does Handwriting and Penmanship Matter in Business?

I’ve been told that it is possible in this day and age to get through weeks of work without ever actually putting pen to paper and having to hand write anything. I certainly haven’t found that to be the case, but I’m willing to discuss and debate whether or not handwriting and penmanship actually matter at all any more in the business world… I do a lot of work by hand still—writing notes, writing out ideas and first drafts, making lists. But I do see that people who do other types of work can get by using only a computer … Continue reading →

How Important is Penmanship and Handwriting?

When my children were first in elementary school, they spent a lot of time learning “Penmanship”–I remember the pressure to make just the right size and shape of letters–first in printing and then in learning “cursive writing.” By the time they were in the fourth or fifth grade, they were also learning “keyboarding” (which, for us old-timers, is really typing.) Penmanship was a big deal and I remember lots of practice paper, stress and tears over getting things just right. Of course, Penmanship isn’t anything new. We all had to spend a fair amount of time practicing our writing as … Continue reading →

Mc Guffey’s Eclectic Readers

Many Homeschoolers are familiar with the McGuffey’s series. Used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the McGuffey’s were used in many schoolhouses for teaching phonics, reading, writing, and grammar. Written by the Reverend McGuffey during the 1830’s early educators recognized and highly valued the McGuffey’s series. During the pioneer days, the McGuffey series were used to teach a host of subjects, including: Science, Bible, Literature, History, and focused on Christian Ethics and Morality. The books have been updated and still hold a strong appeal to many Homeschoolers. Not only are they available for purchase in their modern form, … Continue reading →

Tips for Teaching Penmanship (pt 2)

In my last article I mentioned the importance of proper positioning for body and the pencil. In this article we will begin by discussing the importance of slanting the paper to the right or the left. When writing, you will slant the paper to the opposite side of the hand with which you write. For example, right-handed writers will slant their papers towards the left, and left-handed writers will slant their papers to the right. This is more important when writing cursive as opposed to manuscript writing, because cursive handwriting slants. You should always make sure that your child is … Continue reading →

Tips for Teaching Penmanship (pt 1)

Tips for Good Penmanship “We read and write from left to right”. This popular and catchy phrase is great for reminding children who are learning reading and writing skills. These are two of the most important learning milestones that your child can make. Today, there is quite a debate brewing over the importance of penmanship. Some feel that learning how to type is more important then learning cursive or manuscript handwriting. In fact, some schools will simply ignore poor penmanship because typing will be of more value later in life. Thank goodness for homeschooling! With homeschooling you have the freedom … Continue reading →