Using the Catholic Schoolhouse Copywork and Dictation pages

Using the Catholic Schoolhouse Copywork and Dictation pages

What is Memory Work?

Memory work is a classical education method of memorizing and reciting information before fully understanding it. The goal is to choose a specific knowledge to recite and review it constantly until may be recalled automatically.

What is Copywork?

Copywork refers to a learning method where students improve their handwriting and writing skills by manually copying passages of text, often from the curriculum’s memory work sections, which could include historical facts, religious teachings, or literary excerpts. This process allows students to internalize the content through the act of writing it down.

What is Dictation?

Dictation is when a student is asked to write words or sentences that are stated out loud by another teacher or person.
 
Purpose:
To enhance penmanship, spelling, and grammar by mimicking well-written text.
 
How it works:
Students are given a designated passage to carefully copy onto paper, paying attention to punctuation and proper formatting.
 
Benefits:
It helps students memorize important information, develop fine motor skills, and promote a deeper understanding of the lesson material being copied.

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Did you know Catholic Schoolhouse has copywork for the memory work in the Tour Guide? 
Yes! History, Religion, Language Arts, Math, and Science are all included!

The copywork packs are available on the Catholic Schoolhouse Store Page in the Additional Resources areas.  They are divided by quarter and by subject, or you can buy the bundle which has the copywork for all six subjects for that quarter.  Keep reading to learn more details!

What’s included?

In each Tour Copywork and Dictation pack, that quarter’s memory work (6 weeks’ worth) is presented in several ways:

  • Large print- to use as a ‘dictation’ page (ie you read it aloud), a sign for your schoolroom, or a coloring page to keep the little ones busy
  • Large Dotted Print- to use as handwriting practice for your early writer (probably 1-2nd graders)
  • Small Dotted Print- to use as handwriting practice for early writers (again somewhere in the 1st-3rd grade depending on your student)
  • Cursive Dotted Print- for those student just learning cursive
  • Lined pages with the copywork – for students fluent in writing, who just need the practice on handwriting lines
  • Lined pages with the copywork in cursive- for students fluent in writing cursive who just need the practice on handwriting lines
  • Large Handwriting lines- to practice both memory and handwriting for younger students
  • Small Handwriting lines- to practice memory and handwriting for older students

Here is a sample page so you can see the font size and style for each of the above bullets:

Examples of the font size and styles in the copywork.

Does that mean I need my child to do all of these?!

No!  Choose and print only the pages you need.  For example, I have a preschooler and a 1st grader, so I print the dictation pages and the large dotted print pages.  My preschooler colors the dictation page while my 1st grader practices her handwriting on the dotted letter page.  I also put the song for that memory work on repeat the whole time they are coloring/writing.  I don’t even bother printing the other types of pages because I don’t need cursive or blank lines yet. (But in 3 years when we cycle through Tour 1 again I’ll need to print different pages because I’ll have a 4th grader 1st grader, and preschooler)

How do I use dictation pages?

Dictation means to speak or read aloud something.  It’s a fancy word for a ‘sign’ or poster. :).  You can use the dictation pages, which are just the ones with the memory work in large print, as a coloring page for your littlest scholars, or post it on the wall to read along as you memorize or sing the songs.

I keep meaning to cover this push-pin board with a pretty fabric but have yet to do so.  

What else should I know about these?

  • The pages in Tour 1 also has neat little borders to color, and small clipart to color so your students can personalize their work even more. Like this one for the water cycle:

and this one for the War of 1812:

  • The copywork packages are downloadable files. This means once you pay, you are emailed a link that takes you to the file.  You need to download the file and save it to your computer for future use.  No physical pages of the copywork are shipped.  You have 5 downloads available (in case you accidentally lose it) before your link expires. Please use a computer to download the file.  Most issues we’ve encountered with downloading are because people try to download these to a phone or tablet.
  • Cathlolic Schoolhouse copywork pages are a benefit of being part of a registered chapter.  Yes, our chapter members can all access these copywork pages for free! If you are unable to be part of a chapter, we still care about you and have made them available through our store for a small cost.

Can’t I just type up the memory work myself into handwriting pages?

You can type up the memory work for use in your own home.  However the Catholic Schoolhouse Memory work is copyrighted, thus the copywork is copyrighted, so please do not share it outside of your personal use.  If you see someone infringing on Catholic Schoolhouse’s copyrights please let us know! Protecting our copyright is important so we can continue this ministry. We made these copywork pages as another resource for you already-busy moms out there.  In case you don’t have time to type them up, it’s already done for you and available in these copywork packages.

A great resource for making your handwriting pages is https://www.handwritingworksheets.com/.

Great! Where I can get my Copywork?

Go to the Catholics Schoolhouse Store. Click on 1 Additional Resources by Tour to see the available packages

TOUR 1 – Additional Resources
TOUR 2 – Additional Resources
TOUR 3 – Additional Resources

The BUNDLEs are the best deal. You get all 6 subjects copywork for the quarter.  That’s hundreds of pages of copywork. 

Or you can buy individual subjects by the quarter.

 

Thanks and may God bless your homeschooling journey!

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