Self-Directed Copywork

Yesterday our neighbor's daughter was assigned to choose some toys to give away.

She gave them to my children.

Aaargh!

One of the items was a silly little early reader that my A5 has fallen in love with.  She reads and re-reads it proudly.

Perhaps it is not so silly.

She covered a journal at Cousins' Camp.  She writes in her journal several times each day.  Last night she pulled out her new book, her journal, and a fresh pencil and began copying the book.

She was heartbroken when bedtime came around before she was finished.  I showed her that she could put her pencil in the reader and put the reader in the journal so that all of her places would be marked.  I told her to put it on the kitchen table so that she would see it and remember what she wanted to do first thing in the morning.  She felt happy at these suggestions.

She cared so much about her copywork that not only did she work on it the very minute she was done with her chores this morning, but she turned the page and started over again when she saw that she'd smudged her page.  She wanted it to be perfect.

No, telling her that she could erase any smudges didn't work.  She wanted it to be perfect.

She was happy as she worked.

Focused.
Driven.
Pleased with what she could do.

Over and over again I am amazed at what a child will do when given the freedom to direct his/her own learning.

I love school vacations.

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