As the colder weather blows in, warm your homeschool by using this Fall Themed Copywork (Free Printable)! Have them copy quality pieces of writing from great authors. When your children copy stories and poems about gathering the harvest bounty and savoring cheerful fires by the hearth, they will improve their writing as well as savor the best of the fall season.
Video: Fall Themed Copywork (Free Printable) || Our Fall Writing Plans
If you want to simplify your homeschool writing lessons, yet give your child a rich study that will propel them forward as a writer, try copywork! We have been using copywork as the core of our homeschool writing lessons for 14 years. I have seen wonderful results in our children from daily copywork practice!
When kids copy quality literature, they are learning so many skills. I like to compare it to the difference between a scenic ride in a car and a slow amble through a meadow. The leisurely walk will leave a greater impression on the mind. Similarly, copywork makes kids pause and readily observe details more fully.
You may also enjoy using Winter Themed Copywork and Spring Themed Copywork.
What is Copywork?
Copywork is simply the habit of hand copying selections of text from great authors. Think about it. How do we learn to do anything? We observe someone who is doing it! Copywork challenges kids to copy the written work of excellent communicators.
How Much Should a Child Copy?
As a general rule, I like to have my kids copy one sentence a day for first grade, two for second, and so on. If they want to do more, sure! But this metric is a reasonable developmental goal for most kids.
Does Copywork Really Work?
The main difference that I see between copywork and other writing methods is this. In copywork, the student first observes an excellent piece, slowly and carefully, copying with exact detail, and makes a conclusion afterward. The writing begins after the observation. Children can only express what they possess!
In many popular writing methods, kids in early elementary school are encouraged to begin writing but they have very little to no exposure to quality pieces of writing or time to reflect on them.
When used along with the habit of narration, children observe first and write later.
Copywork Results
Now that we have a homeschool graduate as well as other children in high school, I have been able to see the true results of using copywork from a broad perspective. As our children have reached middle and high school age, they have had the opportunity to take writing classes from other teachers, teachers who specifically teach writing classes. On more than one occasion, they have received compliments on how well they write. I say this not to brag about my kids, but to show that copywork (along with narration- which we also use) works very well! Don’t underestimate its possibilities! You can have a very simple writing program and your children can learn to be good writers.
How We Do Copywork In Our Homeschool
When I prepare copywork for our kids, I print out the sample, 3 hole punch it, and put it in a notebook. Separately, I give them a spiral lined notebook with their name and the subject “copywork” on the front. This notebook should be enough to keep all their copywork for the school year.
Each new day, they write the date in the margin and write their copywork section beside it, either a sentence or paragraph, according to their age and ability.
Often I will have them read their copywork back to me. This helps them to spot mistakes. (Also, if they have trouble reading their own writing, they can realize that on their own without mom having to harp on them about it!)
You may also enjoy reading these posts on copywork, narration, and notebooking.
Simple Step-By-Step Guide to Homeschool Writing
How to Keep a Simple Nature Notebook
What is included in the Fall Themed Copywork?
- 2 pages of all your FAQ about copywork
- 5 pages of copywork (This should be enough to last from September through November.)
- Appropriate for 1st through 6th grades approximately
- Various Scripture verses
- Poems by Helen Hunt Jackson, Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Emily Dickinson, Adelaide Crapsey, and Lydia Maria Child
- Selections from the following books: Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter by Eugene Doyle, The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, and An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott
- Selections from The Farmers’ Almanac
How Do I Download the Fall Themed Copywork Printable?
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Hi, I’m Sheri! I am a Christian saved by grace, married to my high school sweetheart, and a thankful mom to ten incredible kids. I’m a former public school teacher who never thought I would someday be a homeschool mom! Drawing on 13+ years of homeschooling experience, follow along to find help for getting started, tried and true homeschooling advice, life skills learning, simple Morning Time ideas, and interviews with everyday homeschool moms just like you!
Hi, thank you for sharing this! I know you have said that depending on the child’s age and progress with handwriting, etc., that they will copy a different amount. One child (9yo) will be able to copy more than his brother (7yo). My 9yo is a strong reader, and 7yo is in still in the beginning stages of reading fluently (still using bob books). Should I have the younger still copy these larger sentences and words even though he cannot read them yet? If yes, I can maybe pick certain pieces for him to write, a condensed version on comparison to his brother?
Should the younger copy more simple sentences that are on his reading level?
Also, I am thinking that I can use these literature pieces as ideas for our poems and read alouds. I am always wanting most of our homeschool subjects to be connected; history, copywork, memory work, art, etc. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Great question! When my kids are reading Bob books, I usually have them copy a sentence from one of the Bob books they are reading. In my experience with our kids, when they are at the Bob book level in reading, that’s usually about where they are in writing as well, so I use the sentences in the Bob books as their copywork. If he can’t read the sentence easily (ie. selections in the fall themed copywork), then I wouldn’t have him try to write it. I have our kids copy sentences that they can read (or mostly read.) I hope that answers your question?
I have used some of these literature pieces for poems to memorize or read alouds as well! We’ve been reciting Autumn Fires by Robert Louis Stevenson. It’s a great poem to say in the fall. I’m glad you are getting good use out of this!
Thank you Sherri, Autumn Fires is one of my favorite ones in this selection too. We are in Florida so our Fall calendar time does not match up with exactly all of the well known fall experiences (our leaves fall in January ;>) We do have alot more bonfires now-a-days which is in this poem! And yes, that is very helpful for the copywork. Thank you! I feel like I could ask you so many questions!
You’re welcome! Just wanted to give you a heads up (since you like Bob books) that I am working on making a free Bob Books companion guide resource which has the sight words and phonics sounds review practice sequentially in order of how they introduce them in the books. I made up something like this years ago for myself. I’ve been using this exact guide for all my kids, but it’s in a manuscript tablet written in pencil. I’m trying to make it into a printable for download. If you are on my weekly email list, I will be sharing it there.