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Hi,

We started Beyond last week and I was wondering how people handle the writing. I am using the lined Mead journal for the poetry copywork and my dd7 enjoys illustrating on the same page. I was wondering, though, about the spelling and Storytime copywork. I am having my dd use the 1st grade lined paper on the first day of spelling where she writes the words. On the second and fourth days, I am using the white board. On the third day, when she copies the sentences on paper, I am just using an unlined piece of white paper. What do most of you use? I feel like having her write three sentences on lined paper in addition to the poetry copywork would be a lot for one day. Is it sufficient to use the unlined paper for this or is the point more to be copying these sentences diligently and with high quality? I have the same question about the Storytime copywork, when they dictate an answer to you and then copy it. My dd has been using unlined paper for this, but should I be using lined paper? The lined paper slows her down quite a bit, so I try to only use it when the emphasis is on proper handwriting. I consider the poetry copywork to be her formal "copywork" for the day, so was letting up in the other areas, but wondered what everyone else is doing and what the goals are here.

Thanks!
Kathy

I have had dd writing the three spelling sentences on 3-lined paper, but she does the other spelling stuff on white board, unlined or notebook paper. The white board and unlined paper are for practice days, and the notebook paper is for the fourth day. She does better on three lines, but I'm more concerned about whether or not she is spelling correctly. The only spelling things I save for her portfolio are from day 3 and 4. I'm not sure what the expectations are, but I think that is somethng you can decide. Since they are doing poetry copywork, I relax in that area. Now on the fifth day, I will use the three lines for the grammar. That way, there is good handwriting practice every day.

I'm not sure what the "right" answer is but this is what we do. We also use a Mead 3 lined paper for poetry work, with the space to draw on top. For spelling we always use white board, except on review weeks then we use regular wide-ruled paper. For storytime stuff and grammer we sometimes use white board and sometimes wide ruled paper. My dd is 7 but handwriting is probly her weakest area. Hope this helps!

I'm the same way... ditto ditto ditto. She writes her poetry on lined paper. On day 1 she uses paper, on days 2-4 sometimes its paper sometimes the white board. I always have her use lined paper when she's writing on paper, but she is also good at being sloppy on the lined paper, for her it makes no difference. Only recently has she started doing really nice copywork for her poetry, I think it was after we looked through the notebook I have been putting the poetry copywork in and she realized if it looked nice it would make the notebook look nicer.

Anyway, we use the white board. Her handwriting is worse on it, but I think she's getting enough reinforcement of handwriting in the other areas.

Thanks, ladies for the replies! I appreciate your help!

Kathy