In the preface of our book, Trees in the Forest: Growing Readers and Writers through Deep Comprehension, we introduced the teaching model: I do it. We do it. You do it. The model is helpful for understanding how to incorporate all of language arts into your copywork and dictation practice.
However, Intentional Copywork with young readers and writers looks a bit different because they are learning to read and write, not using reading and writing in order to learn. For new readers, the model looks like: I do it. We do it. We do it. We do it . . . You do it. Each week of Intentional Copywork focuses on learning to read, so phonics practice is repeated throughout the week.
If you would like guidance on how to best implement your current phonics and spelling program, combined with Intentional Copywork and Dictation practice throughout the week, check out our Foundations for Teaching Reading, Writing & Spelling educator training course. We will teach you our strategies for all your phonics and spelling goals: improving your child's phonological processing skills, teaching vowels and vowel spellings, practicing multisyllable words, dealing with caution words (aka "sight words"), and incorporating affix usage. We teach strategies that are the most impactful and ensure the greatest "stickiness" (our word for ideas kids remember and use)!
Intentional Copywork is intentional for both you and your child.
The intentional parent:
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attends to the child's reading and writing level
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selects a phonetically controlled passage
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creates mini-lessons for phonics practice
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focuses on child-centered skill training.
The intentional child:
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notices the letters and their relationship to sound
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practices "say sounds while you write"
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engages in skill-based mini-lessons combining phonics and spelling
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connects with text through hands-on story activities
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consolidates skills in writing
Here is an example of my Intentional Copywork Schedule for the new or developing reader:
Monday: Phonics and spelling
I do it. Select words from the passage and create a spelling and phonics
lesson.
We do it. Use Laying a Path: Phonics and Spelling videos for strategies to supplement your phonics and spelling program.
Practice building, reading, and writing target words and phrases from a small set of pages from a phonetically controlled reader. Say it while you write!
You do it. Cut out pictures or draw pictures from the story.
Tuesday: Grammar, word study and vocabulary
I do it. Look at the text and create a grammar lesson, using early suffixes of <-s> or <-ing>. Use Welcome to the Forest webinar for word-building activities appropriate for the young reader.
We do it. Read the passage together, emphasizing the grammar lesson. Build, read, and write words using suffixes. Say it while you write!
Notice and discuss punctuation.
Sing the vowel song or practice the vowel sounds.
You do it. Look through a favorite familiar picture book and tell the story in your own words.
Wednesday: Phonics, spelling, and handwriting
I do it. Select letters from the passage and create a handwriting lesson.
We do it. Use Welcome to the Forest for strategies to supplement your handwriting program. Practice writing letters while saying the letter name.
Practice building, reading, and writing the same target words and phrases from the same pages of the phonetically controlled reader. Say it while you write!
Point to target letters and say the sound for each letter, both vowels and consonants.
Read a small set of pages from the phonetically controlled story. (Repeat pages from Tuesday if needed.)
You do it. Answer these questions about your picture book: where is the story taking place? Who or what is the story about (the characters)? What is the problem? How does the problem get solved?
Thursday: Copywork and Intentional Editing
We do it. Review and practice phonics, spelling, and punctuation. Sing the vowel song or review vowel sounds.
Reread the passage carefully.
You do it. Copy the passage. Say it while you write!
We do it. Edit together and correct errors.
You do it. Listen to a read aloud story.
Friday: Dictation
We do it. Review based on copywork errors. Point to target letters and say the sound for each letter, both vowels and consonants.
Dictate passage while your child writes.
Edit together.
Read a small set of pages from the phonetically controlled story. (Repeat pages from Tuesday if needed.)
You do it. Use the characters you drew from the story to dictate an original story.
~ Rita
