Schoolhouse Crew Review: Homeschool Copywork

Are you familiar with the term copywork?  Some people think copywork is just handwriting practice but it really is much more than that.  Copywork teaches children grammar, spelling, punctuation, handwriting, and reading comprehension, while exposing them to different writing techniques by using carefully selected passages for them to copy. Recently we were given an opportunity to review the Lifetime Membership to Homeschool Copywork.

Homeschool Copywork has three different levels of membership.  You can sign up for a free membership that gives you access to a limited selection of free copywork. The one year membership ($29.95) gives you access to everything on the site for one full year.  The Lifetime Membership ($45) gives you full access to everything on the site for as long as Homeschool Copywork exists.
There are currently 54 different ebooks  on the Homeschool Copywork site plus bonus notebooking pages and coloring pages with more being added.  Once you sign up and create your login you can search the copywork that is listed in three categories: Early Elementary Copywork, Upper Elementary Copywork, and Junior High/High School Copywork.  Some of the copywork can be found in multiple categories. There is also a Bonus Products section.  After you choose the selections you are interested in, you simply download them and print them out.
Some of the copywork you will find includes:
Artist Studies Hymn Studies Quotes of Composers Poetry Presidential Quotes Bible Verses Holiday and Special Occasion Quotes of Scientists and Inventors 18th Century Authors Short Stories Transportation and Alphabet
Plus bonus notebooking or coloring pages on:
Human Life Dogs Sharks Leaves Birds Transportation Valentine's Day Ninjas
The copybooks have a variety of handwriting styles including: Lined Print, D'Nealian Lined Print, Lined Cursive, Print without the middle dashed line, and Cursive without the middle dashed line.   Each copybook contains information on what is being featured, several different selections to copy, and drawings or artwork.
I went though the site and chose several different selections to download and print out.  The first thing we started working on was the Animal Alphabet Copywork Pages.  I printed this book out for my 5 year old.  Each of the 26 pages in this book has a picture of an animal that starts with that letter of the alphabet and a short sentence such as : "B is for Bird."    

We also have been using the Leonardo da Vinci Artist Study and Copywork. It is 45 pages long.  The first page gives information on Leonardo da Vinci and some suggested hands on activities you could do to go along with the study.  It has 6 different quotes in lined print, , D'Nealian Lined Print, Lined Cursive, print, and cursive.  At the bottom of each page is a colored illustration of a piece of Leonardo da Vinci's artwork.  

I also have downloaded and looked through the John James Audubon Copywork and Bird Coloring Pages, All Creatures Hymn Study and Copywork, Dragons of the Bible, Human Body Notebooking Pages, and The Story of the Rainbow Copywork.  We studied John James Audubon last year and this copywork would have gone along great with that study.  I do wish some of his illustrations would've been included rather than the black and white bird drawings. I think that my children would love the Dragons of the Bible copywork so I am adding that to our to do list soon!  We have never done a hymn study before and I think that would be a great addition to our homeschool.
There is a wonderful selection of copywork on the Homeschool Copywork website.  You can easily find what you are looking for if there is a specific topic you need, or you can scroll easily through all of the available options.  I like the variety of handwriting types and lines provided.  You could some of the same copywork for older and younger children and print the pages with either the print or cursive for each individual child. All of the selections I looked through had either artwork on each page, or drawings that the children can color.  I think that adds a really nice touch and allows each child to make their copybooks beautiful and more personalized.  
I only have a black and white printer.  Although the copywork itself only needs a black and white printer, for the artist study books and others with colored illustrations it would be beneficial to print those out in color.  The artwork that is included is just beautiful and it is not the same in black and white!
To see what my Crew Mates had to say, stop by the Crew Blog!

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