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The Old Time Education curriculum uses Charlotte Mason's copywork method to teach children penmanship. Mason was a late 1800s educator. In her book Home Education, she tells how to use this method:
Mason's approach to handwriting was based on her belief that "No work should be given to a child that he cannot execute perfectly, and then perfection should be required of him as a matter of course". In keeping with her theories about short lessons and focused attention, she thought it more important that the student produce six perfect strokes than an entire slateful of slovenly work. Once a child had mastered the formation of individual letters, children were given a phrase, sentence, or paragraph to copy in their best handwriting.
These copywork exercises should take only a few minutes each day so as to encourage the habits of attention and perfect execution without becoming tiring.
Using Charlotte Mason's suggestions, have the student copy words, sentences, or passages from his current McGuffey's Reader lesson into a penmanship notebook.
