The Palmer Method of Business Writing · Lesson 22 · Part 5: First words, M and N

22. Drill 22: Common

Goal: Your child writes the word "Common" fourteen times in a minute or close to it, with even spacing.

⏱ About 12 minutes · 6 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗ 🖨 Copywork sheet

You'll need

  • Wide-ruled lined paper (several sheets)
  • A sharp pencil or a smooth gel pen
  • The book open at today's page
  • A watch, clock or phone timer that shows seconds (only for the optional speed check)

What's in the book

Lesson 22 is drill 22, the word "Common" written along two lines.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

    Three to five minutes: compact ovals (drill 3), a line of small o (drill 11) and a line of small m (drill 14). This is the book's daily opening from now on.

    Add a line of capital C (drill 10).

  2. Look at the model

    Open the book page. Look at drill 22: "Common" written four times on each line, the C joining on to the small letters.

  3. Write and compare

    Write a few lines and then compare your work with the drill. Review often.

    Three lines, then compare, then three more.

    Optional speed target: fourteen words in a minute.

  4. Watch for

    The o's closed at the top, the m's round, and the small letters not growing taller across the word.

  5. Gentle check

    Is the second set of lines better than the first? Point to one thing that improved.

  6. Finish

    Write "Cora" or "Coco", or another word starting with C.

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