Copying a sentence neatly uses everything you have learned. Copy one word at a time, then check your copy against the model.
- Read the whole sentence first.
- Look at one word, then write it.
- Leave a finger space and go on to the next word.
- At the end, read your copy and the model side by side.
Key idea
Check four things: a capital at the start, every word there, finger spaces, and the end mark.
Why it works
Copying fast makes it easy to skip a word or a letter. Checking word by word catches it, and that habit helps every time you write.
Worked example: Check a copy
Model: My cat can jump. Copy: My cat jump.
- Read the copy word by word against the model.
- My, cat … the model says can next, but the copy says jump.
- The word can is missing.
Answer: The word can was skipped.
Common mistake
Copying quickly and skipping a word. Point to each word in the model and in your copy, one at a time.
For the grown-up. Keep copy work short: one sentence done carefully beats a page done fast. The checklist above prints with the button below it.