When copying from the board is hard
Your child loses their place when copying from the board, copies only part, or takes much longer than classmates. Copying asks children to look, remember, write and find their place again, many times.
For: Parents, teachers and therapists of children aged 4 to 8
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Save to PinterestWhy it happens
- Copying from far away (the board) to near (the paper) asks the eyes to refocus each time.
- Children who copy letter by letter instead of word by word have to look up far more often.
- Working memory, attention and handwriting speed all play a part.
What helps
- Copy from a sheet on the desk instead of the board when possible.
- Practise reading a whole word or phrase, then writing it without looking up.
- Mark the place with a finger or a ruler.
- Teachers: give a printed copy, fewer words, or a fill-in version.
- Have eyesight checked if it has not been checked recently.
The planstep by step.
1Keep your place
Tracking and reading rulers.
2Chunks, not letters
Read the phrase, say it, write it.
3Copy from near
Copy sentences from the sheet onto lines.
When to ask for help
Have eyesight checked first. Then ask the teacher or an occupational therapist if copying stays much slower than classmates, or if your child often leaves work unfinished.
These worksheets are practice materials, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Every child develops at their own pace. If you are worried, talk to your child’s teacher, doctor or a specialist.
Questions
Questions about copying from the board
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Could this be a vision problem?
Related packs
Sources
The LetterSchool app
Between worksheets: practise in the app
The same letter shapes as this sheet, with instant feedback on every line, animations and stars. Children play, and learn the right formation.