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Free Marco Polo Unit Study Notebooking Pages

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have the first set of free Marco Polo Notebooking Pages ready to go with my free Marco Polo lapbook and unit study.

The first notebooking page is a place to write about Marco Polo’s childhood as he grew up in Venice and contemplated visiting far off places that were not discovered.

Free Marco Polo Unit Study Notebooking Pages

The second notebooking page, your child can add a bit of geography about the Persian desert and there is space for your child to either describe the travels of Marco Polo across the Persian desert or to tell about animal or plant life on the desert.

And then lastly, I have a page that can be used to give an overview of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongolian Empire was such a huge empire at that time that it is taken us a while when reading to wrap our minds around the large amount of land that was conquered by Genghis Khan.

Also, look at these fun books about Marco Polo.

Books About Marco Polo For Kids

10 Marco Polo Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add some of these fun books about Marco Polo to your home library or use them in your unit studies.

Marco Polo

The amazing story of a Venetian trader who becomes an aide to the great Kublai Khan comes to life in this retelling for students by Manuel Komroff. Follow along as Marco Polo travels through deserts littered with bones, encounters animals previously unknown to Europeans, and comes to serve in the court of one of the greatest kingdoms ever known.Included is a gorgeous new map tracing his journey, and 29 full page illustrations from an early edition written for adults.The text in this edition is a reprint of the original Messner Biography, a series that was created for students. "Well told and with engaging narratives, they unknowingly flow nicely from story to fact. You will find a plethora of information packed between these pages, not only about the title’s subject, but the subject's time and the world they lived in."

The Adventures of Marco Polo

Was Marco Polo the world's greatest explorer -- or the world's greatest liar? Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman turns his eagle eye on the enigmatic Marco Polo in his most exciting biography yet.

He claimed to have seen rocks burn, bandits command sandstorms, lions tamed with a look, and sorcerers charm sharks while divers gathered pearls on the ocean floor. Marco Polo shook Europe with descriptions of the world he'd seen on his epic journey to the court of Kublai Khan.

But was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? Or was he a charlatan who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his inventive mind? Join Russell Freedman as he tackles a centuries-old mystery.

The Story of Marco Polo

This is volume number 22 in the Signature Books series for young readers. This series, under the general editorship of Enid Lamonte Meadowcroft, provides easy to read, exciting stories based upon the lives of historical figures. A vivid story of the life and adventures of perhaps the most romantic traveler of all time, a man who returned from the East with tales so fantastic that no one believed him until he was vindicated by later travelers.

Animals Marco Polo Saw (Explorer Series)

A continuation of the Explorers series by award-winning author Sandra Markle, Animals Marco Polo Saw brings to life the amazing, exotic animals Marco Polo encountered during his explorations in Asia, how the animals sometimes affected the outcome of the journey, and even helped the explorer survive!

Marco Polo (Junior World Explorers)

Examines the political forces and personal ambition that drove Marco Polo in his explorations.

The Travels of Marco Polo

Marco Polo was the most famous traveller of his time. His voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China, after which he served the Kubilai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions. On his return to the West, he was made a prisoner of war and met Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he collaborated on this book. The accounts of his travels provide a fascinating glimpse of the different societies he encountered: their religions, customs, ceremonies and way of life; on the spices and silks of the East; on precious gems, exotic vegetation and wild beasts. He tells the story of the holy shoemaker, the wicked caliph and the three kings, among a great many others, evoking a remote and long-vanished world with colour and immediacy. He found himself traversing the most exotic lands-from the dazzling Mongol empire to Tibet and Burma. This fascinating chronicle still serves as the most vivid depiction of the mysterious East in the Middle Ages.

He Went With Marco Polo

Cathay is a long way from his home in Venice, but when 14-year-old gondolier, Tonio Tumba receives the chance of a lifetime, he doesn’t say no. Leaving behind his only possession, a shabby green gondola, Tonio eagerly joins Marco Polo on his adventure.

As Tonio and the Polo family travel the dangerous silk road to modern-day China, they encounter many fascinating people and dangerous perils. When Tonio rides into Cathay on one of the Khan’s elephants, he says to his friend, Pietro: “Elephants are grand… but give me a horse any time – unless I could have a gondola. When we get back to Venice, I’ll take you out in mine.”

There are many wonderful sights, amazing inventions and great riches to discover, though Tonio looks forward to getting back home - but many years will pass before his chance to see the canals of Venice again. When so much has changed, will Tonio find anything worth returning for?

Louise Andrews Kent is a master storyteller, weaving historical accuracy and immersive adventure into one epic voyage of discovery.

This new edition features all the original illustrations and clean, readable text. It is a fantastic living book teaching about history and geography, recommended for ages 10 and up.

Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde (World Landmark Books)

Excellent, historic story well told by Harold Lamb and beautifully illustrated by Elton Fax. Originally published in 1954, this paperback edition was released in 1982.

Marco Polo: Overland to China (In the Footsteps of Explorers)

Relive Italian voyager Marco Polo's adventures in China in1275, including his legendary meeting with Kublai Khan, emperor of the powerful Mongol Empire. This exciting new book separates fact from myth using excerpts from Polo's actual journals and vivid illustrations and photographs to portray Polo himself and his impressions of the unique traditions and customs of the Mongols. A recipe from the period is also included. Topics include - what the Medieval period meant to Europe and exploration - the Silk Road - Marco Polo's service in Kublai Khan's court - life at sea and in the Mongol Empire - Marco Polo's influence on later explorers Teacher's guide available.

Marco Polo: his travels and adventures.

This edition is presented complete and unabridged, with larger text for easier reading by younger readers, and all the original illustrations and decorations.“I have attempted to transform the somewhat dry and monotonous translation of this narrative into an entertaining story, that may engage the attention and the interest of my young readers; for which it certainly presents ample opportunities. If the task is properly done, no one can fail to follow Marco Polo from his Venetian home, across the entire continent of Asia to the court of Kublai Khan, and in his various adventures and journeys while in the far-off Orient, without eager curiosity and ever-deepening interest. The central figure of the story is heroic, for Marco Polo was in all things manly, brave, persevering, intelligent, and chivalrous; and the scenes and incidents in which he was the leading actor were in the highest degree thrilling and dramatic.”-From the Preface by the Author.

MARCO POLO NOTEBOOKING PAGES

Also you’ll love the hands-on ideas from Home School In the Woods.

Here are a few websites we have been reading that might help you too.

The printables on the Marco Polo Unit Study are special ones because I love to hold back printables to share only with my loyal email readers.

Go here to grab the free Marco Polo lapbook.

Marco Polo Unit Study Hands-on Activities

How to Get the Free Notebooking Pages

Free Marco Polo Unit Study Notebooking Pages

Now, how to grab the free notebooking pages. It’s a subscriber freebie.

When you sign up to follow me, you get access to this freebie AND you’re now a follower of me by getting emails in in your inbox.

1) Sign up on my email list.
2) Grab the printable.
3) Last, look for my emails in your inbox as a follower. Glad to have you.

Marco Polo Unit Study, Lapbook, and Hands-on Ideas

Check out these other activities on our Marco Polo Unit Study.

 Hugs and love ya,

Free Marco Polo Notebooking Pages for a homeschool unit study.

What You’ve Got To Know About Teaching Reading Comprehension

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, in what you’ve got to know about teaching reading comprehension, I will share surefire ways to rekindle the love of reading. More important these tips will help your child understand what he is reading.

When I took Mr. Senior 2013 out of public school for the short time he was in Kindergarten and started homeschooling him again, I realized that he had changed from adoring his reading time to abhorring it.

Reading Material Matters. 

I am always astounded at how children naturally figure things out and they know when something they are reading matters.  One book I had chosen to focus on my son’s reading comprehension was called Bags The Lamb.

Okay, not very inspiring title and so I soon learned that my first mistake in helping my son to care about what he was reading was to make it matter. 

One stepping stone to having your child lap up reading is to give him a meaningful purpose.

For Mr. Senior 2013 that meant reading a comic book or a non-fiction book about science or history. 

If you are using a reading program that has dry, boring books that do not matter to your child, then use a book they choose so it matters to them. 

What You’ve Got To Know About Teaching Reading Comprehension

This is the first step to encouraging them to make meaning of what they are reading.

A Skillful Teacher Models the Process. 

Then there is one pet peeve of mine that we unknowingly do in a lot of subjects that we teach and that is somehow by osmosis we expect our kids to know what we want.

I too made this mistake in thinking my son knew how to skim the material, ask questions silently and look for answers in reading material.

Switching my approach, I focused on one paragraph in the book that he chose and talked out loud while he was sitting with me.

I would continue to talk out loud asking who is this character or I would say this reminds me of so and so whom we both know.

In talking out loud, I was helping my son to make a connection with what he knew right now and otherwise question what he was reading.

He soon learned that it was okay to have questions and that questions are the beginning to understanding what he was reading.  It is not necessary to

have all the questions answered, which is what Mr. Senior 2013 was doing.

Reading comprehension is about weighing and identifying facts though not always having the answers until the end of the story.

Slow Down Your Reading Pace Mama! 

Another mistake I was making was allowing my kindergartener to read the whole story in one gulp. 

What good did that do him if he didn’t understand the first paragraph?

He had me fooled because he was such a good reader, never mind the fact that he didn’t understand too much of what he read. 

I realized he was hyper focused on rapid reading and correct pronunciation instead of understanding what he was reading.

No wonder he didn’t like reading at the time because it became more about reciting meaningless chants instead of savoring the satisfaction that comes from filling his mind about the fascinating world around him.

From that time on, I assigned my 1:1 reading time with him for just one or two paragraphs each day. 

Implementing my tip on modeling the process, I read the paragraph or two aloud the first time. 

Pausing at commas, and emphasizing important words by the inflection in my voice helped him to see how he should be reading. 

This tip significantly improved his reading comprehension in the first few months.

Besides forming a close bond with him, to this day he has never forgotten the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from understanding what he is reading.

The rest of the day as a Kindergartener he spent with alone reading time, but I could hear him off in the room practicing some of what I had modeled.

By taking this 1:1 crucial time with him, my reader who once loved reading prior to sending him to public school returned to a love of reading.

Visualize and Imagine. 

Too, I had not tapped into my son’s love of visualization. 

Boys especially need to use this strategy. Again, he was a very visual person, but I had not helped him to see that he needed to use that strength to visualize the characters or place.

I had read somewhere that we should teach them like it’s a movie going on in their head. 

It’s true.  I helped him to see that if he could picture what a character wore, how he sounded when he talked and where he lived that those things would add to his understanding of what he was reading. 

It worked. Simply explaining that to my son and helping him to make that connection was all he needed to rapidly improve his reading comprehension.

I learned again that we need to tell and give our kids those strategies specifically instead of thinking or assuming they learn those things by absorbing them. 

Too, let them turn their imagination loose even if you don’t see a fact in the reading for their imagined thought. 

Just the fact they are imagining shows they are attempting to make connections with what they are reading. 

It adds to the intrinsic value too of making reading a lifelong habit.

Too, don’t break down every reading lesson into a chore, but choose carefully when you want to apply the strategies above. 

In the beginning, I did it every day, but after a few weeks, I applied these strategies about 3x a week so that it didn’t become boring. 

Remember, changing from repeating words or phrases over and over again because a child may be intensely focused on phonics or how-to ready instead of meaning takes time to slowly change.

Many children are afraid in the sense they think they are not pleasing you if they don’t read rapidly. 

Every bit of time I have put into helping Mr. Senior 2013 slow down and absorb what he was reading had paid off with tremendous benefits to him as a young adult now.

On many days, he reads more than I do and my heart leaps because of his fondness for reading knowing he has carried this into adulthood. 

There is nothing more satisfying to me as the teacher!!  Give one or two of these tips a try and you’ll see improvement.

What You’ve Got To Know About Teaching Reading Comprehension

Look at some of these other articles:

What You've Got to Know About Teaching Reading Comprehension

Homeschool Writing Program For Middle and High School Students

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I often hear that the fun in school stops at the middle and high school grades, but I have not found that to be true. Being selective in our choices for homeschool writing programs has been one way that we have avoided middle and high school monotony.  Also, look at my page homeschool middle school and how to homeschool high school page for more fun tips.

So when I heard about Fortuigence, which is an online writing course, I was thrilled to try it.

However, knowing that I will be moving in just a few weeks though, I invited Jasmine as a guest blogger from Ponder the Path to review Fortuigence/Writing Rock Star for us, because I just didn’t want to pass up the opportunity for you to know about this wonderful homeschool writing program. 

Before you read her helpful review below though, I wanted to let you know what makes a curriculum wonderful to me.

Homeschool Writing Program

(Jasmine was given a free copy of Essay Rock Star.  She was compensated for her time.  Her opinions and my opinions are our own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind, because it does not mean any company will get a rave review.  However, if I accept a review it’s because I am excited to tell you about the curriculum.  This post also contains affiliate links.  Read my full disclosures here.)

As I homeschool longer I get more vocal about avoiding companies that invade the homeschooling market because we are a large educational niche for some companies

 Not all, but a lot of companies are not really bringing any real value or help to our children or to us as the teachers. 

Neither do they understand the paramount role parents have as teachers.  So I try to actively seek out companies like Writing Rockstars whose students are mostly all homeschoolers, value our role as educator and create their products specifically to suit our needs.

I think you’ll see what I mean when you read Jasmine’s review.

Homeschool Writing Program For Middle and High School Students

What do GMO’s, (genetically modified organisms) rock stars, and mind maps have in common?

All three were part of a recent homeschool writing curriculum my daughter worked on this summer!  Maddie will be entering the 7th grade this fall and had never done any formal writing before. 

When the opportunity came up for her to try Essay Rock Star she was excited to take her first online course.

Choosing an Online Writing Course

After choosing one of the four Essay Rock Star classes, Maddie was signed up with her own account.

This may not seem like a big deal to most, but to a 12 year old girl this was a big deal. 

She was able to log in to her class on her own and receive emails directly from Ms. I, as her teacher is affectionately called.

I decided it would be best if Maddie took the Essay Rock Star: Expository Essay class. 

In this class, Maddie learned to write an essay that explained a specific subject or topic. 

Maddie had heard me talk about GMO’s before and knew basically what they were. She wanted to find out more about them and thought that they would make an interesting topic for her essay.

Other Essay Rock Star classes include: The Personal Statement, The Persuasive Essay and The Textual Analysis.

Working Through the Essay Rock Star Writing Lessons

When Maddie first started the course, I sat down with her and walked her through the “classroom”. We went over how to work through the class, where to turn in assignments, and how to complete the lessons.

Each of the 7 lessons has a video for the student to watch. 

In the video, Ms. I walks the student through each step in the writing process. After watching the video, the student then reads through the lesson or can choose to listen to the audio version (great for different types of learners!).

There are several learning aids included in each lesson that the student can either save or print out and put in a notebook. These items are great to keep on hand for future student writing assignments. 

Some of the ones that we thought were particularly helpful were: “How to Write a Strong Introduction and Conclusion” and the “Revision Checklist”.

organizing writing content

After watching the video, reading the lesson, and printing or saving any of the extra learning tools, Maddie would work through each step of the writing process. 

For instance, one of the first steps is the brainstorming process. 

Ms. I shared a great tool for brainstorming called mind mapping.  She shared a link to Bubbl.us which is an online software tool that allows you to create pictorial mind maps and save them as images.

This was one of the funnest parts for Maddie, as she could visually see how her ideas fit together.

And the software allows you to move ideas around and create or delete ideas as needed. 

You can get very detailed with your mind map, or just create the main points for your essay. We will definitely continue to use this tool in our writing assignments.

Personalized Writing Lessons

One thing that stuck out to me as Maddie went through the writing process, was the willingness of Ms. I to work with her students right where they were and teach them in a personalized way. 

For instance, Maddie had decided to write her paper on GMO’s. 

She did some research for her essay.  Because she had outside sources she had used for the information in her essay, Ms. I showed her how to cite her sources at the end of the paper.

This was not in the original lesson, but was taught when it was needed.

Maddie learned so much in the process of the course and it offered me a break in teaching. 

It also gave Maddie a different learning perspective.  

She enjoyed the independence of learning on her own and receiving feedback for each lesson. 

Writing Program for Middle and High School

She now has the knowledge to work through each step and complete an expository essay on her own.

I look forward to seeing her build on the foundational skills she learned in this writing class. This has been a rewarding experience and has helped her enjoy learning to write!

You’ll also love these other tips:

Product Facts At A Glance

Product Name: Essay Rock Star: Expository Essay. In this course, students learn to write an expository essay. The expository essay is the most common essay form that is often assigned in high school, college, and in the workplace. The purpose of an expository essay is to explain or inform an audience objectively about a specific subject.

Website: Fortuigence.Com

Type of Product:  Individual essay courses and a longer course with multiple essays.  Each essay takes approximately 4 weeks to complete.  The courses are a combination of pdf and video content.  Ms. I provides personalized feedback throughout the process!  I like the fact too that your child can receive high school credit even during the middle grades.

Age: Middle School to High School, but can be used by an advanced writer.  The 1:1 tips also makes it a great curriculum for writers who dread the process.

Jasmine

  Air Force wife, homeschooling mom, herbalist in training, quilter, soapmaker, all around homesteader…yup, that about sums it up!  You can find Jasmine at Ponder the Path.

Homeschool Writing Program

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I want to share some free copywork Cattle a Texas poem about our home. And look at History of the Texas Cowboy, Cattle Drives, and Chisholm Trail for fun ideas.

Talking with Tiny about our pending move to South America, I decided to find a poem about Texas so he understands that we are not going to forget it. 

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

Excited as we are about the move, you can imagine the whole host of emotions the kids go through. 

Excited one day and then a bit of trepidation the next.  So I turned that into a mini lesson and copywork about our home.

Next, look at these fun books to add to your unit study.

BOOKS FOR TEXAS ABOUT KIDS

Resources for Learning About the Lone Star State & Texas Cattle Drives

Add a few of these resources to learn about the great state of Texas.

The Chisholm Trail: A History of the World's Greatest Cattle Trail

The Chisholm Trail was the original "Cowboy Highway" stretching hundreds of miles from the ranches of Texas to the Cattle markets in Kansas. This classic work chronicles in vivid detail the entire journey of the trail and is complete with descriptions of actual incidents and events that occurred along the trail as well as stories of famous and infamous cowboys, outlaws, rustlers, Indians, and lawmen who made the journey.

A Gentle Tour Through Texas History

A guide for teaching Texas History through literature. It is based on a 34-week timeframe and is useful for students in grades K-6/7.

Texas History for Kids with 21 Activities

Encapsulating the 500-year saga of the one-of-a-kind state of Texas, this interactive book takes readers from the founding of the Spanish Missions and the victory at San Jacinto to the Great Storm that destroyed Galveston and the establishment of NASA’s Mission Control in Houston while covering everything in between. Texas History for Kids includes 21 informative and fun activities to help readers better understand the state’s culture, politics, and geography. Kids will recreate one of the six national flags that have flown over the state, make castings of local wildlife tracks, design a ranch’s branding iron, celebrate Juneteenth by reciting General Order Number 3, build a miniature Battle of Flowers float, and more. This valuable resource also includes a timeline of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and web resources for further study.

Texas Activity Book (Color and Learn)

A New Way to Enjoy Texas with Your Family

For hours of excitement, give your kids the Texas Activity Book by Paula Ellis! They'll enjoy learning about the Lone Star State through pictures and puzzles. It's also perfect for keeping kids entertained on the car ride to your next destination.

Texas Longhorn Bull Cow Toy Figure

DETAILED & REALISTIC. Crafted with precision and authentic detail to create a lifelike toy that teaches and inspires toddlers and kids; helps introduce children to animals. From the first sketch to the intricate finishing touches, we see value in every detail.

Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story

“Remember the Alamo!” is one of the most familiar battle cries in American history, yet few know about the brave woman who inspired it. Susanna Dickinson’s story reveals the crucial role she played during that turbulent period in Texas-American history.

The Boy in the Alamo

The classic story of the siege of the Alamo, as told for young readers. Originally published in 1958, thousands of children each year enjoy this story from the unique point of view of twelve-year old Billy Campbell.

Plains Warrior: Chief Quanah Parker and the Comanches

A biography of the legendary Comanche leader profiles the son of a white woman, who fiercely defended tribal lands against those who tried to seize them and who, after being moved with his people to a reservation, fought for the recognition and decent treatment of his tribe.

Make Way for Sam Houston

Colorful Sam Houston leaps to life in the pages of this fresh and funny biography, set against the story of Texas's fight for independence from Mexico.

Trail Fever: The Life of a Texas Cowboy

The story of one of Texas's most famous cowboys is filled with cattle drives, stampedes, floods, droughts, freezing desert nights, raiders and bandits, and one man's endurance and love of life on the plains.

Also, look at this poem about Texas.

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem

The Texas poem was written in 1932 by Berta Hart Nance called “Cattle”.  Here is the whole thing that has such beautiful imagery and language.

CATTLE

By Berta Hart Nance

Other states were carved or born

Texas grew from hide and horn.

Other states are long and wide,

Texas is a shaggy hide.

Dripping blood and crumpled hair

Some fat giant flung it there,

Laid the head where valleys drain

Stretched its rump along the plain.

Other soil is full of stone

Texans plow up cattle bones.

Herds are buried on the trail

Underneath the powdered shale,

Herds that stiffened like the snow

Where the icy northers go.

Other states have built their halls

Humming tunes along the walls,

Texans watched the mortar stirred

While they kept the lowing herd.

Stamped on Texan wall and roof

Gleams the sharp and crescent hoof,

High above the hum and stir

Jingle bridle-rein and spur.

Other states were made or born

…Texas grew from hide and horn.

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

To go along with this poem, I thought I would teach Tiny how to make a simple Texas chili and you know spend a bit more time together.

Tx Unit 1Tx Unit 2

Too, we have had some cold weather that is almost unheard of in May so that called for home made Texas chili.  Well, I should say part home made. 

Any good Texan would make their beans from scratch, but canned beans are fine after we had a long day selling furniture in our house.

Easy Texas Homemade Chili

Here are some things we put in our chili:

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of sirloin meat.  We are meat eaters.  Love the stuff.  This is a twist on our chili because we don’t use ground beef when we make it.
  • 1 onion, 1 jalapeno if I have it, some bacon for flavoring which makes any chili come alive.
  • About 1 tablespoon of cumino, 2 or 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, salt and pepper to taste.
  • 4 or 5 cans of pinto beans, though we use home made when we have them.
  • 1 can or 2 cans of Rotel Tomatoes, a bit of beef broth or beef bouillon.
Tx Unit 3Tx Unit 4

Tiny and I share a love of cheese and a multiple assortment of delicious toppings over our chili when its cooked.

I like to add sour cream, tortilla strips,  avocado and the best recipe for home made salsa by Pioneer Woman.  I make that stuff by the bucket loads around here.

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

Trying to keep our school work light, this mix of homeschool lessons has been something I have not done before. 

I am finding it very gratifying to plan so spur of the moment and school on the wild and free side.  Sometimes you just a need a break from all the well laid out plans and sharing a bowl of hot Texas chili helps things too.

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

HOW TO GET THE FREE POEM COPYWORK

Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

You’ll love these other resources too:

Cattle by Berta Hart Nance Collage

Cursive and Free Greece Copywork Poetry

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have done many things wrong when I first started homeschooling, but I have done a lot right too.

Cursive + Copywork + Free Greece Poetry Printable

One right thing was choosing the beautiful Calvert cursive to teach all of my sons. I know that a lot of public schools and homeschoolers are moving away from teaching cursive, but I am not one of them. I tell my workshop new bees that writing or penmanship has always been the hallmark of a well educated man. Maybe that is not so true today but if you want to peek into the past, you have to know at least how to read cursive to understand historical documents. I think reading cursive and writing cursive go hand in hand. Too though I feel the time comes when you need to teach your kids typing skills. Boys especially benefit from knowing how to type because they seem to struggle with learning how to write more so than girls.  Penmanship is a time consuming skill to teach. Between the struggles of a child and the time needed to teach, a lot of educators give up on it. However, I feel in homeschooling we do have the time to teach those skills.

Choosing Calvert script at a time when I had not a clue of what I was doing ended up being one thing that helped me not to struggle so much in this area. After having taught Mr. Senior 2013 how to write in cursive, I just taught the other boys after that. I did venture out into other writing programs but came back to Calvert.

I came back to Calvert School cursive because it is a simplified cursive. By the way, Calvert script is specific only to Calvert.  It is unique and I wished more people knew what a beautiful font and cursive it is. It is neither D’Nealian or Getty Dubay but again a type of cursive used only by them.  It is simplified because it teaches manuscript uppercase letters and cursive lowercase letters. I like the fact that it is free of the superfluous loops found on the traditional Palmer method. Too, It is just plain pretty and simple as you can see from the chart above.

Cursive + Copywork + Free Greece Poetry Printable

By the time Mr. Senior 2013 was in second grade, I knew how to teach cursive as you can see from his writing above. My middle son struggled more because I ventured off into other writing programs. {Mea Culpa} That was the dumb thing I did but again he is fine. Kids are pretty hardy and let you know real quick what is not working for them.

Because I still feel like the same way as I did when I first started homeschooling about the importance of cursive, ALL of us will do copywork sometimes.  Myself included. I keep a notebook beside my bed for me.  I never tell very many people that I pen a line or two also.  Oh, I don’t write cursive as much as I use to. I use to write all their copywork out because the cursive font is not one you can find on computers or among fonts to purchase, but not so much anymore. Copywork doesn’t take a long time and it’s a way of storing exquisite words in your mind and heart. The benefits of copywork go beyond learning how to write. It gives you an overflowing amount of words and thoughts too. Especially when I do copywork from the Bible, I find it very satisfying and it leaves a lasting impression. Just a little each day is restoring.

So when doing our unit study on Ancient Civilizations, I had prepare some copywork for Tiny. I have hunted for a font that was similar to Calvert and came pretty close with the one I used in this copywork below. All of my sons know the Calvert cursive font but I still like to get pretty close.

The font is a little more slanted than I like but again close enough. The poem is Greece by Robert Frost. It is one of his more obscure and early poems.  I like it because it’s by Robert Frost, one of my favorite poets. But also it gives a glimpse into his early writing and it shows his interest in history and idealization of heroic figures. I thought this would go along with our Ancient Civilization unit so we are trying to commit this to our memory. Here are the beautiful words. Download your copy at the bottom.

Greece

They say, “Let there be no more way!”

And straightway, at the word,

Along the Mediterranean shore,

The call to arms is heard.

Greece could not let her glory fade!

Although the peace be in sight

The race the Persians was arrayed

Must fight one more good fight.

Greece! Rise triumphant.   Long ago

It was you proved to men

A few may countless hosts o’ver throw:

Now prove it once again!

Download copy work Greece poem here.

Cursive, copywork, studying the classics and the co-op have all been on our mind lately.

What about you? Have you figured out the penmanship quandary yet?

Also, look at tips in these articles. How to Easily Add Poetry to Your Homeschool Subjects, Cursive Matters; Handwriting Style Doesn’t + Free Resources and Homeschool Tips for Teaching a Young Writer to Take his Ideas from a Trickle to a Waterfall.

Hugs and love ya,