The SIMPLE secret practice great writers use to become BETTER (EP 120)

Main Ideas, Concepts, and Lessons

• Writing skills are declining in the U.S., and this is framed as a serious cultural and educational problem.
• The speaker argues that education has been shaped by a historical push to “dumb down” children, weakening their reading and writing habits.
• AI is not presented as the solution. It’s mentioned as something that could worsen skills if it replaces hands-on practice. The goal is to preserve and strengthen writing through human effort.
• Copy work is presented as a “lost art,” especially outside homeschooling circles, but one that has been used for generations.
• Anyone can improve writing through practice—natural talent helps, but improvement is still achievable.
• Homeschooling is positioned as uniquely supportive because parents can learn alongside their children, rather than delegating learning entirely to professional teachers.

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Methodology: Copy Work (How It Works)

Definition

• Copy work = copying another writer’s text word-for-word as deliberate practice (for personal improvement, not publication).

Why It Works (Mechanisms)

• Forces granularity: slows the writer down to scrutinize each word and sentence, unlike normal reading where people “gloss over.”
• Imprints mechanics: internalizes strong writing patterns like grammar, spelling, and structure.
• Models great authors: learners absorb technique, cadence, and structure by studying high-quality prose.
• Builds confidence and voice: by mimicking excellent writing, learners can discover and develop their own “literary voice.”
• Not plagiarism: it’s explicitly framed as copying for skill-building, not publishing or taking credit.

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Step-by-Step Practice

1. Choose a well-written passage

   • Select from a book, poem, or other literary work that models strong composition.
   • Prefer classics and high-quality writing (the speaker criticizes the amount of “bad writing” available).

2. Display and prepare vocabulary

   • For kids:
     • provide access to the book (for older children), and/or
     • write out the text for younger children.
   • Read the passage aloud together.
   • Discuss interesting vocabulary and concepts.
   • Look up unfamiliar words instead of skipping them.
     • The speaker encourages dictionary use (example goal: using a word like “revery” multiple times).

3. Copy the passage exactly

   • Kids copy onto lined paper, focusing on:
     • handwriting
     • spelling
     • punctuation
   • Teens may type if desired.
   • Emphasis: copy it exactly, including wording and practiced formatting.

4. Check for accuracy

   • Compare the copy against the original passage.
   • Correct errors in:
     • spelling
     • punctuation
     • and any other inaccuracies

5. Correct and repeat as part of skill-building

   • The core cycle is: copy → compare → correct.
   • The speaker frames this as the whole “simple” method.

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Appropriate Starting Level (Developmental Guidance)

• Begin when children can write for more than a brief moment—the speaker suggests over age 8 as a general guideline.
• Progress from:
  • sentences (younger/beginners)
  • to paragraphs (older students/teens)
• The speaker notes that some historical authors copied much larger amounts (even entire books) to internalize cadence.

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Speaker’s Supporting Examples / Notable Advocates Named

• The speaker lists multiple famous writers as evidence that copy work and studying great prose have long historical precedent.

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Additional Context and Future-Related Plans

Planned future episodes/work

• History of math, based on research into older math textbooks found in a house.
• Experiments in teaching arithmetic using 1800s methods.

Upcoming community workshop (announcement)

• First Wednesday in November (Nov 5) at 12:00 p.m. Mountain time
• Topic: Christmas
• Mentions giveaways only for live attendees.

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End Goals / Takeaways

• Try copy work for both children and yourself.
• It’s portrayed as a practical way to regain:
  • skill
  • attention to language
  • improved writing
• The approach avoids relying on AI to do the work.

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Speakers / Sources Featured (as Mentioned)

Speaker

• Unspecified “host” / narrator (no name given)

Books / Authors Referenced

• The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America — Charlotte Tompson Ispert (also referred to as Charlotte “Tom” Thompson Ispert)
• Benjamin Franklin
• Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Rum Diary)
• Jack London (The Call of the Wild, White Fang)
• Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)
• Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles)
• Cormac McCarthy (The Road, Blood Meridian) (noted as known for studying others, though not explicitly quoted on copy work)
• Stephen King (The Shining, It, The Dark Tower series)
• Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Coraline, The Sandman)
• Ernest Hemingway (The Old Man and the Sea, and “For whom the bell tolls”)
• Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons)
• Robert Green (The 48 Laws of Power)
• C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia)
• Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged, “I trained and she wrote…”)
• Victor Hugo (mentioned as a source authors copied)
• Fyodor Dostoevsky (mentioned as a source authors copied)
• John Dewey (referenced regarding progressive educators)
• John D. Rockefeller (referenced)
• The Blue Castle — L. M. Montgomery (referenced)

Other Sources / External References

• “Progressive educators” (general reference; no specific author named beyond Dewey/Rockefeller)
• TikTok (cited as an example of distraction/entertainment replacing sustained reading)
• ChatGPT / AI (mentioned as not the solution)
• A mentioned YouTube video about reading/writing attention spans (name/channel not provided)