the purpose of this study was to develop a measure of children's copying speed {conditions: making x's in boxes, copying unfamiliar alphabet-like figures, writing pronounceable nonsense syllables, and copying grade appropriate paragraphs from the gray oral reading tests presented as desk copy or board copy) and copy span. four hundred twenty-five children in grades 2 through 8 were tested. it was found that copy speed and copy span increased with age and grade, that the relative speed of the tasks varied between grades, and that girls were faster than boys on tasks involving alphabet letters. the copy speed and span test is a reliable measure of children's copy speed and span that should be useful in future research.