Benjamin Franklin by Ingri & Edgar D'Aulaire Free Copywork

Benjamin Franklin is an American hero every child should know. Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire brilliantly tell about this remarkable man in their colorful picture book titled simply Benjamin Franklin. This is a story I usually read to my Kindergarten children, but it is wonderful for any age!

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Benjamin Franklin by Ingri & Edgar D’Aulaire

Meet the man who proved that lightning was electricity, invented an indoor woodstove, and contributed so much to benefit his country! In this book, written by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire, we learn about Benjamin Franklin, the youngest of seventeen children, who grew up to be a great American inventor and statesman!

One of the reasons I love reading this story to my children is that the pictures are so lovely. Each page is adorned with colorful sketches, bringing the imagination to life. The D’aulaires tell the story of Benjamin’s life in a way that very young children can understand.

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Benjamin Franklin

Used Book in Good Condition

Highlights of the Book

These are the parts of Benjamin’s story that our kids enjoy the most.

Benjamin loved books so much that he wanted to become a writer. When he started working in his brother James’ print shop, he wrote letters under the pen name “Widow Dogood.” Readers praised the letters, but his brother James became angry when he found out they were written by Benjamin!
On his way to Philadelphia, he saved a Dutchman’s life when he was thrown overboard. In the man’s pocket was a beautiful book printed in just the way Benjamin wanted to print his own books one day.
When he finally had a shop of his own, he printed many books, pamphlets, and newspapers, but most importantly, he printed his infamous calendar, Poor Richard’s Almanack.
He loved learning everything about the world around him. He discovered that lightning was electricity. He started a library, a school, and the very first fire department in all the colonies.
Perhaps our favorite story in the book is the story Benjamin tells when the statesmen gathered to decide the exact wording for the Declaration of Independence. It’s the story of a hat shop sign that reads, “John Thompson, Hatter, Makes and Sells Hats for Ready Money.” As he thinks about his sign, one by one, he paints over words that aren’t necessary, until he ends up with only the name John Thompson and a picture of a hat.

Charlotte Mason Copywork 101

Copywork is the simple practice of hand-copying quality pieces of literature. Although it had been part of a classical education for many years before, the idea is attributed to Charlotte Mason, a British educator. Mason called copywork “transcription,” but over time, it has commonly come to be called copywork.

When kids copy excellent literature, they learn punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, spelling, vocabulary, and so much more!

Our kids have been using copywork as a daily habit in our homeschool for several years. I have seen how this simple practice slows the mind down and helps children observe the details of patterns and speech in printed words.

Why We Love Using Copywork in Our Homeschool

Want to see proof that copywork is sharpening your kids’ writing skills? Compare samples of your children’s copywork from the beginning of the year to the end, and you will quickly see how much they have improved!

We recently put together our kids’ end-of-year portfolios, and I was surprised, as I usually am, at how some of them have improved since the beginning of the year. In particular, I noticed our eight-year-old son.

His handwriting became steadier, but, more importantly, his power of observation became keener. He no longer makes mistakes of forgetting to capitalize the first letter of a sentence or a line in poetry. He can spell more words correctly. It takes less effort for him to write longer passages.

Some parents quit copywork if they don’t see immediate results, but this is a mistake. Copywork is incredibly effective, but the results take time.

Copywork Tips

Use a half-inch notebook. Put the cover sheet picture of Ben Franklin in the front. I use clear slipcovers to put the copywork inside so that it protects the paper and I can use it again with other kids.
We use a spiral notebook for a whole year of copywork. I put the child’s name and “Copywork Notebook” on the cover. They are responsible for keeping track of it all year.
In each day’s entry, I have the kids write the date in the margin (short form) and then the copywork beside it. Skip a line between each copywork section.
Check their copywork every day! You would think that since they are copying something, they would have no mistakes, but this is not true! Checking their work is when you can help them see their mistakes and sharpen their observation skills.

What’s Included in this Free Copywork?

This free printable has 4 pages of copywork from Benjamin Franklin by Ingri & Edgar d’Aulaire. Each selection highlights important parts of Franklin’s life. The passages are 1-3 sentences in length, perfect for elementary-age kids.

The final page of this printable lists some of Franklin’s well-known witty sayings.

Franklin’s Maxims

Every little makes a mickle.
At the working man’s house, hunger looks in, but dares not enter.
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Great talkers, little doers.
When you are good to others, you are best to yourself.
By diligence and patience, the mouse ate in two the cable.
No gains without pains.
Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.
A lie stands on one leg, the truth on two.
Well done is better than well said.

These are fun for the kids to copy or memorize. Some kids may even enjoy trying to make a list of their own witty sayings!

How to Access the Free Copywork?

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