Forgive Me: Books on the Brain

I'm not addicted to Google Books.

I'd swear to it....but it's totally against my religion.

But, I just found another gem of a book that I just have to share.  It's called Wheeler's Graded Studies in Great Authors: A Complete Speller, by William Henry Wheeler, and I think Ms. Charlotte Mason would be pleased by his Preface assertion of the conviction that "whatever we wish a child to learn for future use must be attractively presented, and that the child's mind should be early stored with beautiful and vital truths expressed in choicest language."  Honestly, Mr. Wheeler had me hooked at the title page, on which is a fave quote from my most fave author, George Eliot, "A book which hath been culled from the flowers of all books" (The Spanish Gypsy).

Within the pages of this book, lessons are arranged by phonetic rules and gradually increase in difficulty; but these lessons are not merely a never-ending list of words that must be memorized and regurgitated.  No!  Each well defined phonetic rule is followed by a series of perfectly selected verses from some of the very best English wordsmiths ever known, containing italicized examples of the rule, which are to be copied carefully, studied and rewritten from dictation (for the older student).

For Example:

Lesson 5

Short a as in hat, marked a ((picture the little smile above the a, indicating the short sound))

1. Copy the following sentences.  Note carefully the punctuation.  2. Write from dictation.

1. The wild birds sang, the echoes rang.  

ROBERT BURNS

2.                        The ocean rolls

     Its broad bright surges to the sloping sand.  

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY

3. Now o'er the earth a solemn stillness ran,

     And lulled alike the cares of brute and man.  

GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON

4. Among the lilacs hand in hand,

     And two by two in fairy land.       

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

...there are four more selections for this lesson (Pope, Longfellow, Scott and Tennyson), but since you get the idea, I'm gonna stop here.

The possibilities are endless!  For me, using this book will knock out not only a gentle spelling lesson but the eternally time-consuming location and distribution of fine Copywork selections.  And I'm so on-board with something that is not only effective and beautiful but leaves me more time to play with my kiddos.  How 'bout you?

Do you have curricula fever yet?  Are you too more excited about next year's studies than a year backpacking through Europe with your best friends?