McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XXIII · Part 3: Kate, John and friends

23. Here comes the band

Goal: Your child reads a two-page story and tells what the children hope will happen.

⏱ About 15 minutes · 7 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗

You'll need

  • The book, open to this lesson
  • A slate, small whiteboard or lined paper and a pencil

What's in the book

Twelve new words, a picture of children watching a band go by, and a lively story that runs onto the next page.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

    Have your child reread a few lines of Lesson XXII, for example:

    Did you call us, mamma?

    Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

  2. New words

    Point to the new words at the top of the page:

    here band hear horse play they pass where front fine hope comes

    Say each word and have your child say it after you. Sound out the short ones together, then point to words in any order and let your child read them.

    For longer words, clap the parts together, then say the whole word.

  3. Read the lesson aloud

    Look at the picture together first, and ask what your child sees. Then your child reads the lesson aloud, one sentence at a time. Help with any word by pointing to it in the word list.

    Here are two lines from it:

    Here comes the band!

    Let us stand still, and hear the men play as they pass.

    Read it a second time, more smoothly.

  4. Talk about it

    SayWhat is coming down the street?

    SayWhat do the children hope the band will do?

    SayWhat will they do if the band does not stop?

    Let your child look back at the page to find answers.

  5. Copywork

    Write this line from the lesson for your child to copy, or let them copy it straight from the book:

    Here comes the band!

    Check for a capital letter at the start and the mark at the end.

  6. Spelling

    Say each word, use it in a short sentence, and have your child spell it aloud, then write it on the slate: band, play, pass, fine, hope.

    Check together and fix any mistakes right away.

  7. Tell it back

    Close the book.

    SayTell me the story in your own words.

    Help with "What happened first? Then what?" if your child gets stuck.

Afterwards

Reread this lesson aloud on the next day before starting a new one. Read the new words from the list in any order until they come quickly.

Tip

Here and hear sound the same but mean different things. Show both words in the list.

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