McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XXIX · Part 4: Chicks, kites, boats and Ponto
29. My kite flies high
Goal: Your child reads the kite story and copies a script sentence.
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, a story about flying a kite on a windy day, and Slate Work in script to copy.
The lesson, step by step
Warm up
Have your child reread a few lines of Lesson XXVIII, for example:
Peep, peep! Where have you gone, little chick?
Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.
New words
Point to the new words at the top of the page:
wind time there fence kite high eyes bright flies why day shines
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.
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:
This is a fine day.
The sun shines bright.
Read it a second time, more smoothly.
Talk about it
SayWhat kind of day is it?
SayWhy does the kite fly so high?
SayWould you like to fly a kite? Where?
Let your child look back at the page to find answers.
Copywork
Read the Slate Work at the end of the lesson together first. The book gives this Slate Work in script. Your child copies it on the slate or paper, slowly and neatly:
The pond is still. How it shines in the hot sun!
Spelling
Say each word, use it in a short sentence, and have your child spell it aloud, then write it on the slate: kite, time, fine, day, wind.
Check together and fix any mistakes right away.
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.