McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XLIX · Part 6: By the sea and in the snow

49. The rain

Goal: Your child reads a longer script passage and says the raindrop rhyme.

⏱ About 20 minutes · 7 steps

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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, and Slate Work in script: a child asking mamma about the rain, ending in a little rhyme about the raindrops.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

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

    Here they are, on the bank of a river.

    Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

  2. New words

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

    rain outside often pitter say window sound patter drops sometimes only music

    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 read the lesson aloud once while your child follows, since it is printed in script. Then your child reads it, one line at a time, with your help.

    Here are two lines from it:

    Does it come from the sky?

    Pit, pitter, patter, pat;

    Read it a second time, more smoothly.

  4. Talk about it

    SayWhat does the child want to know about the rain?

    SayWhat do the raindrops say?

    SayDo you like the sound of rain? What does it sound like to you?

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

  5. Copywork

    The lesson is already in script, so it is ready to copy. Your child copies these lines, slowly and neatly:

    Pit, pitter, patter, pat;

  6. Spelling

    Say each word, use it in a short sentence, and have your child spell it aloud, then write it on the slate: rain, say, drops, sound.

    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

The whole reading is in script. Read it aloud first while your child follows, then read it together.

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