McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LVI · Part 7: Birds, a whistle and Chippy

56. How the bird makes her nest

Goal: Your child reads about the nest and copies two lines of the verse.

⏱ 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

Ten new words, a picture, a talk between Rose and Willie about how the nest was made, and a short verse in script for Slate Work.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

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

    Come here, Rose. Look down into this bush.

    Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

  2. New words

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

    strong round dry bill worked sends claws flit God spring

    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:

    How does the bird make the nest so strong, Willie?

    Oh no, Willie! We must not take it; but we will come and look at it again, some time.

    Read it a second time, more smoothly.

  4. Talk about it

    SayWhat does the mother bird use to build her nest?

    SayLook in the lesson. What is the nest made of?

    SayWhy do Rose and Willie decide not to take it?

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

  5. 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:

    God made the little birds to sing,

    And flit from tree to tree;

  6. Spelling

    Say each word, use it in a short sentence, and have your child spell it aloud, then write it on the slate: dry, round, bill, spring, strong.

    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.

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