McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XXI · Part 3: Courage, the sea and the frost

25. Waste not, Want not

Goal: Your child reads a story with a lesson about carefulness and tells how the saved whip-cord helped Ben.

⏱ About 30 minutes · 6 steps

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You'll need

  • The book, open to this lesson
  • A notebook or lined paper and a pencil

What's in the book

A story: Ben patiently unties his parcel and saves the whip-cord, while John cuts his. Later, at an archery match for a prize bow, the saved cord makes all the difference. Definitions and Exercises follow.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Words and meanings

    The new words are at the end of the lesson, under Definitions. The small number in front of each word is the paragraph or verse where it is used. Read them together before the lesson. A few of them:

    Examine, to look at carefully.

    Marksman, one who shoots well.

    Prudently, with proper caution.

    Ask your child to find two of these words in the lesson and read the sentence each one is in.

  2. Read it aloud

    Your child reads the story aloud. There is a lot of talk, so help your child make each boy sound different. It begins with the parcels:

    The two parcels were exactly alike, both of them well tied up with good whip-cord.

  3. Talk about it

    SayWhich of the boys preserved his whip-cord? What good did it do him?

    SayWhat did the other boy do with his? What was the consequence?

    SayWhat rule did Master Sharp make about borrowing and lending?

    SayWhat did John learn from it?

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

  4. Tell it back

    Close the book.

    SayTell me the story in two parts: the parcels, then the shooting match.

  5. Copywork

    These are John's words at the end. Your child copies them exactly as printed (the book writes any thing as two words):

    I'll take care how I waste any thing, hereafter.

  6. Words to learn

    Learn: examine, signify, marksman, prudently, ceased, everlasting. Spell each aloud, then write it with its meaning.

Afterwards

Talk about the saying "Waste not, want not." Where at home could your child save something useful instead of throwing it away?

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