McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XXXIX · Part 5: Work, wonder and the world

43. Consequences of Idleness, by Abbott

Goal: Your child reads the story of George Jones and explains what idleness cost him.

⏱ About 30 minutes · 6 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗

You'll need

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

What's in the book

The first of two linked lessons: George Jones has every chance at the academy and college, but he is idle, falls behind, and ends a poor wanderer. Definitions follow. The contents name Abbott as the author.

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:

    Academy, a school of high order.

    Preceptor, a teacher.

    Alacrity, cheerfulness, sprightliness.

    Ludicrous, adapted to raise laughter.

    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 lesson aloud. It begins with a warning:

    Many young persons seem to think it of not much consequence if they do not improve their time well in youth,

  3. Talk about it

    SayWhat did George's father want for him?

    SayHow did George behave in class and at recess?

    SayRelate what happened when George went to college. What became of him?

    SayThe lesson says: "There is nothing which makes a person enjoy play so well as to study hard." Do you agree?

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

  4. Tell it back

    Close the book. Your child tells George's story from the academy to the end.

  5. Copywork

    Your child copies this from the book, slowly and neatly, minding every capital letter and mark of punctuation:

    He was one of the poorest scholars in the school, because he was one of the most idle.

  6. Words to learn

    Learn: consequence, academy, college, preceptor, vigorous, alacrity, ludicrous, improvement. Spell each aloud, then write it with its meaning.

@teddyrookbook GitHub