McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LXV · Part 7: Lost and found

69. My Ghost, by Mrs. S. M. B. Piatt

Goal: Your child reads a gently funny poem and explains what the "ghost" really was.

⏱ About 20 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

A poem: a mother answers little Kate, who asks about ghosts, by telling of her walk at twilight past a bridge, a red house and a graveyard, when something tall and dark walked beside her. A note about the author and Definitions are included.

The lesson, step by step

  1. About the author

    The book's note says Mrs. S. M. B. Piatt was born near Lexington, Ky., in 1836. Among her published works are "The Nests at Washington, and Other Poems" and "A Woman's Poems."

  2. Read it aloud

    Read the poem aloud to your child first, a little spookily, then let your child read it. It begins with Kate's question:

    Do I know about ghosts?

    Then have your child read it a second time, more smoothly: the first reading is for the meaning, the second for the sound and rhythm.

  3. Talk about it

    SayWho is Kate? What does she want to know?

    SayWhere did the poet walk? What did she see and hear?

    SayWhat was walking beside her?

    SayWas it really a ghost? How do you know?

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

  4. Tell it back

    Your child tells the story of the walk in prose, saving the surprise for the end.

  5. Copywork

    Your child copies this line, then one whole verse of their choice from the book, keeping the line breaks.

    And something was walking at my side.

  6. Words to learn

    Choose four words from the poem your child found hard. Learn to spell them and say what they mean.

Afterwards

On a sunny or moonlit evening, go out together and watch your shadows.

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