McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson III · Part 1: Home, play and pets

3. Willie's Letter

Goal: Your child reads a letter written in script and notices the parts of a letter: date, greeting, body and signature.

⏱ About 15 minutes · 7 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗

You'll need

  • The book, open to this lesson
  • A slate, small whiteboard or lined paper and a pencil

What's in the book

A short word list, then Willie's whole letter to Santa Claus, printed in script (handwriting).

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

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

    The boys have come out on the porch to blow bubbles.

    Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

  2. New words

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

    rubber gun parlor street number ten o'clock shoot

    Say each word and have your child say it after you. Clap the parts of long words. Then point to words in any order and let your child read them.

  3. Read it aloud

    This lesson is printed in script (handwriting). Read the first lines aloud while your child follows with a finger, then your child reads the whole letter aloud. Help with any letter shapes that are new.

    Here are a few lines from it:

    Dear Santa Claus:

    I will go to bed at eight o'clock, and shut my eyes tight.

    Read it a second time, more smoothly.

  4. Talk about it

    SayWho wrote this letter, and who is it for?

    SayWhat does Willie ask for?

    SayWhat does Willie promise to do on Christmas Eve?

    SayWhere does Willie live? How would you write where you live?

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

  5. Tell it back

    Close the book.

    SayTell me what Willie wrote in his letter, in your own words.

    Let your child talk without stopping them. Afterward, help with anything left out by asking "What happened next?"

  6. Copywork

    Write this script line for your child to copy, or let them copy it straight from the book:

    I live on Fourth St., number ten.

    Check capital letters, commas and the mark at the end.

  7. Spelling

    Say each word, use it in a short sentence, and have your child spell it aloud, then write it: ten, gun, street, number.

    Check together and fix any mistakes right away.

Afterwards

Reread this lesson aloud the next day before starting a new one. Read the new words in any order until they come quickly.

Tip

Point out the date at the top, the greeting, and how Willie signs his name at the end. Your child might write a short letter of their own to a grandparent.

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