34. Birdie's Morning Song

The lesson, step by step

1. Warm up

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

   One winter night, Mrs. Lord and her two little girls sat by a bright fire in their pleasant home.

   Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

2. New words

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

   dewdrops hopping laziest bends sung patience instead darling ought rest slumber myself reply miss lose

   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

   Look at the page together first. Then your child reads the poem aloud, a line at a time. Pause a little at the end of each line.

   Here are a few lines from it:

   Wake up, little darling, the birdies are out,

   And here you are still in your nest!

   Read it a second time, more smoothly.

4. Talk about it

   SayWho is still in bed?

   SayWhat is the child missing outside?

   SayWhat will wake the child if the birds can't?

   SayListen for rhymes: out and about, nest and rest. Can you find more?

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

5. Tell it back

   Close the book.

   SayTell me what the poem says to the sleepy child.

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

6. Copywork

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

   You ought to be up with the rest.

   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: rest, miss, lose, instead.

   Check together and fix any mistakes right away.