42. What the Leaf said

The lesson, step by step

1. Warm up

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

   His breast is mostly white.

   Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

2. New words

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

   leaf task twice sighing holidays gay twig meant stopped different puff edge matter autumn hundreds lead grew rustled October trembling

   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 picture together first, if there is one. Then your child reads the lesson aloud, one paragraph at a time. Help with any word by pointing to it in the word list.

   Here are a few lines from it:

   The twig told it to the branch, and the branch told it to the tree.

   So the leaf stopped sighing, and went on singing and rustling.

   If it is long, stop at a good place and finish tomorrow.

4. Talk about it

   SayWhy was the little leaf crying?

   SayWhat did the tree tell the leaf?

   SayWhat happened to the leaves in autumn?

   SayHow did the story end for the little leaf?

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

5. Tell it back

   Close the book.

   SayTell me the little leaf's story, from spring to autumn.

   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:

   So the leaf stopped sighing, and went on singing and rustling.

   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: leaf, twig, grew, edge, gay.

   Check together and fix any mistakes right away.