54. Grandfather's Story

The lesson, step by step

1. Warm up

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

   "What are you going to do with him, Harry?"

   Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

2. New words

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

   broad knee fig fresh city trout underneath fought surprised clapping garden carrying fighting

   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:

   Come and sit by my knee, Jane, and grandfather will tell you a strange story.

   We rested underneath a fig tree.

   Read it a second time, more smoothly.

4. Talk about it

   SayWhere was grandfather when the strange thing happened?

   SayWhat fell from the tree?

   SayWhere had the fish come from? What were the hawk and the eagle doing?

   SayGrandfather says, "So much for fighting!" What does he mean?

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

5. Tell it back

   Close the book.

   SayTell me grandfather's strange story.

   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 much for fighting!

   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: knee, fig, fresh, broad, city.

   Check together and fix any mistakes right away.