59. My Mother

The lesson, step by step

1. Warm up

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

   Mary. I wish you would lend me your thimble, Sarah. I can never find my own.

   Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

2. New words

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

   constant leading ear lull didst meek hark thee none mild thine nurse ease thy rejoice fretful

   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 poem aloud. Help with any letter shapes that are new.

   Here are a few lines from it:

   Hark! My mother's voice I hear,

   Sweet that voice is to my ear;

   Read it a second time, more smoothly.

4. Talk about it

   SayWhat does the mother's voice seem to say?

   SayWhat did the mother do when the child was in pain?

   SayWhat does the child give back to the mother at the end?

   SayListen for rhymes: hear and ear, tell and well. 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 child in the poem says about mother.

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

6. Copywork

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

   Ever soft, it seems to tell,

   Dearest child, I love thee well.

   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: ear, mild, none, ease.

   Check together and fix any mistakes right away.