McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LXX · Part 7: From the hour-glass to the lullaby

70. Cheerfulness

Goal: Your child reads a poem in script and guesses who the little maiden is before the end.

⏱ 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 a riddle-like poem in script about a little maiden everyone loves. Her name comes at the end.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

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

    "I, dear," said her mother.

    Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

  2. New words

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

    sought surely welcome lightsome lofty maiden cherished introduce

    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:

    There is a little maiden--

    Who is she? Do you know?

    Read it a second time, more smoothly.

  4. Talk about it

    SayWhy does everyone welcome the little maiden?

    SayWhat does she do to every place she goes?

    SayWhat is her name? Did you guess it before the end?

    SayListen for rhymes: know and go. Can you find more?

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

  5. Tell it back

    Close the book.

    SayTell me about the little maiden in the poem.

    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:

    Who always has a welcome,

    Wherever she may go.

    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: welcome, surely, maiden, sought.

    Check together and fix any mistakes right away.

Afterwards

Reread the poem aloud each day for a few days. Your child may like to learn a verse by heart.

Tip

Read the poem to your child first as a riddle and stop before the last lines. Let them guess.

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