71. Lullaby

The lesson, step by step

1. Warm up

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

   There is a little maiden--

   Praise smooth reading and help with any word that sticks.

2. New words

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

   western breathe dying moon babe sails

   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:

   Sweet and low, sweet and low,

   Wind of the western sea,

   Read it a second time, more smoothly.

4. Talk about it

   SayWho is singing the lullaby, and to whom?

   SayWhat does the singer ask the western wind to do?

   SayWho is coming home, and how?

   SayRead it softly. Which words sound sleepy to you?

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

5. Tell it back

   Close the book.

   SayTell me what the lullaby is about.

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

6. Copywork

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

   Sweet and low, sweet and low,

   Wind of the western sea,

   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: moon, babe, western, breathe.

   Check together and fix any mistakes right away.