McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling-Book, Revised Edition · Lesson 248 · Part 10: Odd words, names, abbreviations and punctuation
248. Punctuation marks and capital letters
Goal: Your child names the main punctuation marks, knows the rules for capitals, and uses both in dictation.
You'll need
- The book page for this lesson
- A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil
- Any storybook
What's in the book
“Of Characters used in Punctuation”: each mark with a one-line explanation. Then “Of Capital Letters”: numbered rules for when to use capitals.
The lesson, step by step
Look at the page
The last page explains the marks we use in writing (comma, semicolon, colon, period, question mark and others) and when to use capital letters.
Read the punctuation marks
Read the first part of the page together, one mark at a time. For example:
A Comma [ , ] denotes the slightest degree of separation between the elements of a sentence.
A Period [ . ] usually indicates the close of a sentence.
The Interrogation Point [ ? ] is used at the end of a question.
For each mark, your child finds one in a storybook.
Read the rules for capitals
Now read the numbered rules for capital letters. One of them:
The pronoun I and the interjection O are always capitals.
Your child finds an example of each rule on a page of any book.
Write from dictation
Dictate two or three sentences from the earlier dictation lessons (Lessons 26, 62 or 94). Your child writes them with every capital and punctuation mark in place.
Check and celebrate
Check the sentences against the book. Then celebrate: this is the last page of the speller.
Afterwards
Tomorrow, before the next lesson, dictate five words from this list again, including any your child missed.