McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson II · Part 1: Pretend farms, snow and castles

2. Johnny's First Snow-Storm

Goal: Your child reads a short story aloud with expression and tells what Johnny learned about snow.

⏱ About 20 minutes · 7 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗

You'll need

  • The book, open to this lesson
  • A notebook or lined paper and a pencil

What's in the book

A list of words and a story about Johnny Reed, who came from a warm country and saw snow for the first time when he was six.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

    SayDo you remember the first time you saw snow, or rain on a window? What did you think?

    If you live where it never snows, talk about what snow might feel like.

  2. Words and meanings

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

    country groves lisping sugar freezes

    Read them together a few at a time. Clap the syllables of the long ones. The book prints these words without meanings.

    Explain in your own words: a grove is a small group of trees; lisping means speaking like a very little child.

  3. Read it aloud

    Your child reads. Model Johnny's excited speeches yourself first, with real delight in your voice, then let your child try them.

    Here is a line from it:

    Johnny Reed was a little boy who never had seen a snow-storm till he was six years old.

    Then let your child reread a favorite part, more smoothly.

  4. Talk about it

    SayWhere did Johnny live before, and why had he never seen snow?

    SayWhat did Johnny think the snow was at first?

    SayHow did his mother help him look closely at a snowflake?

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

  5. Tell it back

    Close the book.

    SayPretend you are Johnny. Tell me about the day you first saw snow.

  6. Copywork

    Your child copies this from the book in their best handwriting:

    Johnny Reed was a little boy who never had seen a snow-storm till he was six years old.

    Point out the capital letters for the name Johnny Reed.

    Check capitals and marks together.

  7. Spelling

    Say each word, use it in a sentence, and have your child spell it aloud, then write it: country, sugar, freezes, snow.

    Check together and fix any mistakes right away. Keep missed words for tomorrow's warm-up.

Afterwards

Reread the lesson aloud tomorrow before starting the next one, and review any missed spelling words.

Tip

If it is winter, catch a snowflake on a dark cloth and look at it with a magnifying glass, as Johnny's mother did.

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