McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XXII · Part 3: Fables and things to remember

22. The Wind and the Sun

Goal: Your child reads a fable and states its moral in their own words.

⏱ About 20 minutes · 7 steps

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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 the old fable of the Wind and the Sun, who argue about which is stronger and test it on a traveler's cloak. The moral is printed at the end.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

    SayWhich is stronger, the wind or the sun? Why do you think so?

  2. Words and meanings

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

    decide mantle mountain shelter party dispute succeed forcibly oven

    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 dispute is an argument; a mantle is a cloak; forcibly means by force.

  3. Read it aloud

    Your child reads. Read the Wind's part loud and blustery, and the Sun's part warm and calm.

    Here is a line from it:

    That party which should first strip him of his cloak, was to win the day.

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

  4. Talk about it

    SayWhat did the Wind do, and what did the traveler do?

    SayWhat did the Sun do, and what happened then?

    SayWhich way worked better: force or gentleness?

    Then talk about the lesson of the reading:

    The book's moral: "This fable teaches us, that gentle means will often succeed where forcible ones will fail."

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

  5. Tell it back

    Close the book.

    SayTell me the fable of the Wind and the Sun, and its lesson.

  6. Copywork

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

    This fable teaches us, that gentle means will often succeed where forcible ones will fail.

    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: decide, shelter, party, succeed, mountain.

    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

Act it out: one person is the traveler holding a blanket, one blows, one shines.

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