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

5. Castle-Building (Concluded)

Goal: Your child finishes the story and explains what "crying over spilled milk" means.

⏱ 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 end of the story: Herbert builds again, and the family talks about crying over things that can't be helped.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

    Ask your child to tell what happened in the first part of the story yesterday.

  2. Words and meanings

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

    string paper eagerly dashed case crash dishes retorted sentence tray

    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: eagerly means wanting very much to do something; retorted means answered back quickly.

  3. Read it aloud

    Your child reads. Help with the talk between the children and papa by reading one voice yourself.

    Here are two lines from it:

    Soon, Herbert was as much interested in castle-building as he had been a little while before.

    He began to sing over his work.

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

  4. Talk about it

    SayHow was Herbert different in this part of the story?

    SayWhat does "crying over spilled milk" mean?

    SayWhat did papa say to do when your castles get knocked down?

    Then talk about the lesson of the reading:

    Papa's lesson: "If your castles get knocked down, build them up again."

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

  5. Tell it back

    Close the book.

    SayTell me the whole story of Herbert and his castle, from the cat to the end.

  6. Copywork

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

    If your castles get knocked down, build them up again.

    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: paper, string, dishes, crash, tray.

    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

When something goes wrong this week, remind each other gently: "Build it up again."

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