53. The Old Clock

The lesson, step by step

1. Warm up

   Listen to a clock tick together, if you have one.

   SayWhat do you think the clock would say if it could talk?

2. Words and meanings

   This lesson's definitions are printed at the end, after the reading. Read a few of them together before you start:

   Prose, the common language of men in talking or writing.

   Rhyme, verse, poetry.

   Wrinkled, having creases or folds in the skin.

   Brow, the forehead.

   Then find each word in the lesson.

   SayCan you use one of these words in a sentence of your own?

3. Read it aloud

   Read the first stanza with a steady tick-tock beat, then your child reads.

   Here are two of its lines:

   In the old, old hall the old clock stands,

   And round and round move the steady hands;

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

4. Talk about it

   SayWhat does the old clock say?

   SayWho listens to the clock in the poem?

   SayWhy might an old person feel differently about a ticking clock than a child?

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

5. Tell it back or write it

   SayTell me what the old clock does day and night, and what its ticking means.

   An older child can write two or three sentences instead.

6. Copywork

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

   In the old, old hall the old clock stands,

   And round and round move the steady hands;

   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: clock, steady, wrinkled, brow, rhyme.

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