55. Don't Kill the Birds

The lesson, step by step

1. Warm up

   SayHow would the world be different if there were no birds?

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:

   Warble, to trill, to carol.

   Innocent, pure, harmless.

   Tuneful, musical, melodious.

   Then find each word in the lesson.

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

3. Read it aloud

   Your child reads. The poem is a plea, so read it warmly, as if asking someone a favor.

   Here are two of its lines:

   Do n't kill the birds! the little birds,

   That sing about your door,

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

4. Talk about it

   SayWhat do the birds do that makes the world happier?

   SayWhy does the poem call them innocent?

   Then talk about the lesson of the reading:

   "For earth would be a cheerless place, If it were not for these."

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

5. Tell it back or write it

   SayTell me why the poem says we should not harm the birds.

   An older child can write two or three sentences instead.

6. Copywork

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

   For earth would be a cheerless place,

   If it were not for these.

   The book prints "Do n't" with a space, an old printers' habit. Today we write don't.

   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: warble, innocent, tuneful, presence.

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