McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LXVII · Part 7: Honest hearts

67. Susie and Rover

Goal: Your child reads a story about selfishness and loyalty and explains how Susie changed.

⏱ About 25 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

Susie goes berry-picking with her big dog Rover, eats all her lunch without sharing, and then Rover saves her from a snake. Definitions at the end.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Warm up

    SayHave you ever been selfish and then felt sorry? What did you do?

  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:

    Selfish, thinking and caring only for one's self.

    Mood, state of mind.

    Underbrush, shrubs or small bushes in a forest.

    Capered, frisked.

    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. This is a long story; take turns by paragraph and split it over two days if needed.

    Here is a line from it:

    "Mamma, may I go to the woods, and pick berries?"

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

  4. Talk about it

    SayWhat did Susie do with her lunch, and what did Rover get?

    SayWhy didn't Susie enjoy the afternoon?

    SayWhat did Rover do near the edge of the woods? How did Susie feel then?

    Then talk about the lesson of the reading:

    Susie learned to guard against selfishness.

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

  5. Tell it back or write it

    Close the book.

    SayTell me the story of Susie and Rover.

    An older child can write two or three sentences about how Susie changed.

  6. Copywork

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

    But Rover staid near her, watching her steadily with his clear brown eyes.

    Staid is an old spelling of stayed.

    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: selfish, mood, terror, neither, plentiful.

    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.

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