70. Young Soldiers

The lesson, step by step

1. Warm up

   SayHave you ever played soldiers or marched in a pretend parade? What did you use?

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:

   Musket, a kind of gun.

   Cedar, a very durable kind of wood.

   Van, the front.

   Routed, put to flight.

   Fray, fight, contest.

   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 yourself with a marching beat, then your child reads.

   Here are two of its lines:

   Our muskets were of cedar wood,

   With ramrods bright and new;

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

4. Talk about it

   SayWhat were the children's weapons made of?

   SayWho was the "enemy" they charged?

   SayIs this a real battle? How can you tell?

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

5. Tell it back or write it

   Close the book.

   SayTell me about the young soldiers' great battle.

   An older child can write two or three sentences instead.

6. Copywork

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

   Our muskets were of cedar wood,

   With ramrods bright and new;

   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: musket, cedar, barrel, sturdy, charged.

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