The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Sec. 1 · Part 1: Part First
1. Our mother tongue
Goal: Your child can say what this book is for and writes a first short note, the way young Longfellow wrote to his father.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and pencil (a notebook kept just for this book works well)
What's in the book
Section 1, "To the Boys and Girls": a friendly talk about the English language we use all day, with the short letter Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote to his father as a boy (Portland, January, 1814).
The lesson, step by step
A minute without words
Try a little game: for one minute, neither of you may speak. Point, nod, wave. Then talk about it. What was hard? What did you want to say?
SayToday we start a book about something you use all day long, your own language. The book calls it our mother tongue.
Read the section together
Take turns reading Section 1 aloud, a paragraph each. It begins with things we use every day but have never studied, like air and bread.
One of the common things which serve you every day is the English language.
Talk it over
This book always talks before it writes. Ask, and let your child answer in whole sentences:
- Do you know any words in another language? (The book gives German and French ones.)
- Could you play tag or hide-and-seek without any words?
- When someone is far away, how can you tell them your news?
Look at Longfellow's letter
Read the boy's letter aloud. It is short and asks plainly for what he wants.
I wish you to buy me a drum.
Ask: Where was he? When did he write? Whom did he write to? Show the place and date at the top and "Dear Papa" at the start.
Say it, then write it
Your child writes a short note of 3 to 5 sentences to someone in the family (real or pretend), telling one piece of news and asking for one thing, just as Longfellow did.
First say the note aloud. Then write it, with the place and date at the top and "Dear ..." to begin.
Check it gently
Read the note aloud together. Look at only one thing today: does every sentence start with a capital letter and end with a period?
Don't mark the mistake yourself. Point to the line and say, "One sentence on this line needs a fix." Let your child find it and fix it. Then name one thing you liked.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
Dear Grandma,
We planted beans in the garden today. Two have come up already. Will you send me your recipe for oatmeal cookies?
Love, Sam
It is short, it says one piece of news and asks one clear thing, and every sentence is complete.
Afterwards
Copy the note neatly and give it to the person (or mail it). Start a notebook for this book and date every page.
Tip
The book is meant to be talked through, not just read. When in doubt, ask your child to say it aloud first.