The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 28–29 · Part 1: Part First
10. Describe it, and let them guess
Goal: Your child writes a clear description of an object at home without naming it, so others can guess.
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 28 is a short description in handwriting, to copy; it ends by asking the reader what the object is. Section 29 asks the child to write a description of something at home, read it to the class, and let someone guess.
The lesson, step by step
Read the model
Read the handwritten description on page 30 with your child (help with the handwriting). It describes something without naming it and ends with a question.
Ask: What do you think it is? Which words helped you guess?
Copy it
Your child copies the description neatly, keeping its capitals and periods.
Choose and talk
Your child secretly picks something at home: a lamp, a teapot, a pair of boots. Talk about it aloud first (you can't peek at the object's name): What is it made of? What shape and color? Where is it kept? What is it used for?
Write the description
Your child writes 4 to 6 sentences about it, without the name, and ends with "What is it?"
The book's advice:
Write plainly and describe clearly.
Guess and check
Your child reads the description aloud and you guess. If you can't guess, ask what detail would help, and let them add one sentence.
Then check just one thing: a capital at the start of each sentence and a period (or question mark) at the end.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
It is made of clay. It is round and has a handle and a spout. It sits on the kitchen counter. We pour tea from it on cold afternoons. What is it?
Afterwards
Leave a describe-and-guess riddle for someone in the family each day this week.