The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 94–95 · Part 1: Part First
31. Horses' Heads, and an invitation with a reply
Goal: Your child writes what a picture shows and writes both a letter of invitation and its reply.
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 94 is J. F. Herring's picture "Horses' Heads", to study and describe in writing. Section 95 asks for two letters: John Gray in Oldtown, Maine, invites his cousin George Welch in Boston for the summer, and George replies.
The lesson, step by step
Study the picture
Look at "Horses' Heads" on page 93 for a full minute in silence. Then your child tells aloud everything they see: how many horses, their colors, their faces and eyes, what they might be doing.
Write about it (Section 94)
Your child writes 4 to 6 sentences telling all they see in the picture.
Plan the two letters (Section 95)
Talk: What would John say to make George want to come? What would George answer? Does he accept? When will he arrive?
Write them
Your child writes John's letter (5 to 7 sentences) and George's short reply (3 to 5 sentences). Headings: Oldtown, Maine, and Boston, Mass.
Check it gently
Does the reply really answer the invitation? Are the place names and the salutations capitalized? Fix one thing in each letter.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
Dear John,
Thank you for asking me to spend the summer at Oldtown. Mother says I may come. I will take the train on the first of July. I want to go fishing in the river the very first day.
Your cousin,
George.