The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 96–97 · Part 1: Part First
32. Kindness to animals
Goal: Your child reads a story aloud well and writes a clear description of an animal.
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 96, "Kindness to Animals": a driver and his horse Jim back a heavy load of iron into a barn with gentle words and no blows. Section 97 is a conversation about what animals do for people, especially horses and dogs, and asks for a list of other useful animals.
The lesson, step by step
Practice reading aloud
The book says: study this story until you can read it well, then read it aloud. Your child reads it silently first, then aloud to you, with feeling in the driver's words.
"Good old Jim! You did it, did n't you? I knew you would."
Talk it over
Ask: How did the driver get the horse to do such hard work? What does the story teach?
What animals do for us (Section 97)
Talk through the book's questions about horses and dogs. Then your child writes a list of other animals that help people, and what each does (cows, sheep, hens, bees ...).
Describe an animal
The book asks: describe a dog so clearly that we would know him if we met him. Your child writes 5 to 7 sentences describing a pet or an animal they know well.
Check it gently
Read it aloud. Could a stranger pick this animal out of a crowd? If not, your child adds one detail (a marking, a habit). Then check capitals on names.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
Our cat Pepper is gray with a white chest and one white paw. Her tail has a kink near the tip. She is small for a grown cat. She meows loudly at the door every morning at six. When you scratch her chin, she closes her eyes and purrs.