The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 154–159 · Part 1: Part First
46. Showing who owns something
Goal: Your child writes the apostrophe and s to show ownership and tells it apart from the apostrophe in contractions.
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 154 explains how ownership is shown with an apostrophe and s (Mary's book, the boys' ball). Section 155 asks for sentences about five things and their owners; Section 156 for a written account of Thorwaldsen; Section 157 is the rhyme "Monday's child" to learn. Section 158 gives eleven sentences to explain the apostrophes in; Section 159 asks for sentences about spring.
The lesson, step by step
Read about ownership
Read Section 154 together. Find the owner words in the four sentences: Washington's, Kate's, Henry's, William's.
A boy owns a ball. The boy's ball.
Two boys together own a ball. The boys' ball.
Ask: What is different about "boys'"? (The name already ends in s, so only the apostrophe is added.)
Owners around the house (Section 155)
Your child names five things and their owners aloud ("Dad's hat"), then writes five sentences using them.
Monday's child (Section 157)
Read the rhyme together and learn it by heart.
Monday's child is fair of face;
Do you know what day you were born? (Look it up if you like.)
Two kinds of apostrophe (Section 158)
Read the eleven sentences. For each apostrophe your child says: Is it ownership, or letters left out? Some are tricky: "Hannah's at the window" means "Hannah is".
Check it gently
Look at the five owner sentences. Is the apostrophe before the s for one owner? Your child fixes any that wandered.
Spring sentences (Section 159)
If there is time, your child writes four sentences about spring using words from the list (buttercup, sap, robin, blossoms ...).
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
My sister's bicycle is blue.
Grandpa's glasses are on the shelf.
The dogs' bowls are by the door. (two dogs)
Afterwards
Section 156: your child writes what they remember about Thorwaldsen and his work, 4 to 6 sentences.
Answers to the book's problems
Section 154: Washington's, Kate's, Henry's, William's. Section 158: 1. It's = It is (letters left out). 2. Marion's = ownership. 3. moon's = ownership. 4. 'T is = It is. 5. Hannah's = Hannah is. 6. Ireson's = ownership. 7. I've = I have. 8. winter's = winter is. 9. I'll = I will. 10. heart's = heart is. 11. cowslip's and bat's = ownership.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.