The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 188–190 · Part 1: Part First
56. Notes for speaking, and a dictation
Goal: Your child makes short notes and uses them to give a clear spoken account.
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 188 asks the child to tell what they know about leather, corn, horses, gold, books and other things, using short notes (with a model, "Notes on Leather"). Section 189 asks for a review of punctuation and capitals. Section 190 gives three passages with commas for dictation, including the rats from "The Pied Piper".
The lesson, step by step
Look at the model notes
Read the "Notes on Leather" in Section 188. They are only a few words each, not sentences.
SayNotes are a framework. They remind you what to say; you don't read them aloud.
Make notes
Your child picks one thing from the book's list (horses, iron, rivers, books ...) and writes four or five short notes about it.
Talk from the notes
Your child gives a short talk to you (a minute or two) using the notes. Sit and listen like a real audience.
Review (Section 189)
Read pages 22 to 24 again (the lesson on punctuation). Ask your child which marks and capital rules they now know. Make a quick list together.
Dictation (Section 190)
Your child studies passage 1, the rats of Hamelin, then writes it from dictation.
Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,
Check it gently
Your child compares with the book and checks the commas. Then praise the talk: one thing that was clear, and one thing to try next time (look up, speak slower).
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
Notes on Horses
1. Strong, fast animals.
2. Eat hay and oats.
3. Pull wagons, plows; carry riders.
4. Need shoes, grooming, kindness.
From these notes your child talks for a minute or two without reading them aloud word for word.