The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 18–20 · Part 1: Part First
6. Days of the week, and A Night with a Wolf
Goal: Your child capitalizes the days of the week and can tell the story of Bayard Taylor's poem in their own words.
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 18 shows a handwritten verse with the days of the week, and the rule for capitals. Section 19 asks for one sentence about each day of last week. Section 20 is Bayard Taylor's poem "A Night with a Wolf", in which a father tells his child how he and a wolf sheltered together in a storm.
The lesson, step by step
The days (Section 18)
Say the days of the week together. Look at the handwritten verse on page 19 and read it with your child.
The names of the days of the week always begin with Capital Letters.
One sentence a day (Section 19)
Your child writes seven sentences, one for each day of last week, each telling one thing they did. Talk through the week aloud first: "What did we do on Monday?"
Read the poem
Read "A Night with a Wolf" aloud to your child. It is a father talking to his little one on a stormy night.
Something rustled, two green eyes shone,
And a wolf lay down beside me.
Tell it back
The book says: read the poem over until you can tell the story in your own words without the book. Close the book and ask your child to tell it. Prompts:
- Where was the father, and what was the weather?
- Where did he hide?
- Who came, and what did they do all night?
- Why is the father glad to be home now?
Check the sentences
Look at the seven sentences together. Check one thing: each day's name has a capital. Your child fixes any that don't.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
On Monday I helped wash the car.
On Tuesday we went to the library.
On Wednesday I finished my puzzle.
Afterwards
Each evening this week, write one sentence about the day, beginning with its name.
Tip
A wolf lying down beside a man is the poet's story. If your child asks, real wild animals should always be left alone.