FIRST YEAR
FIRST WEEK
Monday
Talk about the next month? What is the name of this month? What was last month? What will next month be? What season is this? What will the next season be? How many days in April? What other months have only thirty days?
Tuesday
Story to be told to the children:
THE MORNING-GLORY SEED
A little girl dropped a morning-glory seed into a small hole in the ground. As she did so she said, “Now, morning-glory seed, hurry and grow, grow, grow, until you are a tall vine, covered with pretty green leaves and lovely trumpet flowers.”
But the earth was very dry. There had been no rain for a long time, and the poor seed could not grow at all.
After it had lain in the ground for nine long days and nine long nights, the little seed said to the ground, “Oh, ground, please give me a few drops of water to soften my hard brown coat. Then my coat can burst open and set free my two green seed-leaves, and then I can begin to be a vine.”
But the ground said, “You must ask that of the rain.”
So the seed called to the rain. “Oh, rain,” it said, “please come down and wet the ground around me, so that it may give me a few drops of water, to soften my hard brown coat. Then my coat can burst open and set free my two green seed-leaves, and then I can begin to be a vine.”
“I cannot,” said the rain, “unless the clouds hang low.”
So the seed said to the clouds, “Oh, clouds, please hang low, and let the rain come down and wet the ground around me, so that it may give me a few drops of water to soften my hard brown coat. Then my coat can burst open and set free my two green seed-leaves, and then I can begin to be a vine.”
But the clouds said, “The sun must hide first.”
So the seed called to the sun. “Oh, sun, please hide for a little while. Then the clouds can hang low, and let the rain come down and wet the ground around me, so that it may give me a few drops of water, to soften my hard brown coat. Then my coat can burst open and set free my two green seed-leaves, and then I can begin to be a vine.”
“I will,” said the sun, and he hid at once.
Then the clouds hung low and lower. The rain began to fall fast and faster. The ground began to grow wet and wetter. The seed-coat began to grow soft and softer, until it burst open. Out came two bright green seed-leaves, and the morning-glory seed began to be a vine.—Adapted
Wednesday
Talk about the story of the morning-glory seed.
Thursday
Talk about the part the rain and the sunshine have in making plants grow.
Friday
Play as a game the story of the morning-glory seed.
SECOND WEEK
Monday
To be committed to memory:
SEVEN TIMES ONE
There’s no dew left on the daisies and clover,
There’s no rain left in heaven;
I’ve said my “seven times” over and over,
Seven times one are seven.
I am old, so old I can write a letter;
My birthday lessons are done;
The lambs play always, they know no better,
They are only one times one.
O moon! in the night I have seen you sailing,
And shining so round and low;
You were bright, ah, bright! but your light is failing—
You are nothing now but a bow.
You moon, have you done something wrong in heaven
That God has hidden your face?
I hope if you have, you will soon be forgiven,
And shine again in your place.
O velvet bee, you’re a dusty fellow;
You’ve powdered your legs with gold!
O brave marshmary buds, rich and yellow,
Give me your money to hold.
And show me your nest with the young ones in it—
I will not steal it away;
I am old! you may trust me, linnet, linnet—
I am seven years old to-day!—Jean Ingelow
Spend the rest of the week teaching the poem to the children. They always enjoy this poem, one generation of little folks after another. Did you not?
THIRD WEEK
Monday
Talk about the rain: Why we need so much of it this month, when the plants are just starting to grow.
Tuesday
Have the children write: April is the rainy month.
Wednesday
For dictation:
Oh, where do you come from,
You little drops of rain?
Thursday
Read or recite the following poem to the children. Talk about where the rain comes from, and what becomes of the water. The children are old enough to understand and appreciate it all, if the explanation be made sufficiently simple.
THE RAIN DROPS’ RIDE
Some little drops of water,
Whose home was in the sea,
To go upon a journey
Once happened to agree.
A white cloud was their carriage;
Their horse, a playful breeze;
And over town and country
They rode along at ease.
But, O! there were so many,
At last the carriage broke,
And to the ground came tumbling
Those frightened little folk.
Among the grass and flowers
They then were forced to roam,
Until a brooklet found them,
And carried them all home.—Selected
Friday
Let the children play the rain as a game. They can come from one part of the room which may represent the sea. They can ride on a play cloud. Coming gently to a garden, on the floor, they may play scatter the drops quietly, like an April rain, from their finger tips. Then they may join the brook, and go with it to where it enters the river, then follow the river to the ocean once more.
FOURTH WEEK
Monday
Tell the children the story of Paul Revere’s Ride.
Tuesday
Have the children tell back to you the story of Paul Revere’s Ride.
Wednesday
Read to the children Longfellow’s poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride.”
Thursday
Write three sentences about Paul Revere’s Ride.
Friday
Have the children play Paul Revere’s Ride as a game.