SECOND YEAR
FIRST WEEK
Monday
Tell, or read, the following story, the children to guess what animal is referred to.
Look what a small, shy thing I am! Do not frighten me, and I will tell you all about myself. It is quite true that I come and nibble your cheese and candles now and then. But if you will keep such nice things stored away in heaps, how can I help longing for a taste? The smell of your puddings and pie-crust is so nice! How should I know that it belongs to you and not to me?
Please do not tell the cat where I am, or she will come and eat me up. I do not like cats a bit. But there is something that I hate more than cats, and that is the horrid traps you set to catch us in. When one of my friends finds himself inside of one of these, you do not know how badly he feels! How would you like it yourself?
We do some good in the world, though people fancy we do nothing but harm. Men and women throw about bits or scraps of food enough to give us many a nice meal. We run out and eat this, and leave the floor clean and tidy.
We run off to our holes as quickly as can be if you frighten us, and you will see no more of our soft fur and long tails. If you are kind we shall be glad to make friends with you.—Adapted.
Tuesday
Have the children tell, in their own words, the story of “The Mouse.”
Wednesday
Copy the following:
A mouse has gray fur.
A mouse has bright eyes.
Thursday
Have each child tell about some animal, the other children to guess the animal meant. For example:
I have four legs. I have fur. When I am hungry I say, “Miow.” When I am happy I purr. What am I?
If you find it to be too difficult for the children to give the descriptions, you can describe the animals, and let all the children guess what you are describing.
Friday
Write five words that rhyme with cat.
SECOND WEEK
Monday
What month is this? How many months are there in the year? How many days in this month? Teach the rhyme, “Thirty days hath September.”
Tuesday
Have the children write the names of the months.
Wednesday
Have the children complete the following sentences:
Roses are ——.
Asters are ——.
Goldenrod is ——.
Lemons are ——.
Trees are ——.
My eyes are ——.
Thursday
To be memorized:
MY SHADOW
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller, like an Indian-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all.
He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward you can see;
I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
—Robert Louis Stevenson.
Have the children copy two stanzas of the poem.
Friday
Have the children copy the rest of the poem, “My Shadow.”
THIRD WEEK
Monday
Teach the children the first stanza of “My Shadow.”
Who has a shadow? When can we see our shadow? How does the shadow “Jump before me, when I jump into my bed”?
Tuesday
Teach the second stanza of “My Shadow.”
How does the shadow grow tall? How does it get “so little”?
Wednesday
Teach the third stanza of “My Shadow,” questioning the children to make sure that they understand its meaning.
Thursday
Teach the fourth stanza of “My Shadow.”
Friday
Have the children repeat the entire poem, “My Shadow.”
FOURTH WEEK
Monday
Write five sentences, telling what the shadow does. (Refer to the poem.)
Tuesday
Write five name words (nouns), to be found in the poem “My Shadow.”
Wednesday
Write a letter to your sister or brother, telling what you do at school.
Thursday
Make an envelope of paper, and address it to the one to whom you wrote yesterday.
Friday
Write five words that rhyme with run.
To the Teacher: The proper method of addressing an envelope may be taught here.