The Educator (Volume 45) - IAMPETH

Our Lesson in Manuscript Writing
By Jane Elaine Wilson
When Alice and Jerry moved to the country, their father gave them a little square in the garden for themselves.
The children planted some seeds. They weed, rake and water the flowers every day.
On Page 15 of our Writing Book we find a picture of Alice and Jerry working in their garden. What is Alice
doing? How many of the girls and boys in this grade ever made a garden at home? Would you like to make a
school garden? Fine. Tomorrow Mr. Smith will bring us some soil, and we will make our school garden on our
sand table. The Garden Club gave us this packet of seeds. After we make our garden we will write a story
about it for our newspaper. Today we will learn to write the word "seeds".
If you will watch carefully I will write the word "seeds" for you on the blackboard. After writing the word
on the blackboard so that all the pupils can see it clearly, I cover up the last two letters and ask the children to
tell me the name of the little word that is hidden in the seeds. Yes, "see" is the little word we have learned to
write. This will be an easy word to remember—first we write "see" then we make a big round ball just as high as
the letters in the word "see". A tall straight line is made last on this letter "d". Be sure that the straight line
is tall enough. Our word ends with the letter "s". How many "s's" do you see in the word "seeds"? Yes, "s"
begins the word and also ends the word.
Find the word "seeds" in your writing book. Trace over it very carefully with the tip of your first finger several
times. Who would like to write the word for us at the blackboard without watching a copy ? Very well John,
you may write it for us. I like John's word very much as his letters are big and easy to read. I also like the
way John wrote the word from memory. Class may now take your places at the blackboard. Each child is given
the help that he needs at the blackboard. Class now goes to their seats and writes the word on practice paper.
Tomorrow after making the garden, the children write—We plant our seeds. This is followed by other stories
about seeds contributed by the children.
Children like to make a record of what they have done. Some may keep a notebook or diary.
15