Mrs. Black's Class - Lesson 3

Mrs. Black's Class - Lesson 2

Morning Codes

Morning codes give a child a chance to gain information by reading, even though his skills are still very limited.

The parent sets up a little "scavenger hunt", hiding bits of paper with clues on them. The child decodes the clues and finds or gets a little surprise (a sticker, a coin, a lollipop) at the end.

For instance, for the first game the parent would put a piece of paper with the word "hat" on it on the breakfast table or the child's desk. The child would read it and look about in the family's hats until he found another slip of paper. This one would say "bag", so he would start searching the house for bags and eventually come across a tootsie roll or something. The clues line up with the lessons of the Phonics Reading Program. Depending on your child's age and skill, you might use all four clues for a lesson in one morning, or continue the lesson over several days and make two smaller games.

Lesson 1

hat

bag

Dad’s hat

cat’s nap

Lesson 2 

mat

pan

fan

ham can

Lesson 3 

Mom’s hat

pot

mop

hot spot

Lesson 4 

mug

gum

Dad’s cup

mud

Lesson 5 

Mom’s hand

Mom’s bag

bat and cap

dog’s cot

Lesson 6

red hat

bed

cat’s bed

pen

Lesson 7

big bed

big pan

big pot

spot to sit

Lesson 8

Look in a big bag.

Look on the red mat.

Look in the clock.

Look in your bed.

Lesson 9

Mom bakes in here.

Look by a bike.

Look by the games.

Take a look at Dad’s hat.

Lesson 10

We make ice here.

Look at page five.

Look for a lot of lace.

I can see your face.

Lesson 11

I say “June” and “May”.

Just wait.

You use this to pay.

What do you use to play?

Lesson 12

You use this to read.

Look in Dad’s seat.

What do you put on your feet?

In this place is lots of meat.

Lesson 13

You lay here last night.

Look to your right.

Look up high today.

I lie to the left this time.

Lesson 14

Look in your coat.

This time, look below your coat.

Look for a big bowl.

Look by the road.

Lesson 15

Find a few beads and take them to Mom.

Look for something new in your room.

Look for something that says “moo”.

Look in the place you go to see the moon.

Lesson 16

Look by a big tree.

Where are you when you have dreams?

Look for a fake truck.

Drag the box from the side of the room.

Lesson 17

Look for something that you catch.

Where do we keep the cheese?

There is a bag of chips in an odd place.

Where would you make a batch of pancakes?

Lesson 18

Look for something that shines.

Find all three fish, and the prize will be yours.

Where do we put those bags of trash?

Stand by the bush, and I’ll be within your sight.

Lesson 19

Did someone draw a mean cat last night?

Look on the lawn.

Where do we keep raw meat?

Where were you at dawn?

Lesson 20

Look in the toy box.

Where do we put extra coins?

Cross the room, but avoid red spots.

Go back to where you began, and hum the “Ode to Joy”.

Lesson 21

How do you spell your last name?

Look for something round and blue.

Go outside and look around the steps.

Now spell the name of the beast that says “moo”.

Lesson 22

Look for something that smells good.

Look for something that’s on a hook.

Look for a big stack of books.

Find something soft that you put on your foot.

Lesson 23

Look at the hood of the car.

Look for something very sharp.

Find something that is cold, white, and hard.

Now go find a deck of cards.

Lesson 24

Look inside the bag of corn.

What’s stuck to the bedroom door?

Find four round things.

Now find four more.

Lesson 25

Where does the cat leave her fur?

Look for something you use to stir.

Get a sheet of paper and draw a girl.

Turn around three times with your hands on your mouth.

Mrs. Black's Class - Overview

The Mrs. Black's Class is a set of very short, decodable readings for students who are learning their letter sounds. There are posts for lessons 1-15 of the Phonics Reading Program. Each post is a series of images that can be printed and made into a booklet.

The booklets are not, of course, high quality literature. They let children do some real reading, giving them practice and satisfaction, but kids will need to hear more worthy stories than they are capable of reading on their own. Starting with lesson 10, this program provides simplified pieces of literature and non-fiction in addition to and then in place of the "Spot ran" sort of thing in Mrs. Black's Class. Easy readers should accompany the lessons as soon as children can handle them, and by the time the program's texts peter out, children will (hopefully) be ready to leave such stilted writing behind.

Each booklet has a "cover" page and four to eleven numbered, stick-figure-illustrated text pages. They are meant to be read with a parent, and unlike the text, the titles are usually not decodable. Some students may like the extra challenge of figuring the words out; others may do better if parents read the title.

Mrs. Black's Class - Lesson 1

The Races of Men

A piece to illustrate the different races for young children. Someday I hope to add real illustrations. Here is a map:

The Black Men

The Black Men were the first men on earth.

Their children made their homes in Africa.

Some lived at the rocky southern coast.

Some dwelt just below the hot Sahara.

In between some hid in the wet forests…

…and some took over the long-rolling Savanna.

They were tall or short…

…with light brown to nearly black skin and curly hair.

They warred with the beasts of their continent…

…and drew yams from the soil.

Brown Men

The Brown Men moved out of Africa.

They followed the coast of Asia to the great islands of the Pacific.

Some filled Australia…

…and some went further East.

The ones who stayed in Asia knew the Yellow and White Men…

…but their brothers were alone for many years.

They hunted the creatures around them and gathered up food for themselves.

They spoke languages far removed from other men’s tongues…

…and made music alien to other men’s ears.

Yellow Men

The Yellow Men moved to the easternmost parts of Asia.

Their hair grew straight and black and their cheeks grew light.

They spoke in words like songs…

…and painted them onto scrolls.

They built high walls and grand palaces…

…and carved dragons out of stone.

They sold rice and silk and tea…

…and great empires rose up.

White Men

The White Men spread through western Asia and around the Mediterranean.

They covered the outjutting Europe and the burning north of Africa.

Their skin and eyes paled…

…and their hair grew red and gold.

They sailed the great sea between their lands…

…and built castles and cathedrals.

They drank the milk of cows…

…and tamed thundering horses.

Red Men

The Red Men covered the far-flung American continents.

They had the black straight hair and smooth skin of their Yellow brothers.

Some lived in the icy north, spearing the huge whales.

Some moved south and hunted deer and bison, and fed on corn and potatoes.

Where the sun burnt the clouds or the mountains tore them…

…they built cities.

They wore the skins of animals…

…and watched the heavens.

Why "Reactionary"?

Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.

     - C.S. Lewis


In the last couple of centuries, the West has:

    - overthrown every earthly authority previously respected, from kings to priests to parents.
    - discarded the morality and way of life that humans have guided humans since they became humans as "outmoded" and "out of touch".
    - worked to dissolve every societal institution that tied people together: marriage, parent-child bonds, church, community, and nation.
    - made Man (sorry, Human) their God.
    - decided that, unlike every other group of people, they have no reason to protect their culture, their homelands, or their children's future. They go beyond transcending these, as the "noble savages" do; people is simply irrelevant to the enlightened Westerner.

We do not need to make more of such "progress"; nor do we need to "conserve" the mess we've made so far. Progressivism and Conservatism are destructive. Reaction is a maligned, and not wholly adequate term (perhaps "traditionalism" is better), but it gets the point across quite nicely.

The Story of Creation

Creation

In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth;

He gave the dark and the water their birth.

Next He said, “Let there be light,”

And so created day and night.

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the first day.

And God said, “Let there be air

Between the waters; make a sky there.”

Wet clouds above and wet ocean beneath,

And between good dry air to breathe.

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the second day.

Then God took the waters under the sky

And moved them aside so the land was dry.

And on that land between the seas,

He grew up fruitful plants and trees.

            And He saw that it was good,

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the third day.

And God created two great lights,

One for days and one for nights,

And hung in the sky stars to shine,

So there were signs to tell the pass of time.

            And He saw that it was good,

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the fourth day.

Then fish leaped on the waters bright,

And in the air birds took to flight,

And God made their numbers increase,

Until they filled the sky and seas.

            And He saw that it was good,

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the fifth day.

Then God made creatures to walk on land,

To climb the trees and slide in the sand.

And last of all he gave Man birth,

To rule the beasts, to love the Earth.

            And He saw that it was good,

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the sixth day.

And then God took a day for rest,

And said, “Now this day will be blessed,

It will be the holy Sabbath day,

To set apart to rest and pray.”

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the seventh day.

The Story of Adam and Eve, Level B (Grade Level 3-4)

Adam and Eve

            On the Earth God had created a beautiful garden called Eden. A great river flowed into it, which separated into four rivers, named Pishon and Gihon and Tigris and Euphrates. The garden was filled with all kinds of trees which were pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

            Then God formed a man from the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living being. He named him Adam, and gave him the garden’s fruit to eat and its animals to care for and name. But each of the birds and the beasts had companions, and Adam had none. So God said, “It is not good for Man to be alone. I will create a helper for him.”

            God put Adam into a deep sleep. While he slept He took one of his ribs, and covered the place with flesh. And from the rib He made a made a woman, and took her to the man. Adam said,

                        “This is now bone of my bones

                        and flesh of my flesh;

                        she shall be called ‘woman’,

                        for she was taken out of man.”

            When Adam was first created, God had told him, “You may eat of any tree in the Garden of Eden, except for one. You must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for if you eat from it, you will surely die.” So Adam warned his new wife not to eat from this tree.

            Now of all the wild creatures God had made, the serpent was the craftiest. One day he said to the woman, whose name was Eve, “Didn’t God say, ‘You may eat of any tree in the garden’?”

            Eve replied, “We may eat fruit from any tree in the garden, except for one. God said, ‘You must not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden, or even touch it, or you will surely die.’”

            “You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

            Eve looked at the fruit of the tree, and it was pleasing to the eye and looked as though it would be pleasing to the tongue as well. And now she knew that it would also give her wisdom. And so she took some of the fruit and ate it, and also gave some to Adam, who ate the fruit as well.

            Then both of their eyes were opened. First they saw that they were naked, which they had never noticed when they were like the animals and had not eaten of the fruit. They made themselves clothing out of fig leaves.

            Then Adam and Eve heard the sound of God walking through the garden, and they hid among the trees. God called to Adam and said, “Where are you?”

            “I heard you in the garden,” said Adam, “and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid.”

            “Who told you that you were naked?” asked God. “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

            The man said, “It was the woman you put here with me! She gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

            God said to the woman, “What is this that you have you done?”

            “The serpent deceived me,” said the woman, “and I ate.”

            So God told the serpent,

                        “Cursed are you, above all creatures,

                                    tame or wild.

                        You will crawl on your belly

                                    and eat the dust

                                    all the days of your life.

                        And I will put hatred

                                    between you and the woman,

                                    and between your children and hers;

                        he will crush your head,

                                    and you will strike his heel.”

            Then he said to the woman,

                        “I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing;

                                    with pain you will bring forth children.

                        Your desire will be for your husband,

                                    and he will rule over you.”

            And to the man he said,

                        “Cursed is the ground because of you;

                                    only through painful toil will you eat

                                    all the days of your life.

                        The Earth will produce thorns and thistles for you,

                                    and you will eat the plants of the field.

                        By the sweat of your brow

                                    you will find your food

                        until you return from the ground,

                                    since from it you were taken;

                        for dust you are

                                    and to dust you will return.”

            Then God made clothing of animal skins for Adam and Eve, and dressed them. And he said, “Now Man is like us, and he knows good and evil. He must not be allowed to eat also from the Tree of Life, and then live forever.” So God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden to work the ground for their food. And he placed in front of the garden an angel with a flaming sword flashing back and forth, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

The Five Chinese Brothers, Dyslexic-Friendly Font (Level C)

The Five Chinese Brothers

        Once upon a time there were five brothers. They all looked exactly alike. They lived with their mother in a little house near the sea. 

        The first brother could swallow the sea.

        The second brother had an iron neck.

        The third brother could stretch and stretch and stretch his legs.

        The fourth brother could not be burned.

        The fifth brother could hold his breath forever.

        Every morning the first brother would go fishing. Even during storms, he would come back to the village with beautiful and rare fish. He sold them at the market for a very good price.

        One day, he was leaving the market place. A little boy stopped him and asked him if he could go fishing with him.

        “No, I cannot let you,” said the first brother.

        But the little boy begged and begged. Finally the first brother gave in.

        “You must make me a promise,” he said. “You must do as I say as soon as I say it.”

        “Yes, yes,” the little boy promised.

        Early the next morning, the first brother and the little boy went down to the beach. “Remember,” said the first brother, “you must do as I say as soon as I say it. When I make a sign for you to come back, you must come at once.”

        “Yes, yes,” the little boy promised.

        Then the first brother swallowed the sea. All the fish were left dry at the bottom of the sea. All the treasures of the sea lay uncovered.

        The little boy was very happy. He ran here and there stuffing his pockets with fantastic pebbles, shells, and bits of seaweed.

        Near the shore the first brother gathered some fish. He kept holding the sea in his mouth. But then he grew tired. It is very hard to hold the sea. So he made a sign with his hand for the little boy to come back. The little boy saw him but did not come back.

        The first brother made great signs with his arms that meant “Come back!” But did the little boy care?  Not a bit and he ran further away.

        Then the first brother felt the sea swelling inside him and he made huge signs to call the little boy back. But the little boy made faces at him and ran as fast as he could.

        The first brother held the sea until he thought he was going to burst. Then the sea forced its way out of his mouth. It went back to its bed . . . and the little boy was covered with water.

        When the first brother went back to the town alone, he was put in jail. Everyone thought he had killed the little boy. They decided to cut off his head.

        But he said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

        “It is only fair,” said the judge.

        So the first brother went home . . . and the second brother came back in his place. All the people were waiting to watch. A strong man picked up a sword. He struck a mighty blow to the second brother’s neck. But the second brother got up and smiled. He was the one with the iron neck. They simply could not cut his head off.

        Everybody was angry. They decided that he should be drowned.

        But the second brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

        “It is only fair,” said the judge.

        So the second brother went home . . . and the third brother came back in his place. He was put on a boat. It went out onto far onto the sea. Then the third brother was thrown into the water. But he began to stretch and stretch and stretch his legs, way down to the bottom of the sea. All the time his smiling face was bobbing up and down on the waves. He simply could not be drowned.

        Everybody was very angry. They all decided that he should be burned.

        But the third brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

        “It is only fair,” said the judge.

        So the third brother went home . . . and the fourth brother came back in his place.  He was tied up to a stake. It was lit on fire. All the people stood around watching. In the middle of the flames they heard him say: “This feels quite good.”

        “Bring some more wood,” the people cried.  The fire roared higher.

        “Even better!” said the fourth brother. He was the one who could not be burned. Everybody was getting more and more angry every minute. They all decided to smother him.

        But the fourth brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

        “It is only fair,” said the judge.

        So the fourth brother went home . . . and the fifth brother came back in his place. A large brick oven had been built on the village square and it had been all stuffed with whipped cream. The fifth brother was pushed into the oven, right in the middle of the cream. They shut the door tight. Then everybody sat around and waited.

        They were not going to be tricked again! So they stayed there all night, just to make sure. Then they opened the door and pulled him out. He shook himself and said, “My! That was a good sleep!”

        Everybody stared open-mouthed and round-eyed. But the judge stepped forward and said, “We have tried to get rid of you in every possible way. But we cannot do it. It must be that you are innocent.”

        “Yes, yes,” shouted all the people. So they let him go and he went home.

        And the five brothers and their mother all lived together happily for many years.