Your Assignment from 1925

I'm currently reading the book "The One-Room School in Canada". I'm not a big history buff but this book has a lot of pictures (no, I don't only like picture books, although I have been reading a lot lately...). One of the chapters discusses the emergence of the standardized "Reader" and includes some examples.

I was having fun trying to figure out the answers that an 8 year old would know reading the lessons when a few stumped me.

Can you correctly answer these questions from a 4th, 5th or 6th Reader (it doesn't say) from 1925? Note that this is "British (Canadian) English" so may differ from "American English".

1. He was (very, very much) dissatisfied?
2. I have never driven (so, that) far in my life.
3. He is (awful, very) sick.
4. We had a (real, really, very) exciting game.
5. I was (very, very much) pleased to receive your letter.
6. The prisoners (who, which) escaped have all been caught.
7. Do not drop matches (in, into) this waste-basket.
8. It will go a long (way, ways) towards solving the problem.
9. Which do you think should go, John or (I, me)? Note to Mom, I laughed when I saw this.
10. I (will, shall) fail in my examinations, I am sure.
11. There were (less, fewer) than a hundred people present.

So, how did you do?

Max’s two bottom molars (“S” and “L”) have poked through the surface (they both have “B” coming in). He spent today chewing on his hand and attempting to bite things to make the pain go away. I’ve tried frozen teething rings and everything else, however, he prefers his hand. Poor kid.

For the past couple of days, the kids have shown an interest in feeding themselves (with a fork or spoon). Today, seeing as they were already naked (it’s been really warm here), I decided to let Max have a go at it with some yogurt. It was pretty successful. For dinner, Artemis showed us her stuff by using a fork to eat her macaroni and cheese.