Easy Reading in English. Методическое пособие по домашнему чтению для студентов II курса неязыковых специальностей педагогических вузов

Findingandchoosingapreschoolcaninitselfbeadauntingtaskforparents, who have complained for several years of long waiting lists and the necessity of paying bribes to even register their child at a nursery school.

“The problems I have faced in kindergartens are the negative attitude of teachers, the lack of educational programs, poor preparation for school and waiting lists to start nursery school,” said Nina, the mother of a three-year- old child. “I’ve heard that mothers put their children’s names on waiting lists as soon as the child is born,” she said.

New rules have recently been introduced to combat the widespread problem of waiting lists for kindergartens. Parents now have to visit a special commission and explain the particular requirements of their child and show a medical certificate. The commission then suggests a suitable nursery school, and the parents are registered at the preschool or put on the waiting list.

“Parents should choose a nursery school in advance, at least a year before the child is due to start attending nursery school,” said Olga, the mother of a five-year-old child. “But we have no choice — if we want our child to attend a state preschool, we have to go to the one to which we are sent. Of course it will be in our district, but districts in St. Petersburg are huge,” she said.

According to data from the city’s Education Committee, the waiting lists are now smaller and remain in only one district — the Primorsky. Here there are 135 children waiting for a kindergarten place.

“Some mothers stand in line with babies; they are afraid there will be no room for their child, but there is no need for this,” said Tatyana Golyadkina, the leading specialist at the department of educational institutions of St. Petersburg’s Education Committee. But parents remain nervous and prefer to have a place reserved in advance.

Another problem is overcrowding in kindergartens. The average local preschool is 112.6 percent full. Some nursery schools, especially private ones, tackle the problem by dividing the children into sub-groups for lessons. A city program is also underway to build more kindergartens, as a result of which 67 early education institutes should be opened before 2011.

Experts say that early education is just as important as school and university, and recommend preparing children for the transition to nursery school as thoroughly as possible.

“Familiesshouldpresentkindergartenasapositiveandinterestingevent,” said Golyadkina. “This mood will be detected by the child and transferred to them, and as a result it will be easier for the child. A family with a positive mindset is already halfway to success,” she said.

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Parents are also advised to prepare the child for the kindergarten routine. The daily schedule at home should be similar to that of nursery school for a period of time, if only for the last month before the child starts nursery school.

“The child should wake up at the time they will have to when attending kindergarten,” said Golyadkina. “That is usually 7.30 a.m., so they will be in time for breakfast and morning exercises,” she said.

Meals should also be similar to those at kindergarten. According to Education Committee specialists, children are given healthy food at nursery school, and their parents can help them get used to it by cooking porridge, natural vegetable puree and other healthy dishes at home.

Trust is of course a key issue in choosing childcare.

“The family should trust the people in whose hands they are leaving their child. The child will also trust them and have a positive mood, and there will be less risk in the adaptation period of psychosomatic diseases,” said Golyadkina.

Childcare workers say it is a good indicator if the child already knows how to use a spoon and cup and is potty-trained. All of this can of course be taught at kindergarten, but it will be an additional stress for a small child.

Kindergartens accept children of all ages. In some preschools, there are children of about one year old.

“The younger the child is, the better the process of adaptation,” said Odrobinskaya.

“It all depends on the parents’ abilities and the emotional and physical state of the child,” said Golyadkina. “But the best thing for small children is to be with their mothers. It is no accident that the law allows mothers to stay at home with their children until the age of three. It is all done in the interests of the children,” she said.

Parents who have a choice of kindergartens, for example between state and private schools, are advised to visit places they are interested in, speak to the teachers and look at the kindergarten’s facilities.

“I paid attention to the appearance of the kindergarten, to my own impressions,” said Olga. “When everything is gray and dirty, I don’t want to bring my child to this place,” she said.

“Parents should also pay attention to the attitude of the teacher to children and to relations between other teachers,” said Odrobinskaya. “The emotional mood of the teacher is passed on to the child. There should also always be a doctor and a nurse in the kindergarten,” she said.

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“The best indicator and most reliable solution is to listen to friends’ opinions.ThirtypercentofparentssearchforakindergartenontheInternet,” Odrobinskaya said.

Every early education institute has a special program, and parents can choose what they would like to offer their offspring. There are 18 categories devoted to children’s physical and mental development in state kindergartens, while private nursery schools offer a vast range of activities, including bilingual kindergartens such as Aspect where children can be taught English from an early age.

“I want my child to study English,” said Ksenia, whose five-year-old child attends Apect nursery school. “All other knowledge, I can give him,” she said.

There are also many small private kindergartens around the city, not all of which have a license. Typically, they rent a twoor three-roomed apartment and do not operate officially because setting up a kindergarten requires certificates and licenses.

Parents are advised to be wary of such preschools, since no one can be held legally responsible. Asking to see the preschool’s license is one way of ensuring the quality of the childcare on offer.

Assignments

1.Look through the article to find it out what problem is shown here.

2.Name one word to the definitions given:

1)the reason or ground to do smth. = …;

2)the place for children to be taken care of = …;

3)to try to find the way out = …;

4)beforehand = …;

5)the right to run an educational establishment = ….

3.Make up 5 English sentences with the words on the topic touched upon in the article.

4.Answer the questions to the article:

What did you learn about in this article?

Compare the situation in our country and the UK (or other Englishspeaking countries if available) and comment on each of them.

What is your attitude towards this problem? What else have you read or heard about it? Did anything surprise you?

How would you do in parents’ place?

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Would you bring your children to the kindergarten?

5.Define the meaningful parts, make up a plan to the article and entitle each part of your plan.

6.Who(m) can it be useful for?

7.Render the article according to the plan, using new words and expressions.

LET KIDS BE KIDS*

(by Stephen R.C. Hicks)

The newspaper in an Indiana town ran a contest for schoolchildren. The students were to create a picture on any topic; the best would be published in the paper.

A second-grader drew a sad-faced earth with the caption “I am weary. I am tired. Please quit wasting me!” A third-grade girl depicted animals crying near a house under construction, with smokestacks in the distance; the caption read “We want our home back!”

Apparently many children are coming home from school frightened that the world is cold and inhospitable. All the furry animals are being killed and the nice green trees being chopped down. Even breathing air is dangerous.

Motivated by the best of intentions, most teachers want their students to become informed and independent thinkers. But in trying to convey a sense ofurgencyaboutsuchproblems,theybecomefrustratedandfrightened.They begin to realize that we are living in a hostile world whose problems are too big to handle. And that’s an attitude children often acquire early in life.

This does not mean educators and parents should pretend that problems do not exist. We need to take pains to help children confront them on a scale they can grasp.

Frightened children are not going to grow into adults who can solve the world’s problems. That requires a confidence in one’s ability to find solutions. And such healthy self-esteem requires nurturing over a long period, on a great number of small, day-to-day matters. Too much, too fast, can only destroy it.

____________________

* The article is taken from “On Education: Practical book in English” by O. Melchina, L. Morozova (p. 12 –13).

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Notes

“I am weary. I am tired. Please quit wasting me!” – «Я больше не могу. Я устала. Пожалуйста, перестаньте зря растрачивать меня!»

to take pains – прилагать огромные усилия self-esteem – самооценка

Assignments

1.Read and translate the article.

2.Find the most appropriate translation of the title given.

3.Name as more synonyms to the underlined words and expressions in English as you can.

4.Answer the questions to the article:

What problem is reflected in the article?

What is the author’s opinion on the problem? Do you share the author’s opinion?

What aspects of life in the USA did you learn about in this article? Compare the situation of the USA (or other English-speaking countries) and Russia (if available) and comment on them.

Does this kind of phenomenon/problem exist in our country?

What should teachers do not to make children frustrated and frightened at school?

What is your attitude towards the problem of the article?

Have you (or your friends) ever had to deal with the problem described in the article?

5.Define the meaningful parts, make up a plan to the article and entitle each point of your plan.

6.Who(m) can it be useful for reading?

7.Render the article according to the plan, using new words and expressions.

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WHEN YOUR CHILD COUNTS TO TEN, DOES HE HAVE TO USE HIS FINGERS?

(From «Reader’s Digest» by Carolyn Davis)

It’s painful watching children struggle to “make friends” with numbers. Especially today, when number knowledge is so vital to success in school, college and the workaday world itself.

Yetthisstruggletomastermathneedn’tbe.Notwiththewonder-working teaching aids on the market today. And the best of these, according to many parents and educators, is the brand-new set from Reader’s Digest called “I Can Count.”

What is it? Fun and games, really: 79 in all. And once you put them in the hands of a child you love, you’ll marvel at the sudden joy he finds in numbers.

Did I say “marvel”? Yes. Because before you know it, that child of yours will be counting to 100. He will have learned how to add … substract … tell time … keep a calendar … measure … make change for a dollar … and so much more…

What others say about “I Can Count”?

Hundreds of educators and parents have written to us, praising “I Can Count.” Typical of this comment from Mrs. Joseph S. Caleagno, Jr, of Santa Cruz, California: “ ‘I Can Count’ holds the interest of all three of my children. My 2 1/2 – year-old son is fascinated with the Number Bars and theTallChart,Claire,myfive-year-old,islearningaboutthevalueofmoney from the Supermarket Game, and 7-year-old Kristen enjoys everything in the Kit. If anything, all three are playing with it more than they were two weeks ago!”

Notes

Not with the wonder-working teaching aids on the market today.

– Не с теми чудесными учебными пособиями, которые продаются сегодня.

brand-new – совершенно новый in all – всего, в общей сложности

Assignments

1.Look through the article and say what it is about.

2.Match 2 columns:

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3.Search for the key-words which can be used to answer the question given in the title of the article.

4.Answer the questions to the article:

What problem does the article touch upon?

What is the author’s opinion on the problem? Do you agree with it? What skills do children acquire with the help of a new book? Compare the situation in the USA (or other English-speaking countries if available) and Russia and comment on them.

What will you offer your children when you become a parent? What unusual teaching aids have you heard or read about?

5.Render the article according to the plan, using new words and expressions.

KIDS WANT WHAT MONEY CAN’T BUY*

My son turned 5 recently. Naturally, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday.

“I want my cousins Jordan, Kamrin, Lauren, Aunt Monique, Aunt Karen, Uncle Ronnie, Pop Pop, Olivia, Jillian, mommy and daddy,” he answered.

I didn’t think Kevin understood what I meant. So I repeated the question.

“What do you want for your birthday?”

“I told you already. Oh yeah, cake, hats and plates. That’s it”, he said.

_________________

* The article is taken from “Newspaper in the Classroom” by S. Shukunda (p. 308 – 312)

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I tried asking a few more times until I realized that my son wanted most was what money couldn’t buy. All he really wanted was his family to come together to celebrate his birthday.

I’m sharing this story not to brag that my 5-year-old isn’t materialistic. I’m telling you about our conversation because my son reminded me that all he really needs – what most children need – is love, attention, acceptance, friends and family. That’s the moral of the story in “What Kids Really Want That Money Can’t Buy: Tips for Parenting in a Commercial World,” by Betsy Taylor (Warner Books, $22.95).

Taylor is the founder and president of the nonprofit Center for a New AmericanDream,anorganizationthatworkstocounterthecommercialization of our culture.

As I read Taylor’s book it struck me that every person responsible for raising a child needed to read this book.

“Before you begin to teach your children how to manage money, which is a really important skill, you should first ask them to think about what else in their lives is important besides stuff and money,” Taylor said in an interview. “The key part of money management is managing our wants.” I’ve said it time and again and I’ll keep saying it: The best way to set your finances straight is to understand the difference between a want and a need.

Do you want your children to be money savvy? Teach them that.

Taylor’sbookwasinspiredbyanessaycontestherorganizationsponsoredin which children were asked: “What do you really want that money can’t buy?” More than 2,000 children responded to the contest, Taylor said. The comments, drawings and essays from many of the children are the basis for

the book.

For example, here’s what Erika, 14, said: “My parents love me and buy me many things. I do things with my mom a lot, but my dad works and sleeps. I know we need the money, but I wish he would do more things with me.”

In a recent poll commissioned by the center, nearly 6 out of 10 kids age 9 to 14 said they’d rather spend time having fun with their parents than go shopping at the mall. Still, 58 percent of the children said they feel pressured to buy things in order to fit in.

How do you combat this peer pressure to consume?

“Knowing your core priorities is critical,” Taylor writes in her book. “Ask yourself, how much is enough? Americans from all backgrounds are buying upward, upgrading their lifestyles, taking on more debt, and in the process often unintentionally putting the squeeze on family time.”

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And their limited financial resources.

Throughout her book, Taylor offers tips and suggestions to battle marketing and advertising influences.

Here’s one of her suggestions: The next time your child has a birthday or as Christmas approaches, instead of asking what he or she wants, ask what you can do to make the occasion more memorable.

No doubt many children will still ask for a $175 pair of sneakers or a $200 video system. That’s fine. They can ask and there is nothing wrong with buying some of what they ask for (although personally, I draw the line at $175 shoes).

But maybe it’s time you spent more time and less money to give your child something money can’t buy. That’s the best way to raise good money managers.

Notes

hats– имеются в виду забавные (клоунские) колпаки, которые люди надевают на вечеринках для развлечения

That’s it – это все

to brag of/about/one’s courage – хвастаться своей храбростью nonprofit – неприбыльный

to counter – противостоять, противиться, противодействовать

to set finances straight – привести в порядок финансы, правильно распорядиться деньгами

money savvy – проявляющий разумность по отношению к деньгам to commission – заказывать

peer pressure – давление со стороны членов своего округа, особ. сверстников, одноклассников

critical – важный

to buy upward – «покупать вверх» – приобретать все более дорогие и престижные вещи

to put the squeeze on smth. – давить на что-л. sneakers – кроссовки

Assignments

1.Read and translate the article into Russian.

2.Find in the text the following set-expressions:

– мне показалось, я решил(а), что …;

– растить, воспитывать (ребенка);

– неоднократно, часто, то и дело;

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– веселиться, весело проводить время, развлекаться;

–главные приоритеты;

–влезть в долги, принять на себя долг;

–нет ничего плохого (в чем-л.);

–класть предел, конец, ставить точку. 3. Make the derivatives from:

intention, memory, commerce, real, to accept, to organize, to manage, to

differ, to draw.

4.Think of a different title of the story.

5.Answer the questions to the article:

What problem does the article highlight? What is the author’s opinion on the problem? Do you share the author’s opinion?

What aspects of life in the USA did you learn about in this article? Compare the situation in the USA (or other English-speaking countries if available) and Russia and comment on them.

What is the attitude towards this problem in our society? What have you read or heard about this phenomenon? Did anything surprise you?

Do you agree with the theory presented in the article?

Have you (or your friends) ever had to deal with the problem described in the article?

How will you bring up your children when you become a parent?

6.Whom can you advise this article to read?

7.Write the annotation to the article using the plan, new words and expressions.

GAMES CHILDREN PLAY*

(From «Toys Are No Joking Matter»)

I’m 56 and for 25 years I’ve been teaching children so I think I know their psychology. I want to take issue with Holger Zscheyge’s “What do you think about toy guns?” In his article he wrote: “Our country produces weapons for children’s games. I mean toy pistols, submachine guns and such war game as “Sea battles.” Of course these weapons are not real.

____________________

* The article is taken from “On Education: Practical book in English” by O. Melchina, L. Morozova (p. 40 – 41)

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