General interests

(by Louise Bates Ames, Frances L. Ilg)

When your child is an infant, each new accomplishment or ability can be the occasion for excitement and rejoicing. That first word, that first step, that first tooth tend to be greeted as if no such thing had ever happened before.

By the time he is five, chances are you have become more accustomed to the fact that he has continued to do remarkable things and add new abilities to his repertoire. You enjoy his enjoyment in these new abilities, but you are a little less anxious if they are late, a little less proud if they are early.

By five the usual boy or girl has arrived at a good balance between what he would like to do and what he can do. And what he likes most of all to do is play. Most Fives play very well indeed. The body is now under a more smooth and skillful control, and therefore most Fives can play without too much adult help or guidance.

Five fits well into the usual kindergarten because he loves the usual kindergarten activities. Cutting, tracing, drawing, pasting stringing beads, making things with small pieces of paper and cloth – all activities that leave quite a clutter of little snips and pieces – give the Five-year-old a chance to practice his increasing constructive and creative abilities.

Both girls and boys love blocks – little blocks and big blocks – though they tend to use them in somewhat different ways. Girls build houses for their dolls, whereas boys are more likely to build roads, tracks, bridges, tunnels, trucks, planes, and fire engines.

However, both sexes like to build big houses with big blocks, or tent houses made of chairs draped with blankets, and then they love to snuggle inside these structures. Often they do not do much once inside, except perhaps talk about how they are now “nice and safe” from whatever they may imagine threatens them on outside.

Dolls, too, are of great interest to Fives. Naturally they pretend these dolls are babies, and both boys and girls like to play house with their dolls, dressing them, feeding them, putting them to bed or taking them for rides in their carriage. All of this fits into their general love of playing “house,” with one or the other of the supposed parents going out to work, the other staying at home to take care of the “housework.”

Hospital or doctor play is not as strong as it was at Four, and playing school usually waits till Six.

Both boys and girls enjoy all sorts of gross motor play, with tricycle-riding a general favorite. And five loves to swing, climb, skip, roller-skate, and jump from heights. If climbable trees are available, he loves to climb. Jump rope is coming in as well as attempted acrobatics, trapeze tricks, or even walking on stilts. Roller skates and ice skates are favorites with many.

Most play activities are enjoyed by both boys and girls, though girls are likely to prefer sewing, boys, and carpentry. Jigsaw puzzles are fun for both, and those children who are spatially well oriented can sometimes master rather complicated patterns.

Others enjoy use of such simple science materials as the magnet, magnifying glass, flashlight, and stethoscope. And still others spend a lot of time with games in which they match pictures or forms, or greatly enjoy copying letters and numbers.

Imaginative play, especially playing house, as mentioned, is still very strong, but Five is a factual age and many Five-year-olds like best of all to work with materials, to actually make things, solve puzzles, play games that require a certain application of the intellect. Five is growing up.

( from “Your Five-year-Old. Sunny and Serene.” Chapter V, pp.32-35 )

5. a) Найдите в тексте предложения, содержащие глаголы в страдательном залоге, и переведите их.

б) Найдите в тексте предложения, содержащие конструкции с инфинитивом, переведите их.

в) Найдите в тексте предложения, в которых глаголы заканчиваются на -ing. Разберите их по членам предложения, переведите.

6. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What do Five-year-olds like most of all to do?

2. Why does Five fit well into the usual kindergarten?

3. What sorts of motor play do boys and girls enjoy?

4. What activities give Five-year-olds a chance to practice his increasing constructive and creative abilities?

5. What materials do Five-year-olds like best of all to work with?

7. Выполните перевод следующих предложений на английский язык:

1. Дети развивают свою автономию через взаимоотношения. (to develop)

2. Кто предложил это решение? (to suggest the solution)

3. Что вносит вклад в эмоциональное развитие ребенка? (to contribute to)

4. Учителя используют теорию Пиаже в классе? (Piaget’s theory)

5. Что стимулируют групповые игры? (to stimulate)

8. Опровергните данные утверждения:

1. By Five the usual boy or girl has never arrived at a good balance between what he would like to do and what he can do.

2. Most Fives cannot play without too much adult help or guidance.

3. Neither girls nor boys love to play with blocks very much.

4. Girls don’t like to build houses for their dolls; they are more likely to build roads, tracks, bridges, tunnels, trucks, planes, and fire engines

5. Boys like to play house with dolls, dressing them, feeding them, putting them to bed or taking them for rides in their carriage.

6. Doll is not of great interest to Fives.

7. Hospital or doctor play is as strong as it was at four.

8. Fives also like best of all playing school.

9. Most play activities are enjoyed by both boys and girls, though girls are likely to prefer carpentry, boys, and sewing.

10. Fives enjoy matching pictures and copying letters but they don’t like to swing or skip.

9. Составьте 10 вопросов анкеты для родителей детей пятилетнего возраста, о том в какие игры любят играть их дети.

Литература

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11. NAEYC Position Statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programmes Serving Children From Birth Through Age 8.- NAYAC: Washington, D.C. 2005.

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14. The Scholastic Instructor, April, USA, 2001.

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