Romney的來信

前天收到了印有Romney字樣的信件。老爸得意洋洋的對兒子一揮：“Look,Romney sent a letter to me."

兒子一看，激動起來：“Let me take a look. I want to know what this letter is about."

老爸不看也知道，就遞給了兒子。兒子讀了第一段，就說：“Dad, it is a letter asking for donation. Come on, you are not even a citizen and you can't even vote, Why bother." 老爸得意呢，又培養出了一個liberal。

兒子得到老爸的許可，就直接扔垃圾箱了。

昨天從學校回來，兒子見老爸就問：”Where is the letter Romney sent to you? I want to look at it again, and I am going to bring itto the school tomorrow."

"Why?" 老爸有點好奇。

“I had a conversation with Mr. XXX, my social study teacher. He is interested in the letter." 兒子說。

老爸知道機會來了，就對兒子說：“See, I have asked you to read Times magazine carefully, and you always tell me it is boring. Now if Mr. XXX asks you about Romney, what can you say about him? Let's continue the reading..." 

老爸和兒子開始一天閱讀一篇Times雜誌的文章有兩三個禮拜了。兒子讀完，畫出他不認識的生詞，老爸負責查字典。第二天開始新一篇的時候，讓兒子拿著生詞卡，對著前一天的文章看一下句子，理解一下生詞的含義，再開始新的循環。兒子的詞匯量到了讀Times雜誌的水平，平均每頁有兩到三個生詞的樣子。但查字典他還是嫌繁瑣。所以，和兒子商量，他讀，老爸查字典，每天花十五分鍾，用這個辦法來擴大他的詞匯量。

美國的學校教學內容很大程度上是老師決定的。在經曆了六年級沒有詞匯學習的一年，今年新的老師決定了詞匯學習的內容，每個孩子發了一本詞匯書。兒子拿到手一看，是他五年級Gifted program時用過的書。老爸告訴他，學詞匯是不能指望老師的。一個班上孩子的程度不一樣，老師隻能照顧全體。他要想多學，隻能靠自己多讀書了。

一個好老師能對孩子有很大的改變。這個social study老師是兒子的cross country教練，兒子從六年級參加cross country就認識他，也一直喜歡他。但願老師與兒子對Romney信件的討論能讓兒子更關心時事，對讀Times更上心一些。

（二0一二年九月份二十六日）

附：一個ZT來的小孩英文雜誌介紹：

Ask (Ages 7–10).  A Smithsonian magazine for younger readers, Ask is a science and discovery magazine for elementary-age children. The magazine features the best in science, history, technology, and the arts. Young readers investigate the world with inventors, artists, thinkers, and scientists of the past and present. Web site: http://www.cobblestonepub.com.

Babybug (6 Months–2 Years).  “A board-book magazine designed for small hands” (cardboard pages, 6 1/4 by 7 inches with rounded edges and no staples). Babybug contains simple stories, rhymes, and colorful pictures. Web site: http://www.cricketmag.com.

Boy’s Life (Ages 7–17).  Published by Boy Scouts of America, this magazine covers electronics, cartoon features, sports, hobbies and crafts, careers, history and science, and scouting projects and programs. Fiction is also included. Web site: http://www.scouting.org.

Boys’ Quest (Ages 6–12).  In addition to fiction and nonfiction pieces, Boys’ Quest has many exploratory, investigative, and problem-solving pages. This publication “emphasizes wholesome, innocent, childhood interests” and is designed “to inspire boys to develop interest in reading at an early age.” Web site: http://www.boysquest.com.

Calliope (Ages 8–15). World history and archaeology are presented to young readers through fiction and nonfiction, time lines, maps, activities, and historical photographs, demonstrating that history is a continuation of events, not a series of isolated, unrelated occurrences. Web site: http://www.cobblestonepub.com.

Chickadee (Ages 6–9).Chickadee is a science and nature magazine from Canada for younger children. Illustrated with drawings and color photographs, each issue contains a short story or poem, an easy-to-read animal story, puzzles, a science experiment, and a pull-out poster. Web site: http://www.owlkids.com.

Childart (6–14).  Published by the International Child Art Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting child art and visual learning, ChildArt presents a broad view of the world of art. Often written from a child’s perspective, the magazine looks at art history, contemporary art and artists, and the variety of forms art may assume. Children’s artwork also appears in this publication. Web site: http://www.icaf.org.

Click (Ages 3–7).  A Smithsonian magazine, Click is a science and discovery magazine for young children. Thirty-eight full-color pages are filled with exciting photographs, beautiful illustrations, and stories and articles that are both entertaining and thought provoking. Parents also get an online Parent’s Companion with suggestions for things to do and books to read. Web site: http:// www.cobblestonepub.com.

Cobblestone (Ages 8–15).  American history comes alive through articles, maps, illustrations, songs, poems, puzzles, crafts, and activities. Web site: http:// www.cobblestonepub.com.

Cousteau Kids (Ages 7–15).  Published by the Cousteau Society, this magazine is packed with news and adventures from Cousteau expeditions and amazing stories about the wet and wild creatures of the sea. Web site: http:// www.cousteaukids.org.

Creative Kids (Ages 8–14).  Creative Kids is a forum for children’s writing. Young writers’ work about almost any subject may be accepted for publication. Web site: http://www.prufrock.com.

Cricket (Ages 9–14).  This magazine publishes quality stories, poems, and nonfiction pieces often written by well-known names in the field of children’s literature. It is nicely illustrated in full color. Web site: http://www.cricketmag.com.

Dig (Ages 9–14).  Dig, published with the Archaeological Institute of America, lets young people share in the thrill of archaeological discovery while learning about the cultural, scientific, and architectural traits and beliefs of different societies. Recent developments in the field of archaeology form the magazine’s core subject matter. Each issue focuses on one theme, providing a broad understanding of the topic. Colorful graphics, photos, puzzles, games, and hands-on projects enhance cognitive and critical thinking skills. Web site: http://www.cobblestonepub.com.

Faces (Ages 8–14).  This magazine explores and celebrates human diversity. The editorial staff is aided by the Anthropology Department of the American Museum of Natural History in creating a magazine that examines the lifestyles, beliefs, and customs of world cultures. Web site: http://www.cobblestonepub.com.

Highlights for Children (Ages 2–12).  Highlights contains fiction, nonfiction, science projects and experiments, craft projects, games, puzzles, and hidden pictures. It emphasizes “values instead of violence” and “fun with a purpose.” Web site: http://www.highlightsforchildren.com.

Hopscotch (Ages 6–12).  Hopscotch is a magazine for young girls that includes articles and features, short stories, poetry, nonfiction, games, crafts, and activities. It is one of the few magazines targeted at younger girls. Web site: http://www.hopscotchmagazine.com.

Kids Discover (Ages 6–12).  Each issue is themed, focusing on a fascinating subject that is sure to stimulate young curiosity. Illustrations, diagrams, and photographs illuminate each topic, such as the construction and use of skyscrapers. Web site: http://kidsdiscover.com.

Ladybug (Ages 2–6).  Each issue includes songs, finger plays, poems, nursery rhymes, longer read-aloud stories illustrated by award-winning illustrators, and activities for preschool and primary grade children. Ladybug is designed to encourage a lifetime of reading and learning in youngsters. Web site: http:// www.cricketmag.com.

Muse (Ages 10+).  A Smithsonian magazine for children, Muse is produced by the editors and publishers of Cricket magazine. It features articles covering the breadth and wonder of the Smithsonian’s collections and research, including topics such as the latest technology, architecture, paleontology, music, physics, theater, math, visual arts, earth sciences, space travel, ancient and modern world history, and almost everything else in the universe. Web site: http://www.cobblestonepub.com.

National Geographic Kids (Ages 8–14).  Designed to encourage geographic awareness in young readers, National Geographic Kids includes full-color pictures, short articles, far-out facts, and activities. Children who subscribe become members of the National Geographic Society. Web site: http://www.nationalgeographic.com.

Nickelodeon Magazine (Ages 6–14).  Nickelodeon Magazine is a humorous publication with the same irreverent tone of the Nickelodeon cable channel. It focuses on popular culture and is formatted in a busy, energetic style. Web site: http://www.nick.com.

Odyssey (Ages 10–16).  With a focus on physical and natural science, this magazine contains full-length articles, star charts, spectacular photographs, activities, contests, puzzles, and interviews. Web site: http://www.cobblestonepub.com.

Owl (Ages 9–14).  Owl is a beautifully illustrated nature magazine from Canada. Full-color photographs and paintings illustrate an interesting assortment of articles, stories, and experiments concerning the environment. Web site: http://www.owlkids.com.

Ranger Rick (Ages 6–12).  Ranger Rick contains nonfiction, fiction, jokes and riddles, crafts and activities, plays, and poetry—all focused on nature and natural history. This well-illustrated magazine comes with membership in the Ranger Rick Nature Club. Web site: http://www.nwf.org/rangerrick.

Skipping Stones (Ages 7–16).  Skipping Stones is a multicultural, multilingual magazine accepting art and original writings from people of all ages and from all corners of the globe. Issues have included photos, stories, and art by children from Russia; traditional arts and crafts of East Africa; environmental games in Spanish and English; and songs from India. Web site: http://www.skippingstones.org.

Spider (Ages 6–9).  Spider includes quality stories, poems, and nonfiction pieces. It is nicely illustrated in full color. Web site: http://www.cricketmag.com.

Sports Illustrated for Kids (Ages 8–13).  This magazine focuses on sports-related subjects and introduces young readers to professional and amateur sports figures, including athletes who began their careers at young ages. Departments include sports cards, legends, puzzles, activities, and “Tips from the Pros.” Web site: http://www.sikids.com.

Stone Soup (Ages 6–13).  Stone Soup is a bimonthly literary magazine that publishes fiction, poetry, book reviews, and art produced by children. Web site: http://www.stonesoup.com.

Time for Kids (Big Picture Edition, Ages 3–6; News Scoop Edition, Grades 2–3; World Report Edition, Grades 4–6).  Time for Kids is a news and nonfiction magazine that comes in three editions matched to age level. Features include articles, maps, charts, and graphs about current events; activities that build critical thinking skills; ideas for research projects and writing assignments; and a weekly teacher’s guide. Web site: http://www.timeforkids.com.

Your Big Backyard (Ages 3–5).  This magazine presents a conservation message by focusing on animals and nature. Each issue contains a “read-to-me” story and encourages language and number skills in very young children. Web site: http://www.nwf.org/yourbigbackyard.

Zoobooks (Ages 5–14).  This magazine contains photographs, artwork, and scientific facts about wildlife and often focuses on a particular animal. Web site: http://www.zoobooks.com.