Comprehension Poem - 1 "A time to Believe"

Poem - A time to Believe

     - B. J. Morbitzer

"To believe is to know that

every day is a new beginning.

Is to trust that miracles happen,

and dreams really do come true.

To believe is to see angels

dancing among the clouds,

To know the wonder of a stardust sky

and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart,

The innocence of a child's eyes

and the beauty of an aging hand,

for it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe is to find the strength

and courage that lies within us

When it's time to pick up

the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know

we are not alone,

That life is a gift

and this is our time to cherish it.

To believe is to know

that wonderful surprises are just

waiting to happen,

And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

If only we believe..."

Questions:

1. What should we know and trust everyday?

Answer - We should know and trust that everyday is a new beginning, and also that miracles do happen and dreams do come true.

2. What are the two super natural references in the second stanza?

Answer - The two super natural references in the stanza include angels and the man in the moon.

3. What two qualities are needed to recover, after a shocking event?

Answer - The two qualities that are needed to recover after a shocking event includes strength and courage.

4. Who is the poet of this poem?

Answer - The poet of this poem is B. J. Morbitzer.

5. What kind of attitude does the poet advise everybody to have?

Answer - The poet advises is to be positive and have an optimistic attitude. He wants us to believe that everyday comes with new opportunities and has a new beginning and miracles do happen. 

6. What does the poet have to say about nurturing?

Answer - Nurturing is caring. When someone nurtures us, be it our parents or our teachers; we should believe and try to value what they tell us based on their vast experience and wish to give us an advice. 

7. Any five qualities that you can pick up from the poem?

Answer - Love, Trust, Courage, Belief, Strength.

8.A. Write words from the poem that describe the following:

a) sky   -  stardust sky.

b) heart -  nurturing heart.

c) hand  -  ageing hand.

d) beginning - new beginning.

e) surprises - wonderful surprises.

8.B. Rearrange the letters to make meaningful words:

a) "clearmis" - miracles.

b) "sowmid"   - wisdom.

c) "gearuoc"  - courage.

d) "rissupser" - surprises.

e) "tabyue" - beauty.

f) "madres" - dreams.

g) "laveu" - value.

h) "downre" - wonder.

8.C. What do the following words mean?

a) aging - growing old.

b) nurturing - to provide nourishment and care.

c) pick up the pieces - return to normal after a shock.

d) cherish - hold something dearly and of great value.

The Boy with a Green Cloth - Motivational Story

A building construction work was going on nearby. Lots of poor laborers were working there and their small children used to hold onto one another's shirt and play "train-train". Someone would become the engine and others would become bogies. Every day these children used to take turns becoming the engine and bogies but there was one small boy wearing only a half pant who used to hold one small green cloth in his hand and become the guard daily. 

I went to him and asked him, "Child, don't you also wish to become an engine or a bogie some time?" He softly replied, " Sir , I don't have a shirt to wear so how will the other children catch me to make the train?" I could see the slight wetness in his eyes.

But it gave me a lesson - he could have cried and sat at home and abused his parents for not affording to buy him a shirt but instead he chose another way to play and enjoy himself. In life, we don't get all things we desire and we keep complaining, "I don't have a bike,  I don't have car, I don't have this or that etc."

 Life is like that ....we need to make it beautiful and be grateful of what we have. 

O Beautiful Butterfly Poem

O Beautiful Butterfly!

- Poem by me

O Beautiful Butterfly,

How did you die?

Did someone clip your wings?

Did someone asked you not to fly?

I am sure you wanted to soar high.

I am sure you wanted to fly.

But I am not sure what went wrong,

I wonder how you died?

Did some bird peck you,

Unaware of the harm it could cause to you?

Did some passerby step on you,

Unknown to your existence?

I am sure they meant no harm,

But it won't bring you back.

Back to life that you wished to live,

Back to soar high.

I know you wanted to live.

I know you wished to survive.

But I will always remember you,

As I saw you die, o beautiful butterfly!

New Year Resolution Poem for Children - 1

 New Year Resolution Poem 1

Just think, think, think,

of the things you can do,

to make yourself better,

before the year's through.

Resolutions can be tough,

but here's the thing,

once you get going,

there is no stopping you.

Kids - The Unsung Heroes of Corona Virus

This Corona Virus pandemic has left us speechless and helpless. The doctors, medical care workers, police and soldiers and essential service workers have been fighting on the front line trying to offer us services and help that we need. But in this testing times, we have to acknowledge our kids who have been patient beyond their age and understanding for all these days. It is not easy for those young minds to stay indoors throughout their vacation time when they could actually enjoy being with friends and travel places with their family. 

Vacation is a time when kids get to play in open spaces and visit their native places. But none of this could happen because COVID struck us badly. Everything changed overnight and everyone got stuck at home. It must have been hard on them being home all the time playing just with the toys or watching TV. They frankly don't deserve this as it is not their fault. The harsh world that we have created has affected them badly. They deserve an apology for our mistakes. But these young minds irrespective of their age have been patient, learning and wondering what would happen next. They have been a helping hand, who did not add to our problems but in fact their tighter hugs provided encouragement and a will to survive.

So, what we need to do is provide them with a space for themselves where they could have fun. Let them play with colors and crayons. Let them paint or draw. Allow them to investigate, learn and get answers. Allow them a space within the house which could be made dirty by their science experiments. Read them stories and spend time with them as much as you could. Consider this time to be a blessing as you can spend some creative time with your kids. Make them feel special at times and show them that they are appreciated. Make it a point to cook their favorite dish which brings smile on their face. Allow them to be part of your daily chores in anyway they could. As they are our heroes who should be appreciated for showing maturity at such a young age.

Expansion of Idea - Making The Best Of life

We have got into the habit of complaining and grumbling about our problems and difficulties. Instead of facing our problems and finding solution for it, what we do is whine over our troubles. By doing so we can never achieve any solution to the problem we face or never get any success out of our life.

Life is mean at times. But the best that we can do about it is face it with all our might and try to make the best of it. When we try to find solutions instead of crying and whining, we realize that life is not that bad at all. And in all that meanness which life throws at us, we can find those moments of joy and happiness which can make life worth living and enjoying. It is all about the attitude with which we approach life. As they say -

"However mean your life is,

meet it and live it;

do not shun it and

call it hard names."

Why Cognitive Skills Are Important For Children

The memory of a person has an ability to learn and process new information. This capacity to adapt and understand new things which could include a high level of perception to certain information or understanding written data, could vary from person to person. Such an ability to interpret and process certain notion is termed as Cognitive Skill. Every individual has his or her own level of capacity to cognitive functioning which usually develops during the childhood. At an early age children are more adaptive in learning new skills and functions. As compared to an adult, a child can absorb and analyze information to greater levels. And hence learning to improve cognitive skills for children is very important at an early age.

Six Important Cognitive Skills

- Memory.

- Attention.

- Processing.

- Perception.

- Mobility.

- Logic and Reasoning.

Need of Cognitive Skills for Children

In today's competitive world nothing is easy. Not even for children! The competition starts right at the school level and continues to rise every single level. Smart kids make their way through but certain children cannot always work up their way to the top. This is where the development of cognitive skills for children comes handy. The development of cognitive skills not only helps in a child's progress but it also improves other key areas pertaining to his or her academics such as  learning, attention span, memory  and perception. A child with improved cognitive skills can grasp and comprehend way better than other children. And this evaluation of information by a child works in a positive manner in his or her  overall development.

Teaching Cognitive Skills to Children

Every parent dreams about their child's excellent academic and social growth. They wish their child grow smarter and do well in his life. As every plant needs regular dose of water, sunlight and good care to grow, so does children. Certain cognitive skills such as perception, concentration, memory, logical thinking, and thought process needs proper learning as these skills need to be taught.  Every single parent out there should be aware of this fact that cognitive skills need to be 'taught' . For example, a child may pay attention in the class but still be unable to focus or concentrate on the words he is been taught. And concentration is one of the important cognitive skill a child needs to learn to perform well academically.

In the similar manner, no progress could be achieved from a child who has problem in recalling what he had learnt. If a child has a habit of forgetting what is been taught to him, then it is important to work in this area by teaching cognitive skills which would benefit  in improving his memory.  Not just teachers but even parents need to play an important role in this matter. At an early age children can learn these cognitive skills and absorb way better than adults. And hence it is important to empower a child to grow smarter by sharpening his cognitive skills.