Master of My Daily Routine
FoundationMake a daily timetable, sleep ten hours, manage your time and belongings, tell needs from wants, and learn to save.
- Make a timetable so study, play, exercise and rest are all balanced.
- Sleep about ten hours a day; early to bed, early to rise.
- Manage yourself: your washing, your time and your belongings.
文體小知識：說明文把方法一步一步教你。這一篇教你編時間表、睡好覺、管好自己和零用錢，做個作息小管家。
§Text Passage
1There are twenty-four hours in a day — how do we use them well? A wise child makes a daily timetable: get up, wash and have breakfast; focus in class; do homework first after school, then play and exercise; read after dinner and go to bed on time. With a timetable there is time for study, play, exercise and rest, and nothing gets put off.
2Sleep is the body's charging time. Primary pupils need about ten hours a night. Growth hormone flows most when we are fast asleep, so good sleep helps us grow tall, remember well and stay full of energy. Sleep early and rise early — in bed by nine thirty, up by seven, every day, and the body stays strong.
3Self-management also means caring for ourselves and our things: comb your hair, bathe and wear clean clothes daily, and cut your nails when they grow long. Watch the time in the morning and never be late; keep your Octopus card, pocket money and keys in a fixed place, put them back after use, and check them before leaving home.
4Spend pocket money wisely: stationery and bus fares are needs; toys and stickers are wants. Meet the needs first, and for wants, wait and save. Put some money in a piggy bank or the bank — little by little you can buy a beloved book, and you have learned the first step of money management!
1Summary 重點摘要
Make a daily timetable, sleep ten hours, manage your time and belongings, tell needs from wants, and learn to save.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A chart showing what to do at each time of the day.
The daily pattern of rising, study, play and sleep.
The body's rest and recharge; about ten hours a day for pupils.
Managing yourself: your time, hygiene and belongings.
A common payment card in Hong Kong for buses and shopping.
A little money from parents for us to use.
Things we must have, like stationery and fares.
Things we wish for but do not have to have, like toys and stickers.
Keeping money to use later.
A small pot for keeping coins.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Make your own timetableTake a sheet of paper and plan the day: get up at seven, wash and have breakfast; lessons from eight; home at four with a snack and a rest; homework from four thirty; finished at five thirty, then an hour of running or ball games in the park; dinner at seven; reading or helping at home at eight; a bath at nine; in bed by nine thirty. Post the plan in front of your desk and follow it daily. Then study, play, exercise and rest all find their time, and nothing gets put off to the last minute.
- Step 2: Understand why sleep mattersWhy sleep early? Because the body does important work while we sleep: the brain sorts out what we learned in the day, and the body sends out growth hormone to make us taller and stronger. Primary pupils need about ten hours, so bed at nine thirty and up at seven works well. What if we sleep too little? We feel dull in class, forget easily, get cross quickly and fall ill more often. In the hour before bed, keep away from screens, drink some warm water and listen to a story — relaxing makes falling asleep easy.
- Step 3: Be a clean and tidy childSelf-management starts with caring for yourself: brush your teeth morning and night and comb your hair before leaving; bathe daily and change into clean clothes and socks; cut your nails once a week; tidy your desk after use and put dirty clothes in the basket. Do these without being told, or make a checklist for your door and tick off each job. A clean, tidy child is healthy and full of spirit, and classmates and teachers are glad to be near you.
- Step 4: Manage your time, never be lateTime gone never comes back, so treasure it. The night before, lay out your uniform and pack your bag. When the alarm rings, get up at once — no lying in bed. Wash and eat briskly, and leave plenty of time to walk to school so you are never late. Do homework with full attention instead of playing as you work; finishing quickly leaves more time to play. Put a little clock on your desk and note how long each job takes — soon you will plan your time better and better, a true master of the clock.
- Step 5: Keep your belongings safeKeep your Octopus card, pocket money and house keys in a fixed place, such as the small pocket in front of your schoolbag, and put them back right after use. Before school, check that they are all there. At school, put your jacket away or hang it up so it is not lost; in PE lessons, slide your watch into the inner pocket of your bag. If you find something that is not yours, hand it to a teacher. Caring for your things spares your parents worry and saves you the upset of losing them — that is self-management.
- Step 6: Spend pocket money wiselyWhen you receive pocket money, think first: bus fares and stationery are needs, so keep money aside for them; toys and stickers are wants, and wants can wait. For a beloved book or toy, save a little each week in the piggy bank until you have enough, or put the money in the bank and watch your savings grow. Before buying, ask three questions: Is it a need or a want? Do I have something similar at home? Can I do without it? Then your money is well spent, and you build the fine habit of saving.
5Worked example Example
Example: Every Saturday Yee-Yee watches TV for three hours in the morning and games all afternoon, rushes her homework on Sunday night and sleeps at odd hours. She also spends her fifty-dollar weekly pocket money on stickers on day one. Help her design a Saturday timetable and plan her money.
- A good timetable balances: homework first in the clear morning; time for sports, play and rest; and a fixed bedtime.
- A suggested plan: up at eight, wash and breakfast; homework nine to ten thirty; cycling in the park ten thirty to eleven thirty; half an hour of reading after lunch; playing with friends or a hobby class at two; helping set the table at five; a family walk after dinner; a bath at nine and bed by nine thirty.
- For money: keep thirty dollars for needs such as fares and stationery, spend ten on a small treat, and save ten in the piggy bank.
- Follow the plan for a week: no more Sunday-night rush, happier play and better sleep.
- Answer: Yee-Yee should do homework first on Saturday morning, then sport and play, and sleep by nine thirty. For money, cover needs first, spend a little on wants, and save some every week. Then study, play and rest are all in balance, and her money is used wisely.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1How many hours of sleep do primary pupils need?
Q2Are fares and stationery needs or wants?
Q3Where should you keep your Octopus card?
Q4What should a timetable include?
Q5What if you want a book but lack money?
8Recap Recap
- Make a timetable so study, play, exercise and rest are all balanced.
- Sleep about ten hours a day; early to bed, early to rise.
- Manage yourself: your washing, your time and your belongings.
- Tell needs from wants, and meet the needs first.
- Save part of your pocket money each week; little by little it grows.