Growing and Changing
FoundationEveryone grows step by step from a baby and learns new skills; we all grow at different speeds — accept yourself and live healthily.
- Everyone grows step by step from a baby, learning new skills at each stage.
- Growing up is like climbing stairs: baby, toddler, child, and later an adult.
- Growth speeds differ, so do not compare yourself with others.
文體小知識：說明文把成長的過程講得明白。這一篇帶你回望成長的階段，學會接納自己，健康快樂地長大。
§Text Passage
1Everyone grows from a baby. Look at old photos: as babies we could only cry, drink milk and sleep, unable even to hold up our heads; around one, we learned to walk and to babble; in kindergarten we could sing, draw and feed ourselves; now in Primary One we can read, write, help at home and take care of ourselves.
2Growing up is like climbing stairs, step by step: baby, toddler, child — and later a teenager and an adult. Each year we can do more: from being fed to feeding ourselves, from being led by the hand to tying our own shoelaces. Our abilities grow, and so does the help we can give.
3Yet everyone grows at a different speed. Some classmates lose their teeth early, some late; some are taller, some shorter; some run fast, some jump far. All this is normal, just as flowers bloom at different times — sooner or later each blossoms beautifully in its own way.
4So do not compare yourself with others, and do not feel sad for being a little shorter or thinner. Eat well, sleep enough and exercise, and your body will grow healthily. Accept and enjoy your own progress — a little better than yesterday is the finest growth of all!
1Summary 重點摘要
Everyone grows step by step from a baby and learns new skills; we all grow at different speeds — accept yourself and live healthily.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The body grows bigger and we can do more and more.
A newborn child who needs adults for everything.
A small child who has learned to walk, about one to three years old.
A period in growing up, such as babyhood.
The process by which body and abilities mature.
To judge who is better; growing up needs no such comparing.
To accept and like yourself as you are.
Things you can do, such as reading, writing and tying shoelaces.
Doing better than before.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Look back at your growing stagesEveryone passes through the same stages: first a baby, who only drinks milk, sleeps and cries, needing an adult even to turn over; around one year, a toddler who learns to sit, crawl and walk and says Papa and Mama; in kindergarten a small child who feeds and dresses himself and sings and draws; now a primary pupil who reads, writes and packs his own schoolbag. Later we shall be teenagers and adults. Step by step we learn more and more — that is the track of growing up.
- Step 2: Count the new skills of each stageThink: at every stage we learn new skills. Babies lift the head, roll over and crawl. Toddlers walk, speak short sentences and scribble with crayons. Kindergarten children count, dress themselves and share toys with friends. Primary pupils do even more: writing, simple adding, rope-skipping and helping parents with chores. No skill is learned in a day — practice adds them up slowly. With more abilities we can help more, and that is the joy of growing up.
- Step 3: Everyone grows at a different speedLook around your class: some pupils are tall and thin, some short and strong; some lost their front teeth at seven, some not yet; some write many words, some are still practising. All this is normal, for everyone grows at a different speed — like people walking up stairs, some earlier, some later, but all arrive in the end. Do not worry that you are slower, and never laugh at others for being late; each has his own timetable, and what matters is being healthy and happy.
- Step 4: Accept yourself, not compareAlways comparing height or marks with others only makes us unhappy. Learn to accept yourself: your looks are a gift from your parents, your height and weight are still growing, and your abilities can be trained every day. Look in the mirror and name three good points, such as: My smile is lovely, My rope-skipping has improved, I can help Mummy set the table. Enjoy your own strengths and admire others' too, learning from classmates without feeling small — then everyone grows up happily.
- Step 5: Healthy living helps you growTo grow well, remember the three treasures of growth. Eat a balanced diet — rice, vegetables, meat and fruit all on the table, with plenty of water. Sleep enough — about ten hours a day, for growth hormone flows most in deep sleep. Move enough — an hour of exercise daily; rope-skipping, running and swimming all strengthen the bones. Add a cheerful heart and some sunshine, and you will climb higher and higher. Fewer soft drinks and snacks, and your teeth and body will thank you on the road of growth.
- Step 6: Keep a growth bookAsk your parents to help you make a growth book: paste in photos of the baby, the toddler and now, and write down the new skills of each stage — when you learned to walk, when the first tooth fell out, when you learned to cycle. On every birthday, measure your height and weight and draw the growth line to see how tall you have grown. Open the book and you will find how far you have come, and understand: I have grown step by step too, and every step is worth feeling proud of!
5Worked example Example
Example: Long-Long finds a photo of himself at three months old, lying down and waving his little hands. Compare it with Long-Long today and name three ways he has grown.
- As a baby he could only lie, drink milk, cry and sleep — everything needed an adult.
- Progress one: today he walks and climbs stairs by himself, no carrying needed.
- Progress two: he can talk and read — storybooks — and write his own name.
- Progress three: he can care for himself — eating, dressing, packing his schoolbag — and helps with chores.
- Answer: Compared with his baby days, Long-Long has at least three big steps forward: moving about on his own, talking and reading, and caring for himself while helping at home. Each stage brings new skills — that is growing up.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What could we do as babies?
Q2What is the order of growth stages?
Q3Do all classmates grow at the same speed?
Q4What are the three treasures of growth?
Q5What should you think if you are smaller than others?
8Recap Recap
- Everyone grows step by step from a baby, learning new skills at each stage.
- Growing up is like climbing stairs: baby, toddler, child, and later an adult.
- Growth speeds differ, so do not compare yourself with others.
- Accept yourself and enjoy your own progress.
- Balanced diet, enough sleep and exercise make healthy growth.