School Launch

Parent guide · Grade 1 Russian · Unit 1

Lesson 1.1 Ма́ма, па́па, брат, сестра́

Written for the parent. The Read aloud parts are written to your child; read them as they are. Do this parts are for you. Answers for you are marked Listen for.

At a glance

Time
3 sessions of 15–20 minutes
Goal
Name mom, dad, brother and sister in Russian. Say Э́то… (this is…) and point. Tell how a big sister took care of her little brother.
You need
  • Paper strips about two inches wide
  • Crayons
  • Tape
  • A sketchbook or plain paper, and crayons
  • A King James Bible
Print
Worksheet A · the lesson page (it also has a short video (2:28))

Steps

  1. Do this together: Who lives in your house? Count the people on your fingers. Today you learn to name your family in Russian.

  2. Read aloud: The story. About one hundred and fifty years ago, a Russian painter named Konstantin Makovsky painted two children in the country. Dark storm clouds are rolling in, and the wind is blowing. The big sister has picked up her little brother and is carrying him on her back as she hurries home across a log bridge over a stream. He is holding on tight and looking back at the storm. She will not let him go until they are safe.

    Read aloud: How Russian sounds. Ма́ма and па́па sound almost like English: MAH-muh, PAH-puh. Брат is like brought with a rolled r: braht. Сестра́ is sees-TRAH, loud at the end. To point at someone and say who it is, say Э́то (EH-tuh): Э́то ма́ма. This is Mom.

    Read aloud: Say it and move. Hug someone and say Ма́ма! or Па́па! Stand tall like a big brother: брат! Hold hands like sisters: сестра́!

  3. Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

    • ма́ма (mama) [MAH-muh]: mom
    • па́па (papa) [PAH-puh]: dad
    • брат (brat) [braht]: brother
    • сестра́ (sestra) [seest-RAH]: sister
    • э́то (eto) [EH-tuh]: this is
  4. A barefoot older girl carries her little brother on her back as she hurries across a narrow log bridge over a stream; dark storm clouds fill the sky behind them, and the grass bends in the wind.
    Children Running from a Thunderstorm, Konstantin Makovsky, 1872. Image: Wikimedia Commons, public domain

    Do this: Look at the picture together for a quiet minute before anyone talks.

    Read aloud: Makovsky painted many pictures of Russian children. Here we can almost feel the wind. The girl is not much bigger than her brother, but she carries him anyway.

    Point and find:

    • Who is carrying whom?
    • What is coming behind them?
    • Is the bridge wide or narrow?
    • How do you think the little brother feels?

    Ask:

    • “How can you help a brother or sister this week?”
    • “Who carries you when you are tired?”

  5. Show: Point to Dad and say who he is in Russian.

    Say this: “To say this is, say э́то.”

    Say this: “Dad is па́па.”

    Answer: Э́то па́па. (EH-tuh PAH-puh)

    Show: Your sister comes in. What is sister in Russian?

    Say this: “Sister is сестра́.”

    Say this: “The loud part is at the end: sees-TRAH.”

    Answer: Сестра́!

  6. Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

    Ask: Say mom in Russian.

    Listen for: Ма́ма.

    Ask: Say dad in Russian.

    Listen for: Па́па.

    Ask: Say brother in Russian.

    Listen for: Брат.

    3 more on the lesson page.

  7. Read aloud: Make a finger puppet for each person in your family and introduce them in Russian.

    Steps:

    1. Draw a face on a paper strip for each person: Mom, Dad, each brother and sister.
    2. Roll each strip into a ring that fits your finger and tape it.
    3. A parent writes the Russian word on the back of each one: ма́ма, па́па, брат, сестра́.
    4. Hold up each puppet and say: Э́то ма́ма! Э́то па́па!

    Tips for you:

    • Make one for yourself too, and say Э́то я (this is me).

    Done when your child can say:

    • I have a puppet for each family member.
    • I can say Э́то… for each one.

  8. Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

    1. Draw Mom, Dad and a brother or sister in your picture dictionary. A parent writes ма́ма, па́па, брат and сестра́ under them for you to trace.

  9. Read aloud: In Russian families, grandparents often live close by or in the same home and help raise the children. Many Russian children spend their summers with their grandparents in the country.

    • Saying SES-tra. The loud part is at the end: sees-TRAH.
    • Saying “Э́то is ма́ма.” In Russian there is no word for is here: Э́то ма́ма.

  11. A parent describes a family member in English (He is tall and he drives the car). The child guesses and answers in Russian: Э́то па́па!

  12. Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Name mom, dad, brother and sister in Russian.; Say Э́то… (this is…) and point.; Tell how a big sister took care of her little brother.

  13. Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

    Ephesians 6:1 (KJV)

    In the Russian Bible (Synodal translation), this verse reads: <i class="ru-bible" lang="ru">Дети, повинуйтесь своим родителям в Господе</i> God gave you a family to love you and take care of you. Listening to your parents is a way to love God.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

  1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Picture study and show how.
  2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
  3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.