День 10 из 37: Шоколад на щеке!
📚 Слова́ дня · Words of the day: 9 – ша́пка, чай, ча́шка, шокола́д, аква́риум, and the body: плечо́, у́ши, живо́т, щека́.
🔤 Бу́квы дня · Letters of the day: 4 – Ж Ч Ш Щ. New shapes – careful: Ш is not a W, Ч is not a 4!
⏱ Part 1 = 15 minutes – everybody finishes it. Part 2 = more, only if you want. · 🗺️ All days
Stand up! Yesterday's homework: clap and stamp – «Ру́ки – хлоп-хлоп! Но́ги – топ-топ!» – then show them: «Вот ру́ки! Вот но́ги!» 👐🦶
You remembered it – that is your first win today. Today: a cup of tea, a piece of chocolate – and four new letters that look like nothing in English. ☕🍫
- Don't read anything yet. Watch where things are: the hat on her head, Slinky on her shoulder, the chocolate on her cheek. Listen to the end: на голове́, на плече́, на щеке́ – like на столе́. 👂
- Tap the words above to hear them.
Say every word aloud and show it – the gesture is under the picture. The movement falls on the loud syllable: ЧАЙ – blow on your tea; шо-ко-ЛА́Д – pull the paper down and take a bite on ЛАД; ще-КА́ – puff out your cheek on КА.
Tap a word or its picture – the dictionary opens. 🔊 = listen (when Natasha has recorded it).
☕ Tea time:
🙆 The body:
- у́ши = more than one у́хо – a strange one! Yesterday: pull one earlobe for у́хо; today: both hands on both ears for у́ши. 👂👂
- Where? на голове́, на плече́, на щеке́, в ча́шке – the end -е again, like на столе́. Just copy it. 😊
- Ж – like s in pleasure. It looks like a beetle with six legs – and жук means beetle! Жу-жу-жу 🐞 ЖИВО́Т.
- Ш – sh as in shop: ША́ПКА, ШОКОЛА́Д. Not a W! 🍫
- Щ – Ш with a little tail: a long, soft shsh – say fresh sheets fast: ЩЕКА́. 😊
- Ч – ch as in cheese: ЧАЙ, ЧА́ШКА. It looks a little like a 4 – and «четы́ре» (four) begins with Ч! ☕
- Small letters: ж ч ш щ – the same shapes, only smaller.
- Now you know twenty-six letters: А К М О Т Е Р С В Н У И Л Д Б П Г З Ф Ы Й Х Ж Ч Ш Щ – only seven to go! Read today's words: ША́ПКА, ЧАЙ, ЧА́ШКА, ШОКОЛА́Д, АКВА́РИУМ, ПЛЕЧО́, У́ШИ, ЖИВО́Т, ЩЕКА́ – all of them! And a name you could not read before: РИ́ЧАРД! 🎉
- ✍️ Пиши́те! Write them by hand: Ж · Ч · Ш · Щ – how each letter is written, and a sheet to print.
👂 Listen first. Then read it – today you can read almost every word, and Ри́чард too! ☕
- Ната́ша: Ри́чард, что ты хо́чешь? — Ри́чард 👋: Хочу́ чай! ☕
- Ната́ша: Сли́нки, что ты хо́чешь? —
Сли́нки: Хочу́ ры́бу! 🐟 — Ната́ша: Да! Так! 
Ска́ффлз: Хочу́ ры́ба! — Ната́ша: Нет! Ры́бу.- Ска́ффлз: Хочу́ ры́бу… и шокола́д! 🍫 — Ната́ша: Нет! Ко́шки и шокола́д – нет! — Ска́ффлз: Р-р-р… 😼
- Ната́ша: А вы? Что вы хоти́те?
And you? «Хочу́ чай!» or «Хочу́ шокола́д!» – aloud, or just in your head. Both count. 😊 🌱 The seed of День 5 comes back – and today you read it: хочу́ ры́бу (ры́ба → ры́бу); чай and шокола́д don't change. New: что ты хо́чешь? = what do you want? – to a friend, a child or a cat; to a stranger: что вы хоти́те? Scuffles forgets the ending – Natasha says «Нет!». Just copy – the rules come later. (хо́чешь – heard only: its last letter Ь comes later. And chocolate really is bad for cats – Natasha is right!)
Say the story aloud, with the actions. Then play: do the action – say the word. Mix them up!
Бр-р-р! Вот ша́пка. Ша́пка на голове́! ❄️
Вот чай. Чай в ча́шке. ☕
А вот шокола́д! 🍫
Вот плечо́. Сли́нки на плече́! 🐈
Вот у́хо. И вот у́хо. У́ши! 👂👂
Ска́ффлз, где твой живо́т? – Вот живо́т! 😄
Ой! Шокола́д на щеке́! 🍫
Вот аква́риум. Ры́бки в аква́риуме. 🐠
Ска́ффлз! Нет, нет, нет! Брысь! 😼
👂 listen – say it only if you like: Не учи́ ры́бу пла́вать. 🐟
- Put on a hat (or touch your head): Вот ша́пка!
- Hold a cup: Вот чай. Чай в ча́шке. ☕
- Touch them one by one: Вот плечо́! Вот у́ши! Вот живо́т! Вот щека́! 🙆
- Ask a friend (or your cat): Что ты хо́чешь? – and answer yourself: Хочу́ чай! 😄
- Speaking is optional – listening and doing count too.
Can you do it without the video? – Молоде́ц! Go to the tap quiz.
Guess, then tap. A wrong tap is not a mistake – it is a guess. 😊
Хорошо́! Молоде́ц! Two small things left – two minutes.
- Ж and Ш are always hard – the tongue stays back. So жи and ши are written with И but sound like yesterday's Ы: живо́т = «жыво́т», маши́на = «машы́на». 😮
- Щ is always soft and long – smile a little: щека́, щи. Ч is always soft too: чай, ча́шка.
- Hear the difference: ша́пка (hard, lips round) – щека́ (soft, smile).
- Buzz like a beetle: «Жук жужжи́т: жу-жу-жу!» 🐞 – three times, faster and faster.
- 30 seconds, every day. The tongue is a muscle – this is aerobics. 💪
Tomorrow morning, wash your hands with soap and say: «Мы мо́ем ру́чки – вот так!» 🧼 – then touch: «Вот плечо́! Вот щека́!» 🙆
That is the first minute of День 11. You already know it – so День 11 starts with a win.
«Мы мо́ем ру́чки – вот так!» – wash with soap, then show how clean you are. The idea of This Is the Way We Wash Our Hands, our own words. 👂 Listen and play – and today you can read every line! 🧼
| Say | Do |
|---|---|
| Вот мы́ло. | hold up the soap on МЫ 🧼 |
| Мы мо́ем ру́чки – | rub your hands together on МО |
| вот так, вот так! | show your clean hands on ТАК, ТАК |
| Мы мо́ем у́ши – вот так! | rub both ears on У |
| Мы мо́ем но́ги – вот так! | lift one foot and rub it on НО |
| Мы мо́ем живо́т – вот так! | rub your tummy round and round on ВОТ |
| А Ска́ффлз? | turn to the cat with the soap |
| Мя́у! Нет! | paws up, a cross cat face – and run away! 😼 |
- Play it three times – a little faster each time.
- Gesture → word. Don't look at the cards. Make a gesture – say the word. Mixed order: ☕ · 🍫 · 👂👂 · 🐠 · ❄️ · 😊 · 🐈 · 😄 · 🍵
- Yesterday comes back. Mix in four words from День 9: ру́ки 👐 · но́ги 🦶 · хлеб 🍞 · сыр 🧀. Careful – хлеб and шокола́д: for «хлеб» break a loaf with both hands, for «шокола́д» pull the paper down and take a bite! And у́хо (pull one earlobe) – у́ши (both hands on both ears).
Remembering a word from the gesture works better than reading it again. ру́чки = little hands (ру́чка is a little рука́ – and also a pen!). Мы мо́ем = we wash. Cats don't wash with soap – they lick their paws. 😄
Good morning, ears! – wake up your nose, your ears, your tummy: До́брое у́тро, живо́тик!
Today's body words у́ши, живо́т, плечо́, щека́ – small and sweet. Tap the title – the page opens; the bar at its top brings you back here.
Only the twenty-six letters you know: А К М О Т Е Р С В Н У И Л Д Б П Г З Ф Ы Й Х + Ж Ч Ш Щ. Read the word aloud, then tap it to check.
☕ ША́ПКА · ЧАЙ · ЧА́ШКА · ШОКОЛА́Д · АКВА́РИУМ
🙆 ПЛЕЧО́ · У́ШИ · ЖИВО́Т · ЩЕКА́
🐞 ЖУК · КА́ША · ЩИ · ДУШ · ЧАС · ШКО́ЛА · МАШИ́НА · ЖУРНА́Л · ША́ХМАТЫ · РИ́ЧАРД
Now whole sentences:
ЧАЙ В ЧА́ШКЕ. · ША́ПКА НА ГОЛОВЕ́. · СЛИ́НКИ НА ПЛЕЧЕ́! · ШОКОЛА́Д НА ЩЕКЕ́! · РЫ́БКИ В АКВА́РИУМЕ. · ХОЧУ́ ЧАЙ! · ХОЧУ́ РЫ́БУ! · ЧТО ВЫ ХОТИ́ТЕ? · ЖУК ЖУЖЖИ́Т: ЖУ-ЖУ-ЖУ! · МЫ МО́ЕМ РУ́ЧКИ – ВОТ ТАК!
👀 And now – four proverbs you heard before. Today you read them all, alone!
НЕ СИДИ́ СЛОЖА́ РУ́КИ. (День 2)
КОТ СЛУ́ШАЕТ, ДА КУ́ШАЕТ. (День 3)
НЕ ПОКУПА́Й КОТА́ В МЕШКЕ́. (День 4)
ОДНА́ ГОЛОВА́ ХОРОШО́, А ДВЕ ЛУ́ЧШЕ. (День 6)
Do you remember the gesture of each one? Slinky attacks the wool, Scuffles sits with folded paws · an ear on «слу́шает», the mouth on «ку́шает» · a finger shake – and Slinky jumps out of the sack · one finger, then two. With «Рука́ ру́ку мо́ет» and «Где голова́, там и но́ги бу́дут» that is six proverbs you can read! 🦉
- Write three words in big letters: ЖУК, ЧАЙ, ЩЕКА́. Has your Ж six legs? Is your Ч not a 4? Has your Щ its little tail? ✏️
Don't teach a fish to swim.
Scuffles can't swim at all – and she shows the fish how! The fish swim past her, fast and beautiful. Russians say it when somebody tries to teach a person who knows it much better – like Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs. And «ры́бу» – you know this ending from «Хочу́ ры́бу»! 🐟 Gesture: a finger shake on «не учи́», your hand swims like a fish on «пла́вать». (пла́вать ends in Ь – a letter for День 13.)
🔊 Sound, meaning, word by word: tap the proverb – it opens its own page.
Бр-р-р! Вот ша́пка. Ша́пка на голове́! Вот чай. Чай в ча́шке. А вот шокола́д! Вот плечо́. Сли́нки на плече́! Вот у́хо. И вот у́хо. У́ши! Ска́ффлз, где твой живо́т? – Вот живо́т! А вот мой живо́т. Что? Где? Ой! Шокола́д на щеке́! Вот щека́. Вот аква́риум. Ры́бки в аква́риуме. Ска́ффлз! Нет, нет, нет! Брысь! – Р-р-р… Сли́нки – молоде́ц! Не учи́ ры́бу пла́вать. Молоде́ц! Пока́!
Brrr! Here is a hat. The hat is on my head! Here is tea. The tea is in the cup. And here is chocolate! Here is a shoulder. Slinky is on my shoulder! Here is an ear. And here is an ear. Ears! Scuffles, where is your tummy? – Here is the tummy! And here is my tummy. What? Where? Oh! Chocolate on my cheek! Here is the cheek. Here is an aquarium. Little fish in the aquarium. Scuffles! No, no, no! Shoo! – Grrr… Slinky, well done! Don't teach a fish to swim. Well done! Bye!
- Ж = s in pleasure · Ш = sh · Щ = a long, soft shsh · Ч = ch.
- жи, ши – write И, say Ы: живо́т = «жыво́т».
- Where? на голове́, на плече́, на щеке́, в ча́шке – the end -е, like на столе́.
- у́хо → у́ши – a strange «more than one». Just copy it.
- Хочу́ ры́бу – the -а word changes: ры́ба → ры́бу. Чай, шокола́д don't change.
- Tap a new word or its picture – the dictionary opens 📖. Tap 🔊 to hear it.
ударе́ние – stress – shows the syllable you say louder and longer, just like in English: LUN-dun (London), TEL-ih-fohn (telephone).
ЛО́НДОН – the stress is on the first syllable, as in English. But Russians say a real, round о: LON-d’n, not LUN-dun. The second о comes after the stress, so it is short and weak (like the a in sofa).
ТЕЛЕФО́Н – not like the English TEL-ih-fohn: the stress is on the last syllable: ti-li-FON (е without stress sounds like a short и). That is why we mark the stress.
🎯 Why does о sound like а?
ЧАЙ came from Chinese chá – the same word as English chai. ☕
ШОКОЛА́Д and chocolate both come from the Aztec word xocolatl. 🍫
ША́ПКА and English cap are cousins – both from Latin cappa. 🧢
Ж looks like a beetle – and жук = beetle! Ч looks like a 4 – and четы́ре = four! 😄
ру́чка = a little hand – and also a pen, and a door handle. One word, three things! 🖊️
🔬 Почему́ так · Why this way
- A win in the first minute – yesterday's homework. Remembering yesterday's words without looking is one of the best-proven tools – 50 classroom experiments: Agarwal · Nunes · Blunt 2021.
- 15 minutes a day, not one long lesson. Short daily sessions beat one long one: 35 min × 6 days scored 83 vs 70 for one 3.5-hour lesson. Study with adults – Stoltzfus · Sukseemuang 2018; gaps of 1–4 days work best – Rogers · Nakata · Chiu 2025.
- New letters, then real words at once. Learners who meet letters inside real words they can read straight away learn to read faster. Study with adults – Brennan · Booth 2015.
- Heard first, read days later. The four proverbs were heard on День 2, 3, 4 and 6 – today you read them. A thing met again after a gap of days is remembered far better than the same thing met again at once (84 % vs 63 %, Wegener et al. 2023); the same holds for «Хочу́ ры́бу» from День 5.
- The body with a gesture. A word said with a matching gesture, made by the learner, stays in memory far longer. Study with adults – Macedonia · Knösche 2011 (Max Planck Institute, Leipzig). Watching the gesture helps almost as much as doing it – 7 studies, 309 adults – Oppici et al. 2023.
- The action on the loud syllable. A hand beat on the stressed syllable helps adults pronounce new words. Studies with adults – Prieto's group, Barcelona.
- A block before the rule. «Что ты хо́чешь? – Хочу́ чай!» is learned whole, like a song; the grammar inside comes much later. Learners pick up such ready-made blocks whole (Wray 2002, formulaic language).
- The proverb is heard first, then read. Natasha says it once at the end of the video, where the story shows it; its explanation sits in Part 2, outside the core lesson – extras inside the core lower learning of the main thing (Mayer, seductive details). An idiom learned with its picture and story is remembered better than with a bare translation (Boers 2001).
- The cat makes the mistakes. Nobody corrects the student. The student laughs and is never the one who is wrong.
- Our own method. Natasha's Language Aerobics – tested for many years with her students.
- Videos needed
- Russian шапка
- Russian чай
- Russian чашка
- Russian шоколад
- Russian аквариум
- Russian плечо
- Russian ухо
- Russian уши
- Russian живот
- Russian щека
- Russian хотеть
- Russian что
- Russian ты
- Russian вы
- Russian рыба
- Russian рыбка
- Russian кошка
- Russian учить
- Russian плавать
- Russian мыть
- Russian мыло
- Russian рука
- Russian нога
- Russian голова
- Russian жук
- Russian жужжать
- Russian каша
- Russian щи
- Russian душ
- Russian час
- Russian школа
- Russian машина
- Russian журнал
- Russian шахматы
- Russian сидеть
- Russian слушать
- Russian кушать
- Russian покупать
- Russian кот
- Russian мешок
- Russian один
- Russian два
- Russian хорошо
- Russian хлеб
- Russian сыр
- Russian молодец