День 21 из 37: Где мои носки?
📚 Слова́ дня · Words of the day: 5 – носо́к, ко́шка, игру́шка, ша́рик, дива́н – and you can read them all!
🔤 Бу́квы дня · Letters of the day: none. You know all 33 letters. 🎉 Today – ★ a rule in 30 seconds: one → many.
⏱ Part 1 = 15 minutes – everybody finishes it. Part 2 = more, only if you want. · 🗺️ All days
Stand up! Yesterday's homework: put an apple (or any thing) into a bag – «Я́блоко – в су́мку!» – and ask: «Где я́блоко? – В су́мке!» 🍎👜
You remembered it – that is your first win today. And now – where are the socks? 🧦
- Don't read anything yet. Listen: what is Richard looking for? 🧦
- Who is under the sofa? 🐈
- How many people lift the sofa – one or two? 🛋️
- 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.
Tap the word to hear it. Tap the picture to open the word in the dictionary.
🎁 New today – and you can read them:
- носо́к – a sock. Many: носки́ – the о runs away (like пода́рок, День 18).
- ко́шка – a cat (a she-cat). Slinky and Scuffles are both ко́шки. Кот is a he-cat – and any cat when we don't care.
- ша́рик – a balloon, or a little ball (← шар, a ball).
- мои́ – «Где мои́ носки́?» – my, for many things: мой, моя́, моё → мои́. Just listen.
🔁 Old friends – from today's story, with the gestures you already know:
👂 Listen first – then read it. You can read every word! One finger up for one – both hands open wide for many. 🤸
- Ната́ша: Вот кот – коты́! 🐈🐈
Сли́нки: Вот ко́шка – ко́шки! — Ната́ша: Да! Так! 😊
Ска́ффлз: Ко́шка – ко́шкы! — Ната́ша: Нет! Ко́шки. По́сле К – И. — Ска́ффлз: Р-р-р… ко́шки.- Ри́чард: А дива́н – дива́ны! 🛋️🛋️ — Ната́ша: Да! Ри́чард – молоде́ц!
And you? Point at two things: «Вот кни́га – кни́ги! / Вот ру́чка – ру́чки!» – aloud, or just in your head. Both count. 😊
★ Today's rule – 30 seconds. You heard it since День 9 («Ру́ки, но́ги, ла́пы и коты́!»). Now you see it – one → many:
- Most words add -ы (or change -а to -ы): кот → коты́ · дива́н → дива́ны · ла́па → ла́пы.
- After к, г, х, ж, ш, ч, щ – never ы, always -и: ко́шка → ко́шки · носо́к → носки́ · ша́рик → ша́рики · игру́шка → игру́шки.
- Words that end in -о change it to -а: окно́ → о́кна · кольцо́ → ко́льца.
Listen: the loud syllable may move (окно́ → о́кна). That's all. Scuffles says «ко́шкы» – you know better now. 😄
Say the story aloud, with the actions. Then play: do the action – say the word. Mix them up!
Вот носо́к. Оди́н носо́к… А где носо́к? 🧦
Вот ко́шка. И вот ко́шка. Ко́шки! 🐈🐈
Вот игру́шка. И вот игру́шка. Игру́шки! 🧸
Вот ша́рик. И вот ша́рик. Ша́рики! 🎈🎈
Вот дива́н. Сли́нки на дива́не. 🛋️
Ната́ша, где мои́ носки́? – Не зна́ю! 🤷
В я́щике? – Нет! В су́мке? – Нет! 🔍
Ска́ффлз! Нет, нет, нет! Носки́ – не игру́шки! Брысь! 😾
Раз, два, три! Носки́! Игру́шки! Ша́рики! 💪
Сли́нки – молоде́ц! Ри́чард – молоде́ц! Мы – молодцы́! 👍
👀 read it and say it – the proverb of the day: Оди́н в по́ле не во́ин. ☝️
- Hold up one sock: Вот носо́к! – then two: Носки́! 🧦
- Point at your cat (or a picture of a cat): Вот ко́шка! 🐈
- Look under your sofa (or bed): Где мои́ носки́? 🔍
- 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.
One sound at the end – and it is grammar! (Ы from День 9: say и and pull your tongue back.)
- котЫ́ – ко́шкИ · столЫ́ – кни́гИ · дива́нЫ – ша́рикИ.
- After К, Г, Х the tongue is already back – so we say И: ко́шки, кни́ги, носки́.
- After Ш and Ж we write И, but it sounds like Ы (День 10): мы́ши = «мы́шы», игру́шки.
- 30 seconds, every day. The tongue is a muscle – this is aerobics. 💪
Tomorrow, hold up one sock and say: «Вот носо́к!» – then two: «Носки́!» 🧦 – and one more pair you find at home: «Вот кни́га – кни́ги!» (or «Вот ру́чка – ру́чки!»)
That is the first minute of День 22. You already know it – so День 22 starts with a win.
«Оди́н – мно́го!» – one finger for one, both hands wide for many! Natasha shows one thing – you say «many». ☝️👐 👂 Listen and play – you can read every line!
| Say | Do |
|---|---|
| Вот носо́к! – Носки́! | one finger up – then both hands open wide 🧦 |
| Вот кни́га! – Кни́ги! | palms together like a book – then open wide 📚 |
| Вот ру́чка! – Ру́чки! | click a pen – then both hands wide 🖊️ |
| Вот стол! – Столы́! | smooth a table – then a table left and right |
| Вот окно́! – О́кна! | draw a window in the air – then many windows ⬜⬜ |
| Вот Ска́ффлз! – Ска́ффлзы? – Нет! Ска́ффлз – одна́! | hands wide – then shake your head and show one finger 🐈 |
- Play it three times – a little faster each time. Then Natasha (or a friend) only shows one thing – and you say «many»: «Носки́!» – «Кни́ги!»
- 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 20: пикни́к 🧺 · су́мка 👜 · я́блоко 🍎 · куда́.
Listen: коты́, столы́ – but ко́шки, носки́, кни́ги (after К – И). And о́кна – the end -о becomes -а. Your hands play – your ear learns the rule. 😄
Посмотре́ть, кото́рый час. 🕰️
Раз, два, три, четы́ре –
Мы́ши дёрнули за ги́ри.
Тут разда́лся стра́шный звон – 🔔
Разбежа́лись мы́ши вон! 💨
Once the mice came out to see what time it was. One, two, three, four – the mice pulled the clock weights. Then came a terrible ringing – and the mice ran away!
A folk rhyme. мы́ши = many mice (мышь – мы́ши: after Ш – И, today's rule!), ги́ри = the heavy weights that hang on an old clock (ги́ря – ги́ри). Gestures: fingers walk on your arm on ВЫ́ШЛИ, look at your wrist on ЧАС, count on your fingers, pull a chain down on ДЁР, cover your ears on ЗВОН, fingers run away on ВОН. You can read every word – but you don't have to learn it. Just say it and smile. 😊
One cat, many cats – read every card: кот → коты́, ры́ба → ры́бы, кни́га → кни́ги.
Today's ★ rule: one → many. Tap the title – the page opens; the bar at its top brings you back here.
You know all 33 letters. Read every word aloud, then tap it to check. ✋
Today's words: НОСО́К · КО́ШКА · ИГРУ́ШКА · ША́РИК · ДИВА́Н · МОИ́ · МЫ́ШИ
★ -ы: КОТЫ́ · ДИВА́НЫ · ЛА́ПЫ · СТОЛЫ́
★ -и: КО́ШКИ · СУ́МКИ · НОСКИ́ · ИГРУ́ШКИ · ША́РИКИ · КНИ́ГИ · РУ́ЧКИ
★ -о → -а: О́КНА · КО́ЛЬЦА
Now whole sentences:
ВОТ НОСО́К. ОДИ́Н НОСО́К… · ВОТ КО́ШКА. И ВОТ КО́ШКА. КО́ШКИ! · ВОТ ИГРУ́ШКА. И ВОТ ИГРУ́ШКА. ИГРУ́ШКИ! · СЛИ́НКИ НА ДИВА́НЕ. · НАТА́ША, ГДЕ МОИ́ НОСКИ́? – НЕ ЗНА́Ю! · СКА́ФФЛЗ! НОСКИ́ – НЕ ИГРУ́ШКИ! БРЫСЬ! · РАЗ, ДВА, ТРИ! · МЫ – МОЛОДЦЫ́!
👀 And the proverb of the day:
ОДИ́Н В ПО́ЛЕ НЕ ВО́ИН.
Just look and smile – you don't have to learn these now. 😊
One man in a field is no army.
Slinky alone can't pull the socks out from under the sofa. Natasha and Richard lift it together – and everything comes out! Russians say it when one person can't do a big job alone – you need friends. по́ле = a field (the old battlefield) · во́ин = a warrior, a soldier. English says: Many hands make light work or Unity is strength. Gesture: one finger up on «оди́н», open your arm wide like a big field on «в по́ле», shake your head on «не во́ин». (Proverb page and mp3 to add.)
Вот носо́к. Оди́н носо́к… А где носо́к? Вот ко́шка. И вот ко́шка. Ко́шки! Сли́нки – ко́шка. Ска́ффлз – ко́шка. Вот игру́шка. И вот игру́шка. Игру́шки! Вот ша́рик. И вот ша́рик. Ша́рики! – Р-р-р! Вот дива́н. Сли́нки на дива́не. – Ната́ша, где мои́ носки́? – Не зна́ю! В я́щике? – Нет! В су́мке? – Нет! – Мя́у! – Ска́ффлз! Нет, нет, нет! Носки́ – не игру́шки! Брысь! – Р-р-р… Раз, два, три! Носки́! Игру́шки! Ша́рики! Сли́нки – молоде́ц! Ри́чард – молоде́ц! Мы – молодцы́! Оди́н в по́ле не во́ин. Молоде́ц! Пока́!
Here is a sock. One sock… And where is the other sock? Here is a cat. And here is a cat. Cats! Slinky is a cat. Scuffles is a cat. Here is a toy. And here is a toy. Toys! Here is a balloon. And here is a balloon. Balloons! – Grrr! Here is the sofa. Slinky is on the sofa. – Natasha, where are my socks? – I don't know! In the drawer? – No! In the bag? – No! – Miaow! – Scuffles! No, no, no! Socks are not toys! Shoo! – Grrr… One, two, three! Socks! Toys! Balloons! Slinky, well done! Richard, well done! We did it! One man in a field is no army. Well done! Bye!
- ★ One → many: most words add -ы: кот → коты́, дива́н → дива́ны, ла́па → ла́пы.
- After к, г, х, ж, ш, ч, щ – -и: ко́шка → ко́шки, носо́к → носки́, кни́га → кни́ги.
- -о → -а: окно́ → о́кна, кольцо́ → ко́льца.
- You heard it since День 9 – today you see the rule. ★
- Every new word has two links: tap the word to hear it 🔊, tap the picture to open it in the dictionary 📖.
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?
ДИВА́Н = divan – an old word from Persian: first a council, then the long soft seat in the council room. 🛋️
НОСО́К – from нос: the «little nose» at the front of your foot. 👃🧦
ИГРУ́ШКА – from игра́ть (to play). 🧸
ША́РИК = a little шар (a ball). 🎈
The washing machine eats one sock – in every country of the world. 😄
Оди́н в по́ле не во́ин ~ Many hands make light work. 💪
🔬 Почему́ так · Why this way
- Heard many times – then a rule in 30 seconds. «Ру́ки, но́ги, ла́пы и коты́» on День 9, «Коты́ спят» on День 14, «ко́шки не едя́т суп» on День 19 – today the rule. Learners must first notice a form in what they hear before they can learn it – the noticing hypothesis, Schmidt 1990. Chunks first, rules after (Wray 2002, formulaic language). A short rule after much input works better than a long rule first.
- One and many with the hands. One finger, then both hands wide: the body shows the grammar. A word said with a matching gesture, made by the learner, stays in memory far longer than a word only heard. 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.
- Show it with your body. Total Physical Response – the learner moves while hearing the word – Asher 1969.
- 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.
- Remember first, then check. Reading alone, then tapping to check, is retrieval practice – 50 classroom experiments – Agarwal · Nunes · Blunt 2021. The first minute (yesterday's homework) works the same way.
- 15 minutes a day, not one long lesson. Short daily sessions beat one long one. Study with adults – Stoltzfus · Sukseemuang 2018.
- The proverb outside the core. 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 носок
- Russian кошка
- Russian игрушка
- Russian шарик
- Russian диван
- Russian кот
- Russian мой
- Russian окно
- Russian кольцо
- Russian стол
- Russian лапа
- Russian книга
- Russian ручка
- Russian сумка
- Russian ящик
- Russian мышь
- Russian нос
- Russian один
- Russian поле
- Russian воин
- Russian где
- Russian знать
- Russian молодец
- Russian раз
- Russian два
- Russian три
- Russian четыре
- Russian час
- Russian вот
- Russian нет
- Russian да
- Russian мы
- Russian не
- Russian на
- Russian в
- Russian и
- Russian а