Shadowing Practice: Be Kind | A Children's Story about things that matter - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hi everyone!
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Hi everyone!
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Welcome to the Storytime family.
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How are you today?
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Have you been reading lots?
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I hope you have.
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Well today we have a very special book called Be Kind by Pat Zitlow Miller.
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What does being kind mean to you?
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Does being kind mean helping someone out when they need it?
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Or being kind can be being generous to your brother or your sister,
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sharing and caring for them,
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and just by being gentle and also being considerate.
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Well, let's find out what being kind means in this book and in this story.
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Be kind.
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Tanisha spilled grape juice yesterday.
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All over her new dress.
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Everyone laughed.
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I almost did too.
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But mom always tells me to be kind.
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So I tried.
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I don't think it worked.
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I said.
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Purple is my favorite color.
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I thought Tanisha would smile.
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But she ran into the hall instead.
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When she came back, snack time was over.
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She put on her art smock and didn't look at anyone.
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I almost told Tanisha that art was my favorite class,
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but I didn't want her to leave again.
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So I painted purple splotches and added some green until I had a bunch of beautiful violets.
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While I painted, I thought about Tanisha.
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Should I have handed her my napkin?
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Let her borrow my sweatshirt?
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Spilled my juice so everyone stared at me instead?
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What does it mean to be kind anyway?
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What does it mean to be kind to you?
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Or what does it mean for someone to be kind to you?
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Maybe it's giving.
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Making cookies for Mr. Rinaldi who lives alone.
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Letting someone with smaller feet have my too tight shoes.
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He might win races in them too.
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Maybe it's helping.
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Putting dirty dishes in the sink.
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Like helping out mommy clean up after yourself.
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picking up your laundry, making your bed,
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cleaning up after Otis or class guinea pig.
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He's a messy eater.
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Maybe it's paying attention, telling Desmond I like his blue boots,
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asking the new girl to be my partner,
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listening to Aunt Franny's stories,
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even the ones I've heard before.
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Being kind could also be saying nice things about someone,
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complimenting someone, telling your mom that she looks so pretty today, picking her flowers.
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Being kind should be easy like throwing away a wrapper or recycling a bottle or saying thank you, bless you.
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My mom says the quickest way to be kind is to use people's names.
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Hey Kayla, what's new Omar?
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Good afternoon Rabbi Mandelmuk.
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Being kind can be hard too.
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Even when you know what to do,
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teaching someone something I'm good at is tricky, even when I'm patient.
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Being kind could be also sharing with your siblings.
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And sticking up for someone when other kids aren't kind is really hard and really scary.
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Maybe I can't solve Tanisha's grape juice problem.
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Maybe all I can do is sit by her in art class
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and paint this picture for her because I know she likes purple too.
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Maybe I can only do small things
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but my small things might join small things other people do and together they could grow into something big.
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Remember kids, small things can make a big difference too.
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Something really big, so big
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that our kindness spilled out of our school, spread throughout town.
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Travel across the country and go all the way around the world.
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Wouldn't that be the best thing?
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If everyone is kind, the whole world would be a big bubble of kindness.
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Wouldn't that be cool?
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Right back to Tenesha and me so we can be kind again and again.
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again.
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Now, I told you that was a very special story, don't you think?
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So what does being kind mean to you?
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Leave us a comment and let us know.
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Hope you enjoyed the story.
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Come back and see us again and click on the notification bell for the next video.
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Thanks so much for dropping by take care now bye bye

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will delve into the concept of kindness through the engaging children’s story, “Be Kind” by Pat Zitlow Miller. The narrative highlights various aspects of kindness, from helping and sharing to being considerate and attentive. By listening and practicing shadow speaking with the transcript, learners will not only improve their English speaking skills but also reflect on the significance of kindness in everyday interactions. This session will focus on enhancing your English pronunciation while you engage with the emotional and moral themes presented in the story.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Be kind: A call to act with compassion and generosity.
  • Spilled: To accidentally pour out a liquid.
  • Generous: Willingness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected.
  • Considerate: Showing thoughtfulness for others' feelings.
  • Snack time: A designated time to eat a small meal or snack.
  • Pay attention: To focus on something closely.
  • Art smock: A protective covering worn while painting or crafting.
  • Listening: The active process of receiving and understanding spoken language.

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning experience while engaging with this story, consider the following practice tips:

  • Shadow Speak: As you listen to the transcript, try shadow speech by repeating sentences immediately after hearing them. This exercise helps you improve English pronunciation and enhances your fluency.
  • Speed and Tone: Pay attention to the pace and tone of the narrator. The cheerful and gentle delivery reflects the themes of kindness, making it easier for you to emulate. Start slowly and gradually increase your speed as you become more comfortable.
  • Emotion and Intonation: Use intonation and emotion when you shadow speak. This will not only boost your speaking skills but also help you connect more deeply with the material.
  • Repetition: Don't hesitate to replay portions of the video or transcript. Repeating phrases several times will reinforce your memory and instill confidence in your English speaking practice.
  • Engage Yourself: After practicing, try to use the vocabulary in real conversations. Think of situations where you can share kindness or help others, and incorporate those examples into your English speaking practice.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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