The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Research says having a pet dog helps to reduce children's stress. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that petting a dog is a great way to help stressed kids. Researchers looked at 643 young children over an 18-month period. They found that children who have a pet dog are less stressed than children without a dog. Just twelve per cent of children with pets had signs of stress. This compares with 21 per cent of children with no dog. This will not surprise parents of children who have a dog. They know dogs are great for helping children to develop.

There are many things about the research that are still unclear. Researchers do not know if less anxious children have pet dogs, or if pet dogs make children less anxious. The research just showed a link between pet dogs and children's stress. Pet dogs help children start conversations. This is often difficult for children and can cause them stress. A pet dog can be a source of comfort for children. The dog can also be a friend to a small child, who tells the pet all his or her secrets and stories. Sometimes a pet dog is so important that its name can be the first word the child speaks.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.healthaim.com/playing-pets-perfect-anxiety-cure/33472
  • http://rapidnewsnetwork.com/a-dog-is-a-child-s-best-friend-reducing-anxiety-levels/321154/
  • http://financialspots.com/2015/11/30/children-with-dogs-are-less-anxious/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

having a pet dog helps to reduce

a.

of stress

2.

petting

b.

with 21 per cent

3.

over an 18-

c.

to develop

4.

less stressed

d.

month period

5.

children with pets had signs

e.

children's stress

6.

This compares

f.

than children without a dog

7.

This will not surprise

g.

a dog

8.

helping children

h.

parents



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

things about the research that

a.

less anxious

2.

less anxious children have

b.

for children

3.

pet dogs make children

c.

and stories

4.

a link between pet dogs

d.

child speaks

5.

Pet dogs help children start

e.

pet dogs

6.

a source of comfort

f.

are still unclear

7.

her secrets

g.

conversations

8.

the first word the

h.

and children's stress

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Research says having a pet dog (1) ___________________ children's stress. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that (2) ___________________ is a great way to help stressed kids. Researchers looked at 643 young children over an (3) ___________________. They found that children who have a pet dog (4) ___________________ than children without a dog. Just twelve per cent of children with pets had (5) ___________________. This compares with 21 per cent of children with no dog. This will not surprise parents of children who have a dog. They know dogs are (6) ___________________ children to develop.

There are many things about the research that (7) ___________________. Researchers do not know if less anxious children have pet dogs, or if pet dogs make (8) ___________________. The research just (9) ___________________ between pet dogs and children's stress. Pet dogs help children start conversations. This is often difficult for children (10) ___________________ stress. A pet dog can be a source of comfort for children. The dog can also be a friend to a small child, who tells the pet (11) ___________________ secrets and stories. Sometimes a pet dog is so important that its name can be the first (12) ___________________ speaks.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Researchsayshavingapetdoghelpstoreducechildren'sstress.Astudy
bytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionshowsthatpettingado
gisagreatwaytohelpstressedkids.Researcherslookedat643youngchi
ldrenoveran18-monthperiod.Theyfoundthatchildrenwhohaveapetd
ogarelessstressedthanchildrenwithoutadog.Justtwelvepercentofchi
ldrenwithpetshadsignsofstress.Thiscompareswith21percentofchildr
enwithnodog.Thiswillnotsurpriseparentsofchildrenwhohaveadog.Th
eyknowdogsaregreatforhelpingchildrentodevelop.Therearemanythi
ngsabouttheresearchthatarestillunclear.Researchersdonotknowifle
ssanxiouschildrenhavepetdogs,orifpetdogsmakechildrenlessanxiou
s.Theresearchjustshowedalinkbetweenpetdogsandchildren'sstress.
Petdogshelpchildrenstartconversations.Thisisoftendifficultforchildr
enandcancausethemstress.Apetdogcanbeasourceofcomfortforchild
ren.Thedogcanalsobeafriendtoasmallchild,whotellsthepetallhisorhe
rsecretsandstories.Sometimesapetdogissoimportantthatitsnameca
nbethefirstwordthechildspeaks.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about pet dogs for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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