VOA标准英语2012--African Kids Benefit from Preschool

African Kids Benefit from Preschool

Preschool, or early education, has long been a part of children’s lives in the U.S. Now, the benefits of preschool programs have been confirmed for rural African children.
The World Bank has given high marks to a preschool program in Mozambique. It’s run by the humanitarian¹ organization Save the Children. The bank says it’s the first such evaluation² of preschool in Africa. It studied about 2,000 households in 76 rural communities in the Gaza Province near the capital Maputo.
“It’s focusing on developing these young children’s motor skills, their psychosocial abilities; their early reading abilities; their early math abilities. Particularly, in Mozambique, we were focusing on children between 3 and 5 years old,” said Heather Simpson, senior director of education and child development for Save the Children.
Rare, but effective
While preschool programs are common in the United States and other developed countries, Simpson said they’re rare in African nations.
World Bank says rural Mozambique preschool program gives young children a head start on reading, math and socializing skills.
“Often young children between zero and 3 years old, the health systems are keeping track of them and they’re doing vaccinations³ and things like that. And then, when they turn about 5 or 6, they enter into the school systems and the ministries⁴ of education take them over. But these in-between years, they’re not being cared for by the health ministries and they’re not yet being looked after by the education ministries in many cases,” she said.
She added that the young students react positively⁵ from the beginning.
“They like to interact with their peers. They love having the chance to play, to learn, to read. So children really do thrive when they have a chance. Children are universal all over. They want to learn and develop and these programs do give them that chance,” she said.
What’s more, Simpson said, the World Bank evaluation clearly outlined the benefits of the preschool program.
“Children were about 24 percent more likely to enroll⁶ in primary school. And they also were significantly better equipped to learn than children who weren’t part of the program. Also children who were going to preschool school are more likely to show interest in math and writing. They can recognize shapes better and they show respect for other children as well. So there are socializing benefits as well,” she said.
Studies have shown long-term benefits of preschool include better job prospects⁷ later in life. There are also ripple⁸ effects.
“The kids who are actually in the program benefitted, but in many cases their older siblings¹⁰ benefitted, as well. If a school age child had a younger sibling⁹ participating in an early childhood program, they were more likely to be in school. And the parents of these children were also more likely to be working,” Simpson said.
The Save the Children preschool program was funded through a $1 million donation. It came from the American Idol¹¹ TV show’s charity wing called Idol Gives Back. The cost per child for preschool in rural Mozambique is $2.50 a month.

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

3 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

5 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

6 enroll   

v.招收；登记；入学；参军；成为会员（英)enrol

参考例句：

• I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
• They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

9 sibling   

n.同胞手足(指兄、弟、姐或妹)

参考例句：

• Many of us hate living in the shadows of a more successful sibling.我们很多人都讨厌活在更为成功的手足的阴影下。
• Sibling ravalry has been common in this family.这个家里，兄弟姊妹之间的矛盾很平常。

10 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

11 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。