Have you ever heard about the saying, “Home, sweet home!”? This is just another way of saying that it’s ________ to be home. A lot of people and things we love are at home.

What do you like best about being at home? Maybe you like to ________ with your brothers and sisters. Maybe you enjoy staying with your Mum and Dad. Spending time with your family is one thing that makes being at home special.

Your bedroom is another thing that makes home special. Your toys, your books and your favorite things are in your bedroom. ________ what you like best about it. Maybe you like to have a quiet place to read a book or to think about your day ________.

Mealtime can be a special time at home. Families sit around the table to eat the food. It’s a ________ to share interesting stories about your day.

There are a lot of things to do to make home a special place. Who does the ________ like cleaning, cooking, and yard work? When you work together to do the chores, it makes ________ easier and more fun for everyone. Maybe you can help lay the dinner table or clear the places. Maybe you can water the vegetable garden or the house plants. Think about what you can do, ________ when you come home every day, you can say, “Home, sweet home!”

Sometimes children need some help to improve themselves. In some schools in England, some volunteers work with children who have difficulty in reading. The volunteers spend time with them, away from their class, to help them learn to love books and enjoy school. These children can then become more confident about school and learning.

Holly is a 7-year-old student. Here is a report from Mrs. Trent who has been visiting her at school.

It’s time to enjoy the special warm porridge (粥) of winter!

In China, the 12th month of the lunar calendar is called La Yue.     24     After the festival, people begin to get ready for the Spring Festival.

The Laba Festival 2023 falls on Wednesday, January 18th, 2024.     25     To make the porridge nice, people often cook it with eight different things. So the porridge is also called Eight Treasure Porridge. Traditionally, there is rice, red dates, various beans, dried lotus seeds (干莲子), and different kinds of dried fruits in it.     26     At midnight, people begin to cook the porridge. After hours of boiling, we can have it the next morning.     27    

Eating Laba porridge on Laba Festival is still an important custom now. Most people like having the porridge because it is not only good for health, but also a blessing (祝福) for the coming of the Spring Festival.     28     If not, prepare for it now! Sharing the porridge with your family is the happiest thing in the world!