The famous Manchester United soccer team has waited two years to sign Charlie Jackson to the team.
That’s because he was only three years old—they waited until he was five.
Coaches at United say that Jackson is going to be a superstar player.
Even at three years of age, he impressed talent scouts with his ability to handle and control the ball.
They spotted him while he was playing soccer at Footytotz, a football program for young children.
Two years later, they came back and signed him to train at the team’s development centre.
Jackson, who lives in Manchester, England, now trains with excellent players who are a year older than him.
Jackson’s parents said he wasn’t thrilled with the offer at first because he was a die-hard fan of rival team Manchester City. His idols are City stars Mario Balotelli and Joe Hart.
However, they say Jackson is feeling better about things now.
Jackson still plays at Footytotz, and he trains with Manchester United once a week as well.
His parents say they won’t pressure him to play soccer. His father told Mail Online news website that if he stops enjoying football they’ll find something else for him to do.
He said it would be nice if Jackson played for Manchester City one day.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Kathleen Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
Jackson is a very talented soccer player. In your opinion, how much of Jackson’s ability is natural talent, and how much of his ability is developed through good teaching and practice?
Do you think talents are mostly innate (natural) or learned?
Reading Prompt:
Read the TKN article, Nine-Year-Old Kids Pass University Math, in the Entertainment section.
How are the children in this article similar/different to Jackson?
Primary
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Junior
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Intermediate
Extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Grammar Feature: Proper and Common Nouns
Nouns are people, places and things. Common nouns are non-specific, such as: football, boy, field. Proper nouns are specific people, places and things, such as: Jackson and Manchester. Proper nouns are always capitalized.
Read this article and circle all of the common nouns in yellow and all of the proper nouns in green.
