If your primary school age kids are learning English, it’s only natural that you want to want to support them at home. But, this can be a challenge for many parents. For example, you might not be confident in your English language level or pronunciation. Or you might be worried about making mistakes.
We are here to help you! Here are ways to help your children learn English with you in a fun and effective way.
Why your positive attitude helps your child learn English
Teaching English to your children at home complements the English classes they may already be attending at school. It makes learning more personal for them.
Do not worry if your English is not perfect. Your involvement and enthusiasm are more important when it comes to getting your child interested in learning English.
Top tips
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Keep a positive attitude about learning English. Your child will reflect your enthusiasm and look forward to learning with you.
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Set aside a regular time to practise English every week. It’s important to create a routine your children can look forward to.
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If you don’t understand or know something in English, use it as an opportunity to find out together. You can say ‘Let’s both look up the answer. We can do some practice questions to check we’ve understood’.
Create a routine
Establish a routine or set a time for English at home. This helps make learning a regular habit. Practicing the same phrases or English songs will establish the routine and signal to your child that ‘English time’ has started. Keep sessions short to maintain your child’s attention and interest in English.
In classes, we find that around 15 minutes for every activity is enough for very young children. You can find out more about our engaging English classes for young children here
When it comes to learning English, little and often works better! Try to regularly use English throughout the day. This can help to keep the learning varied.
Perhaps you can try introducing an English story for bedtime or even singing a song together at bath time. If you need more inspiration, take a look at the Sanghera family’s English corner.
Set up story time in English
Reading stories with clear, colourful drawings and pictures is a great way to introduce and explore English. You also enjoy a cosy, shared story time together with your children.
Children enjoy listening to stories that they already know. Revisiting stories again and again will ensure a happy audience. It’s also a fantastic way to revise English vocabulary and sentence structure in a familiar and enjoyable setting.
Begin with an interactive approach and encourage your child by asking simple questions about the pictures, for example ‘Where’s the blue dog?’
By using repetition, children will gradually become comfortable enough to join in, repeating the parts of the story they recognise.
Alongside stimulating their imagination, reading a story out loud helps young children to develop vital listening skills as they hear English words and grammar.
Sing songs and read rhymes in English
Singing songs and rhymes to and with your child is a simple and enjoyable way to learn the English language. Singing nursery rhymes and songs gives children a fun way to practice the stress, rhythm, pronunciation and intonation patterns in English.
After listening a few times, children naturally begin to hum or sing along. You can use a visual aid, such as an animated video or puppet, to aid their understanding even further.
Why not try singing along to A bear named Sue with your child? You can use a favourite teddy bear and some of the items mentioned in the song to help you both remember the words.
Tap into technology
Apps are an engaging, immersive and interactive tool for learners of any age. You can use them to complement language-learning skills.
Your children can use a mobile phone or tablet to access activities. They can practise vocabulary, counting and phonics, as well as follow interactive stories and games. Linking activities to your child’s learning topics and interests will boost engagement and enthusiasm for learning.
To practise numbers, colours, shapes, food, animals, classroom objects, toys and more, explore the free app LearnEnglish Kids Playtime.
Watching and listening to short simple clips of your child’s favourite English-language cartoons and programmes is an easy way to expose them to an English-speaking language environment at home. This enables children to listen to the pronunciation of new and familiar words and phrases, within the context of a familiar cartoon.
Play with games and flashcards
Games keep learning lively, fun and engaging. Flashcards can be used in numerous games such as Memory, Snap! and Kim’s game. Flashcards can easily be made if you’re feeling artsy, or you can download ready-made flashcards from LearnEnglish Kids.
Watch the Elliot family play the Memory game using flashcards, or have a look at the huge range of interactive games on the LearnEnglish Kids website.
Read more in our article ‘Games and activities in English for primary students.’
Integrate English vocabulary and phrases
When teaching your child English at home, focus on topics that spark their curiosity. Use phrases and vocabulary they are familiar with in their first language.
As a starting point for vocabulary, why not try using some of the following subjects:
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food and drink they like
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toys
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numbers 1–10, 10–20, etc.
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colours
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clothes
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animals (farm animals, wild animals, pets)
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shapes
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simple adjectives: emotions, temperatures, size, bigger, smaller.
Different children have different interests, so use this to your advantage. You may discover your child is interested in learning English words related to Batman or Lego, and you can use the opportunity to read stories about Batman in English or write instructions in English to build Lego structures.
Communicate with your child’s teacher
If your child is attending English language classes, try to speak to the class teacher regularly about the content of the course. They may be able to provide you with an overview of the topics, songs, stories and vocabulary covered in your child’s classes. You can practise these at home with your child to consolidate their learning.
Ask for regular feedback about your child’s progress in English. If there are areas that they’re excelling in, or subjects they find tricky, you can use this information at home. This helps your child grow to understand the things that confuse them. You can also praise them for the things they’re good at, which makes them want to keep moving forward in English.
Are you looking for even more ways to create an effective English learning environment at home? Take a look at How children learn.