How to Help Your Kids With Learning English

You are your child’s first and most significant teacher as a parent. When family members participate in the education of their kids, the children do better and feel more positive about attending school. Actually, some research indicates that parental education and family income have less of an impact on a child’s academic achievement than family behaviors.

Parents may help their kids learn both at home and throughout the journey while kids are learning English in a variety of ways. Every parent is an important part of the English learning and academic journey of kids, no matter what their educational background is and how much they know English. Following are some recommendations to get you going.

Lets go through some ways you can help your kids With Learning English

Communicate with Teachers Who Help Your Child in Learning English at the School

• Know Your Child’s Teacher

Make an effort to schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher as soon as classes begin. Inform the instructor that you wish to support your child’s education. Make it understood that you want to know from the instructor as soon as your child has any issues. Establishing a relationship with your child’s teacher can be greatly helped by having a conversation with them.

Don’t let a language obstacle stop you from speaking English if you find it uncomfortable. The essence of what you’re saying is more important than the words or English pronunciation you choose to convey. Appeal school to offer a translator for you. A parent counselor or teacher might be able to help you. Or you can go with a friend or family who communicates in two languages.

• Understand the Names of Everyone at Your Child’s School

Your child’s school has an active group of support staff who are available for help with learning, social and emotional development, and understanding the school environment. The roles and duties of school employees, administrators, and instructors are different at Your Child’s School.

• Stay In Contact With Your Child’s Teachers And Attend Parent-Teacher Meetings Whenever Possible. 

Each year, schools usually host one or two parent-teacher meetings. You can request an interpreter from the school or bring someone else to do the translation for you. During the year, you can also call to see your child’s teacher. If you need to discuss something with the instructor but are unable to meet in person, schedule a time to speak via the phone or write a short message.

1. Discover Information About The Welfare Of Your Child. 

Find out from the instructor how your child is performing in comparison to the other children. If your kid is falling behind, particularly in reading, find out what the school and you can do to support them. Before your child falls too far behind, it’s vital to take prompt action. Every time your child’s report card is out, make sure to review it as well.

2. If Your Child Has Specific Needs, Try To Get Them Specialized Services

If your kid is having difficulty in learning English, request that the school examine your kid in their best language. The instructor can be able to make arrangements for your child in the classroom. If the school finds that your kid has a disability related to learning, he will be eligible for free additional assistance.

3. Ensure To Complete The Schoolwork

Tell your kids that you appreciate learning and that they have daily homework to complete. Establishing a dedicated study space, assigning a particular time of day for homework, and avoiding distractions like social media and television during homework time are all ways you may support your child with their schoolwork.

Let’s say you feel unqualified to assist your child with their homework because you find the subject matter too complex or you have trouble understanding or use the English language. In that case, you are still able to help by showing your interest, supporting your child in organizing their stuff, providing the items they need, asking your child about their daily assignments, keeping an eye on their work to ensure it is finished, and appreciating their efforts.

4. If Your Child Needs Help In Learning English, Find It

If you need help to assist your child with learning English, try to locate another person who can provide help. Make contact with the school, programs for after-school learners, libraries, and tutoring organizations. Ask a friend, neighbor, or senior student if they can help them. if you are in Japan, you can sign up for English lessons at BumbleB English School here.

5. Support Your Child in Preparing For the English Tests

Exams are a major factor in deciding a student’s grade. Throughout the school year, your kid’s teacher can dedicate class time to test preparation, and your child can also take several regular English tests. In addition to supporting your kid’s everyday learning practices that will help them be better prepared for the English exam, there are other ways you can help your child both before and after they take an English test.

6. Study English 

If you want your children to speak English well, you can learn along with them yourself. You can create a positive mindset toward communicating and understanding English by doing this with your children. Furthermore, while children are young, they have the ability to imitate what their parents do, and if you have an understanding of this, your children will follow the same.

7. English Games 

Children are going to absorb everything surrounding them without guidance from adults. In addition, they are more likely to learn a subject that isn’t being taught in a classroom. Allowing your child to play games to learn English is one of the most effective methods to help them learn the language. Introduce games based on English, like Scrabble. You can also have fun while studying by playing hide-and-seek.

8. Promote English-language Reading 

Reading is possibly one of the greatest and most successful means for kids to learn English. It can help children enhance their vocabulary and English pronunciation, learn the meaning of information, and understand grammar more effectively. You can buy them excellent English novels, particularly those with fascinating stories, to keep them interested and motivate them to keep reading.

9. Watch English-language films and Television Series

As previously said, making the process enjoyable may be quite beneficial to your child’s English learning. Watching English-language movies and television shows is one such method that is better than traditional learning. This is due to the significant difference between understanding a language and actually being subjected to it.

Children are exposed to the beats and melodies of English instead of receiving specific instruction. They learn how to speak English with different accents and improve their English communication skills by watching movies and TV shows, which may help in language development.

If you are interested in reading more about this, read our blog – Ways to make learning English a Fun Activity at Home.

A Few Questions That Parents Have In Mind with Children and Learning English

• How can I encourage my child to take pleasure in speaking English without worrying about committing mistakes? 

Children often find it problematic to speak English. Some are shy. Some people wish to avoid making errors. You can assist your child gain confidence by establishing a pleasant and supportive environment at home. Tell them that making errors is a common and necessary aspect of learning a language. Everyone makes errors at times; this is how we learn. However, if your kid is not yet ready to talk, do not put pressure on them or express displeasure.

• How can we practice stress-free English?

The following advice can help your child become more self-assured:

1. Never put pressure on your kids to provide longer responses. If that’s all they have to say right now, it’s OK to speak only one word.
2. Show your child that you are happy with their remarks, no matter how brief, and look relaxed.
3. Don’t disturb your child when they are speaking—or let anybody else interfere.
4. Keep “mistakes” in mind for later. Allow your youngster to talk without interrupting them. It is difficult to improve spoken fluency and might be negative to confidence to pause and make corrections.
5. Give them the chance to use words and expressions they are already familiar with.
6. Verify that they comprehend the instructions and questions. Make sure to explain it in your native tongue if it’s essential.
7. Speaking exercises should be enjoyable and brief. For instance, ask your youngster to share with you some of the things they notice when driving. It’s a red vehicle. Three busses are visible to me. Admit mistakes. It’s crucial that your youngster can speak English words without fear.
8. Read Books together and talk about the characters in the book. Let the child describe all the vocabulary words they see.

Most prominently, don’t take your child’s quiet too seriously. Be helpful, positive, and helpful at all times. Discuss it with them and let them know you’re here to support their improved confidence.

• How can we add enjoyment to English-speaking activities? 

Encourage funny, carefree, and surprising reactions. Say the sentence differently, for example, both with a joyful and a sorrowful expression, singing opera, and appearing tired. Just have fun and use your creativity. Children are typically happy to repeat words again if the focus is on making funny expressions rather than speaking.

If a child enjoys English-language literature, cartoons, music, or movies, they are likely to be more inspired to learn the language. It’s possible that your kid has a toy version of their favorite English-speaking animated character. Advise your kid that this toy is limited to English comprehension. Talk to the toy personally to inspire your youngster to engage in similar private conversations.

A lot of youngsters pick up English more quickly when it’s carefully mixed with creative activities. Consider what your child enjoys doing in their free time and try doing these things in English: singing, role-playing, playing games, reading aloud from books, etc.

• How should I fix mistakes?

Don’t punish your child for every mistake, and don’t correct them as they’re being disturbed. When they have finished speaking, wait to pronounce the phrase or sentence correctly and then ask them to repeat it. Avoid saying “Not like that” or “It’s wrong.” Select “Listen…” or “Let’s try again” as an alternative.

• Which kinds of rewards work best while learning English? 

In certain cases, rewards lead to one-time actions rather than the long-term development of study abilities. Praise for effort is equally important as praise for knowledge and achievements. This means giving your child credit if they have fought through difficulty or discovered a solution on their own. According to research, children who get this kind of praise advance academically the most.

• Will my child mimic my pronunciation mistakes in language? 

No. Children are able to distinguish between different pronunciations, and a variety of factors, including their classmates, teachers, movie stars, and other media, can shape their accents. Accents can shift quickly in children as they get older. After adolescence, pronunciation becomes increasingly challenging to learn.

Note that there isn’t just one “correct” way to pronounce English. There are more than a hundred distinct regional and local variants of English spoken in nations, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA. Moreover, the vast majority of English-speaking individuals are foreign nationals. English speakers have become used to hearing a wide variety of accents; this is a crucial aspect of learning a new language.

Final Words

In summary, learning English is a journey that begins at home and extends beyond the classroom. As parents, you are important in encouraging and assisting your child in his or her English language learning journey.

You can support your kid in thriving in their English learning journey by being actively involved with their instructors, being aware of their needs, and creating an encouraging atmosphere. Remember that your youngster should find learning English entertaining and pleasurable. To make studying interesting, include things like playing language games, viewing movies in English, and reading books written in the language. Visit MakoStars for learning and teaching tips for English learners.