Helping Your Child to Learn English at Home
A Guide for Parents
While the children are at school they are learning in English all day.
Here are some ways you can support your child to develop confidence in English through Reading, Writing and Talking.
- Learn the letters of the alphabet and the sounds the letters make. (List 1)
- Learn to recognise and spell the most commonly used words . (List 2)
- Develop the childrens maths vocabulary. (list 3)
- Read to your child and help them with their school reading book.
- Join the Hamilton City Library. Visit the library often and take books home to read with your child.
- Allow your child to have an English speaking friend home to play.
- Allow your child to visit and play with their English speaking friends.
- Talk with your child about what they have done at school. ( In English or your own language).
- Visit the supermarket. Read your shopping list, the labels, name and discuss the items.
- Play board games e.g. Junior Scrabble, Snakes and Ladders.
- Cook with the children. Use a recipe in an English version of a childs cookbook.
- Watch TV programmes which will develop the children's language. Talk about the programme.
- Encourage the children to garden with you and discuss what you do and see.
- Go for walks. Talk in English about what you see.
- Join clubs, e.g. Brownies, Scouts or a sport.
- Find out what your children are interested in and allow them to pursue their own interests.
- Look at the news in the newspaper or on TV and talk about this in English.
These are some activities that the children need to do to develop their English and they can do after school. They will broaden their vocabulary and give them practice with their English in a purposeful way.
Your child will succeed if they believe that they are making progress. It is important that you praise them for what they are doing well. It is also important that you don't focus on what they can't do