How can I help my child in a non-obtrusive way? Where do I start? Can I help even if I can’t pronounce the phonics or some of the English words myself? Command of the language aside, the most beneficial way of supporting your child is to offer a constant stream of encouragement and praises. Your enthusiasm will rub off on them, and inspire them to improve. Also, try not to get too impatient with their learning processes, as every child sets his or her own pace when learning English or English phonics.

Here are 3 practical tips you can adopt at home.

Make use of daily situations

A good way to start teaching your child English is by using everyday scenarios and household items. For example, you can transform common undertakings, such as dressing up to go out, into an activity on colours with questions and statements like “Let’s put on your green T-shirt” and “Would you like to wear your pink socks today?”.

Widen their vocabulary on your grocery run or shopping trip by giving them a list of things to find at the supermarket or departmental store. Then, engage them in a revision of the words when you’re arranging the shopping items at home. Read this useful article for parents working from home (WFH) on how to juggle both WFH and the kids.

Incorporate songs and stories into dialogue

If you’re wondering how to begin teaching reading, this is the perfect place to start! Singing songs is an effective way to expand a child’s vocabulary and improve their pronunciation. Take this opportunity to read the lyrics aloud with them. When it comes to picking out story books, get those that are vividly illustrated. Children adore books with bright colours and cute pictures.

Stimulate their creativity by asking them to point at different things. For example, a direct question “Where is the fish?” followed by an open-ended one “What is that?” forces them to open up a discussion.

“Listening and looking at pictures when reading and singing to your children will help them develop language comprehension by associating words with people, objects, and events in their daily life.”

Play games

Children learn best when they’re having fun. This article tells us why. So, playing games with your child is a great way to teach them English. One effective method would be flashcard games. This helps them remember new words. As we all know, there are many types of learners. Many kids are better at learning visually, and this is where flashcard games can make an impact.

Bright and colourful flashcards create the most lasting impressions on a child. For children of reading age, consider using pictorial flashcards in conjunction with text-based flashcards. But keep in mind that text-based flashcards should always be introduced after the pictorial ones if you want to fulfil word association and pronunciation practice goals.

There is nothing more effective than a parent-led campaign to encourage their child to put in more effort when learning English and English phonics. As the most widely spoken language in Singapore, English is the main medium of instruction in schools, government organisations and businesses. Therefore, a robust English foundation is important.

Through our curriculum we deliver heightened creativity, top comprehension skills and excellent writing strategies. These tools ensure that your children are able to thrive in an increasingly globalised world.

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