Teaching English to Children at Home- Best Methods to Teach

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English is a  widely spoken language in the world. So learning since childhood can be very useful as it will help in academics and confidence while dealing with someone. Teaching English to children at home can be a tick start in learning English.  Teaching English to children at home can be beneficial for future education and travel opportunities. 

If we want fluency in any language it’s very obvious that it needs to be practised every day at home, just like our mother tongue language. So in countries like India where English is not the first language, parents must be teaching  English to children at home at an early age. 

Why is it important Teaching  English to children at Home?

Learning English at home can be important for several reasons like 

1. Communication: Being proficient in English can greatly improve a child’s ability to communicate with others, both domestically and internationally.
2. Education: English is often the language of instruction in many schools and universities. A strong grasp of the language can improve a child’s academic performance and open up more opportunities for higher education.
3. Career Advancement: Knowing English can be an asset in many career fields, particularly in fields such as business, technology, and international relations.
4. Cultural Understanding: English is the language of a vast array of literature, music, film, and other forms of media. Learning English can provide children with access to a wealth of cultural knowledge and can foster an appreciation for other cultures.
5. Travel: Knowing English can make travel easier and more enjoyable as it can help break down language barriers and make it easier to communicate with locals
6. Personal Development: Learning a new language can help children develop cognitive abilities and improve problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

Different Methods of Teaching English to children at Home

1. Fix a Routine

It’s a well-known saying that it takes at least 21 days to build a habit. So it becomes very important to fix a set routine for children when we want to build a habit of speaking English. Fixing the routine is very important for teaching English to children at home. Have fixed hours of study every day and for the whole week also. Planning day will help kids to build a habit of disciplined life along with learning English.

• Practice or teach English at home daily at fixed times. 
• Furthermore instead of a long 1 or 2 hours time of study plan a short period .for example 15 min of practice and then after 1 hour again 15 min of practice. 
• Always have sessions in fun order so that children are engaged instead of staying distracted. 

2. Have a conversation in English

However, it is well proved over time that one can become a master of anything if it’s been practised daily. So the best way for teaching English to children at home is to start having small conversations in English among the family members, especially with the child. Like asking small questions “ can you please bring me a glass of water?” or “ can you please finish your food first before switching on the TV”. This practice will make the children reply in English. 

So unconsciously children will start having conversations in English. And ultimately it will help in teaching English at home. 

3. Reading Books or Show Picture Books

Parents can teach English at home to young kids by using some picture books in the English language.  These books usually depict some story in pictorial form along with a few small lines. As kids are too young to read the whole book but they will try to read along with pictures. Which will help in learning the English language over time. 

However, it’s a good idea to get some books to read but always keep in mind that books should be of child interest area so that they read the books with interest. 

However, if the child is big enough to read books, introduce a few good books from the genre of their interest area. This will build a reading habit in them which will help them in future in life also. moreover,  reading books will increase the vocabulary of the child also. So making habit of reading books is a proven way of teaching english to children at home. 

4. Listening

 Listening to something in English at slow or normal speeds can be very helpful if you want to go for teaching English to children at home.  For example 

a) English Songs

Listening to English songs is a very fun way to teach English at home. Children can enjoy, and dance along with listening to songs. 

b) Podcast

Make a habit of listening to good podcasts. It will help children in understanding how to use the English language in a conversational way more effectively

c) News or Radio

it’s one of the oldest ways of teaching English to children at home. Make a habit of listening to the news for at least 15-20 mins daily. It will not only improve English but will keep the children up to date in regard to the events happening in the world. 

5. Make friends who can speak good English 

Anything which we learn while playing becomes very easy for us. So same fundamental applies here. Ask your child to

Make friends who are very good in English or maybe English is their first language.  By doing this children can practise speaking English. 

Nowadays social media is also a good platform to make friends. definitely one needs to be careful and attentive while making friends on social media but once u connect with good people, you can practice having conversations in English.

6. Start writing

 Firstly listen to the audio, start reading books and then comes to the step of penning down your thoughts or experiences in a diary. Yes, Maintaining a personal diary or Journal is a very good way to improve your English writing skills. 

The best part is only you can read your journal so there is no fear of judgement by others but this will make you more confident in english slowly. 

7. Teach in a Fun way

In the world of technology, one doesn’t need to teach English in a boring old fashion way. 

There are many ways to teach English in a fun way. 

a) Audio /Video

Nowadays there are many audio or videos on different topics. Animated videos are the best way to keep children engaged if you are teaching english to children at home. 

b) Board games

Another best way to teach English is by playing board games. Most of the board games come with instruction in English. So in this way, children will learn English while playing and enjoying. For example Crosswords, Scrabble etc. 

8. Use apps 

Today’s world is an era of technology. Almost everyone has a smartphone. So it is a wise decision to use technology to learn something new. There are many good apps which parents can download on mobiles or laptops and teach english at home by using those apps. These are educational app which helps kids learn many aspects of the English language. For example 

• DUOLINGO app
• Cambly -English Teacher
• Hello English – Learn english 

 And many many more apps. Definitely, as a parent keep a check on the screen time of the child as these apps are a good way to learn but can become addictive also which can harm eye health. 

9. Get tutored

Along with everything parents can enrol their kids in English learning courses if parents are teaching English to children at home. There are institutes that offer English learning courses.  There are online and offline courses nowadays. One of the best institutes is Henry Harvin. Let’s have a detail on the English learning course by Henry Harvin.

Course name – English Language Course for Kids

Duration- 30 to 40 hours

Course Fee- 12000 to 14000 ( depending on the level)

 

Conclusion

In today’s world, Having fluency in the English language has become an important part of growth in life. There are multiple ways or forms through which parents can start teaching English to children at home. Along With all the ways one can use it at home it’s recommended to get tutored by a professional. For that parents can send their children for good English speaking, writing or English language learning courses. 

Recommended Reads

1. Top 25 English Writing Skills in 2023
2. Top 12 English-Speaking Courses in India: 2023
3. 10 Best Books To Teach English To Beginners In 2023

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