| As an ESL teacher, mothers will often ask me what | | | | Point to the pictures and have your child identify them. |
| they can do at home to help children learn English. The | | | | 4. Count things. Whenever you have a chance, count |
| mothers are not confident because they worry that | | | | things with your child--the number of steps to the door, |
| their own English is not good enough to help their | | | | the number of red blocks that he has, the number of |
| children. | | | | carrots he can eat. |
| However, there are many things that can be done at | | | | 5. Buy many story books and read them to your child. |
| home to help children learn to speak English. These | | | | 6. Point to different things in the house or outside and |
| things are easy to do and do not require a lot of | | | | ask your child what color it is. |
| English ability. If fact, a few of them require no English | | | | 7. Buy some CDs of English songs and play them in |
| at all! | | | | the car. |
| Every chance your child can have to be exposed to | | | | 8. Pick a "letter of the day" and see how many things |
| English will slowly but surely help to improve their | | | | your child can name that start with that letter. |
| English ability. | | | | 9. Make a special family book, or just look at family |
| | | | photos. Have your child point out mommy, daddy, |
| 1. Buy English videos and let your children watch them | | | | sister, brother, grandma, grandpa, etc. |
| at home. | | | | 10. Have things on hand for writing practice. Pencils, |
| 2. Go on a shape walk. Show your child a particular | | | | pens, crayons, and markers are great...but also |
| shape (square, triangle, circle) and walk around the | | | | consider letting your child use chalk outside, finger |
| house or outside and see how many times your child | | | | paints, or colored soap in the bathtub. Encourage |
| can recognize that shape. | | | | creativity. |
| 3. Get a picture dictionary and look at it with your child. | | | | By trying out even a few of these suggestions, you |
| These are books for young learners that have many | | | | will be helping your child to learn English at home and |
| pictures grouped by topic (animals, occupations, etc.). | | | | you will definitely see improvements over time. |