How to teach a 6 year old child English. How to help your child learn English

Distances and borders mean little to people today. These obstacles are easily overcome by developed transport and supportive international politics. But ignorance of foreign languages ​​is a serious obstacle on the way to understanding the world. Therefore, modern parents are trying to accustom children to foreign speech from an early age. And often the choice falls on English, which has long been considered international. Therefore, in this article we will tell you how to teach a child English at home, at what age to start classes, and in what format to conduct lessons. Teaching English to children is a responsible task, for which you need to be well prepared. Otherwise, there is a risk of not achieving results, and discourage the child from learning. So listen to the recommendations before starting the lessons.

When parents have the idea of ​​introducing foreign speech into the life of a child, they immediately begin to think about how to start teaching English to a child. At first glance, the approach is correct, but in fact it would be more correct to start with yourself. Yes, yes, ask yourself, are you ready for English lessons with a baby? And do not rush to answer right away, believe me, it is better to carefully weigh and think everything over here. And to make it easier for you to understand yourself, we will briefly describe what English is for children at home on their own.

1. Parents need free time. It is absurd to think that it is enough to give the kid a tablet with downloaded English cards in his hands, and he will flip through them and learn. Firstly, this is entertainment for a child for 5 minutes, and secondly, it will not bring any result. The kid will be carried away by the lessons only on the condition that he will be interested. Many factors influence the interest of children, and one of the main ones is parental authority. Therefore, even before the start of classes, you need to clearly understand that parents will have to devote a certain part of their personal time to learning English with children.
2. The key to success is planning and regularity of classes. Also, do not think that it is enough to spend 15 minutes a day on English lessons, even if the lesson with the child is so long and lasts. The fact is that the parent still needs to prepare the lesson material in advance. And this includes not only simple actions, like buying a book or a set of cards. No, to prepare a lesson is first of all to make a lesson plan. The kid, of course, still does not understand why he should speak English, but the parents know the goal. And in order to achieve it, at each lesson it is necessary to set tasks and analyze the success of their implementation.
3. The child must be interested. Just because the value of English is not clear to the baby, he needs to be attracted to classes by other motives. What? Childish! The kids love new, bright, unusual, sounding, moving, etc. Use children's curiosity to the benefit of the lessons. For example, in order for a child to learn the English alphabet, you can buy a sound poster: a talking bright picture will definitely lure the baby, and if there are also games, the lesson will obviously stretch for a long time. And this is just one trick to help you learn English language with kids! You can come up with hundreds of similar ones, but, again, the selection of teaching methods also lies on the parental shoulders.
4. The parent is not a teacher, but the main assistant. Finally, where it is definitely not necessary to start children's English lessons is with coercion and strict control. You must introduce the baby to the world of the English language, and not hang on him the obligation to engage in an incomprehensible occupation. Therefore, no pressure, and even more so punishments and prohibitions. Try to teach your child in such a way that he himself would be interested in gaining new knowledge and using it.

Here are the basic principles for doing homework. In addition, you can also mention the duration of the lessons. Many are looking for methods “how to quickly learn English with children”, “how to teach a child 30 English words daily”, etc. We would not recommend getting involved in such things, because they can be harmful. Each baby is individual, and only parents can reliably assess the abilities and capabilities of their child. Therefore, build on the reaction of the baby. If he quickly delves into the topic and remembers a lot of words, feel free to proceed to the next step. And when the material is given with difficulty, do not rush to jump from topic to topic and push the child. There is a time for everything, the main thing is to regularly conduct classes and maintain the learning mood of the baby.

So to start classes, you need a desire to conduct lessons and a clear idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhy this is being done. That is why it is a balanced parental decision to start teaching a child English on their own. First of all, you need to be psychologically prepared for such work, and teaching methods and lesson plans will already be applied. Moreover, if you really have a desire, you can study English with children, even if the parents themselves have not taught English before. By the way, this can even become the very “trump card” for involving the baby in the learning process. Studying with mom or dad, competing in knowledge and solving problems together in English - what could be better? Few children will refuse such a seductive activity!

Other English topics: English fairy tales with Russian translation for toddlers and older children

At what age is it better to introduce children to English?

As mentioned above, it is the decision of the parents to start teaching the child English. But here another question arises: at what age is it better to start lessons? Here opinions differ.

Some parents and teachers believe that it is better to start introducing children to a foreign language from the age of 3. At this age, children are open to new information, and therefore learn easily and remember quickly. Moreover, kids are not afraid to make mistakes, which is why they do not have a fear of speaking in a “foreign” language. Even many scientists argue that the sooner a person begins to learn a language, the easier and faster he will master it.

However, this approach also has many opponents. These people believe that a child learning English should be at least 5-7 years old. As arguments, they argue that learning English from an early age deprives children of childhood, harms their native language and distorts pronunciation. The arguments, of course, are not entirely convincing, since it can also be stated that English brings diversity to the lives of children, improves their native speech ( children learn new words) and lays a good intellectual base. How many people - so many opinions.

But returning to the age at which and how to teach a child English at home, we would still advise to conduct the first lessons with the baby at the age of 3-4 years. Use light songs, fairy tales in English, cubes with letters, etc. Even if the kid does not study too often, the main thing is that he gets acquainted with English and has already begun to absorb it a little. And over time, based on the reaction and interest of the child, the parent can already adjust the focus and duration of classes.

How to teach a child English - 10 basic rules

So, if you have firmly decided “I teach English to your child”, then we have a selection for you. useful tips. Working with children is a special matter, and here it is better to take into account all the nuances in advance so as not to harm the baby. Therefore, we advise you to study the 10 main principles of how to teach your child English on their own at home.

Game form of classes

The most important thing to understand is that English is taught to children in the form of a game. This is by no means boring textbook sitting, boring long explanations and a lot of information. Academic methods are not suitable for such a young audience. Any lesson for a child should seem like a game, otherwise the kid will simply not be interested.

Collaboration

The second most important rule is that we learn together with the children. The parent repeats new letters with the child, learns the pronunciation of words, tries to build phrases, etc. Imagine that you and your child are one team that went on an exciting journey through England.

Regularity of lessons

Teaching English to children should be unobtrusive, but regular. After all, as much as children are very inquisitive, they are also quickly forgetful. A few days will pass without English, and the baby's memory will begin to erase the learned information, because the child's horizons are replenished daily with new knowledge and impressions.

All-round development

Try to explain to the child new material from every possible point of view. For example, you are studying the topic "Animals". Work with cards, add the names of animals from cubes or write in word games, listen to the sounds that animals make, play an educational video for your child, etc. Such a varied work will not only keep the baby from getting bored, but will also allow him to develop his language skills comprehensively. In other words, children will gradually memorize English words, understand their meaning, pronounce them correctly, write them down and use them in conversation.

Selection of methods and materials

There are a great many ways to teach English to children, and one must be able to choose those that will bring fruitful results to the child. This choice is quite easy to make - you just need to look at the reaction of the baby. If he is passionate, catches knowledge on the fly and does not get bored in the classroom, then this technique suits him perfectly. In cases where the child sits without a mood, yawns from boredom and does not catch the explanations, it is urgently necessary to change the teaching method.

Also, don't be afraid to try new things and experiment with lesson formats. Even the most beloved activities begin to get bored if nothing changes in them.

Knowledge control and repetition

When looking for a new approach, do not forget about checking old knowledge. The material covered periodically needs to be “revived” in memory so that the child accumulates a base of language knowledge. But do not be too strict if the kids forget the topic. In this case, the task of the parent is to find a way to help the child learn the English topic. For example, re-explain the meaning of words, play flashcard games, learn rhyming rhymes or songs. In general, there are never too many repetitions in learning a foreign language!

Other English topics: Cliché for an Essay by English USE- plan, general phrases, introductory words

Interactive elements

It is important for a parent not only to know how to teach their child, but also to understand how to consolidate information. And interactive elements that actively involve the child in the learning process will be simply irreplaceable here. Play, sing songs together, watch cartoons and ask leading questions to them, and even dance, naming movements or, for example, body parts. Any lesson can be turned into an English lesson, just as an English lesson can be transformed into a favorite activity for the baby. Again, feel free to experiment!

Everyday use of language

Many parents are more worried about how to teach their child to speak English. But after all, everything is extremely simple here: try to use a foreign language not only in class, but also in life. Communicate with the baby, name the objects around you, study the first conversational phrases. If the child has grown up to preschool age, then you can try to write notes in English or play the simplest vocabulary games (gallows, bulldozer, etc.). It is very effective when one of the parents constantly communicates with the baby in a foreign language. This stimulates the child to acquire new knowledge and helps not to forget the studied material.

Time relax

Remember to take sufficient breaks between lessons. Teaching children English should not be too intense. Moreover, you can not push the child in order to jump to a new topic. Be guided by the principle "quieter you go - you will continue", but do not forget about the regularity of lessons. On average, it is recommended to engage with children 3-4 times a week, with a lesson duration from 15 to 40 minutes.

Child psychology

And, finally, when studying English with a child, a parent should constantly monitor the child's reaction to classes. Encourage the child, be sure to support in difficult situations, encourage for achievements, but NEVER scold. Even if the child does not understand or remember anything at all, screaming and even more violence will only aggravate the situation. Better try to understand what the difficulties are, and solve them together with the baby, because you are ONE TEAM.

How to start learning English with a child

In theory, we have analyzed how to teach a child English, now let's talk a little about practice. Of course, a novice parent is tormented by excitement and responsibility, because he still doesn’t really know how to teach English with a baby. Therefore, we want to give a few examples from practice to make it easier for parents to start English lessons at home for their child.

Learning letters and words, listening to English sounds (from 3 to 5 years)

To teach a child English, he must be interested in a foreign language. How to do it? Just bring English into his usual interests. Does your child like to sing songs and dance? Great, start your acquaintance with English with funny songs in English. Does your daughter like to recite poems in the family circle? To make her speak English, offer her to learn a small and interesting rhyme that will amaze her family and friends! Or maybe your kids love to listen to or read fairy tales? Then take the English translation of a story they know. It will be interesting for the children to find out how the heroes of the story they have already fallen in love with speak a different language.

Reading and playing (5-7 years old)

Already at a more conscious age, it's time to master independent reading English words. A playful form will also help to teach a child to be independent. For example, take a set of new cards and taking out 1 card in turn, compete with the baby in the correct pronunciation of words. In general, the one who makes the fewest mistakes wins. But, since we are learning English together, friendship should always win.

In addition, you can teach your child to write learned words in a playful way. Suggest a game: I name the word, and if you write it in English in 30 seconds, you dictate the word to me. Error - skipping a turn. What child does not want to ask a kind of "bashing" beloved parents? So with such a game, the kids will quickly remember the letters and spelling of English words.

We write and communicate in English (children 7-9 years old)

If we talk about how to study English with a child of primary school age, then here The best way communication. At this age, kids love to chat recklessly, and this quality can and should be used for foreign lessons. Talking to kids is as easy as shelling pears: ask them to list their favorite toys, name school items, remember the English designations of animals, etc.

In addition, we recommend using games for English spelling. For example, how to remember the first irregular verbs? Of course, rewrite the tablet in a notebook. But it’s boring to learn from a sheet, so why not make a mini-crossword puzzle to check? And for his decision to solemnly award the student with a medal of honor? Believe me, with this approach, the child will much faster remember how to write the form of an irregular verb.

We hope that now you roughly understand how to start English lessons and how to teach your child English at home. The main thing is to become a single team with the baby, which is not afraid of any obstacles. Good luck!

Throughout my five years as a parent, I have been looking for, inventing and trying ways to teach a child spoken English. Traditional learning English, which is practiced in our schools, did not suit me at all, because we all know how it is to learn a language for fifteen years, and in the end not speak it. I decided that learning English is a bad option, and a good option is to learn to speak English. In this article I will describe my approach to solving this problem. My daughter is five years old and I like the result of learning with the methods I use. Learning English with a child at home with pleasure!

When I say "learn to speak English", I mean that even if a child knows only three phrases in this language, he knows how to use them. The classical methods of teaching English boil down to the fact that a person knows grammar, a couple of thousand English words, but is not able to ask how to get to the desired street. Probably because it is necessary to instill in the first place not knowledge, but a skill. By the way, my five-year-old daughter has perfectly learned that English is not knowledge, but a tool. On vacation, she constantly communicated with foreigners on her own initiative, fortunately, the psychological barrier had not yet grown. By the way, this is the answer to the question when to start teaching a child English: if you want to focus primarily on spoken English, it is better to start before the fear of making a mistake appears.

The traditional study of English is not suitable for a child

A child is not able to effectively learn a foreign language with the help of logical tools, as adults often do. But he can learn a second language in the same way as he learned his native. Children absorb speech patterns and see analogies between situations where the same form of expression is used. They do not need to explain the order of the words in the sentence, they know it without explanation, because they have heard many times that a sentence of a certain type sounds exactly like that. This property underlies some of the effective methods of teaching English.

How to teach your child English at home

To learn English with my daughter, I use:

1. English games for kids. Partly invented by me, partly borrowed from knowledgeable people. Some require a dedicated time, and some can be played in parallel with some activity, for example, while cooking. In games, I roll back the vocabulary on the chosen topic and a couple of grammatical constructions.
2. Children's books in English. Special series for beginners. I bought them even before I taught my child to read in English, and at first I read them to her myself, and my daughter translated. Over time, she began to read them on her own. When I already knew them by heart, they bought a new batch, of a more complex level.
3. Communication in English with a child. How to weave it into daily communication in a natural way, I will write a separate article. It is important to make the use of English expressions natural for the child, and not just part of the learning process. If you treat this as learning, then sooner or later you will slide into an academic approach and waste time.
4. Doman cards for learning vocabulary. You can do without them, it’s even better to just poke your finger at new objects and say “This is a tree”, and for the fourth time “What is this”. On the other hand, in the ready-made set of cards, the most frequently used thematic vocabulary has been selected, which can serve as a guide for mom to choose words. It's comfortable.

This is the set of tools. But to get a good result, it’s not even he who is important, but the desire of parents to create an environment for the child in which the use of English would be the norm. So that learning does not turn into a nuisance or a huge pleasure (although this is a moot point), but is perceived as a part of life. I have not heard of such cases when a child refuses to learn the names of objects and ways of expression in their native language or in general somehow expresses their attitude to this process. This is because no one tries to purposefully learn their native language, and knowledge and communication skills are instilled by themselves. Of course, mothers teach English to children purposefully, but it is in our interests to avoid the child's suspicion that this is part of the "I will make a man out of you" program. Game and application in real life- here is our recipe. Self-teaching a child English has one important advantage: at home you can avoid all these rituals that make the learning process a separate event and make it optional.

When making any decisions related to teaching children English, consider the above. Do not reduce the learning process to dull memorization, punishments for poor memorization, etc., so that the English language does not cause negative emotions in the child. Be prepared for the fact that today he remembers the phrase, but tomorrow he does not. And if he remembered yesterday and remembers today, there is no guarantee that he will not forget tomorrow. This is not important, regularity and consistency are important. The point is not in bad knowledge, but in the fact that children are poorly able to concentrate their attention when their mother wants it.

In the next article, where to start learning English with a child, I will tell you how to implement it all so that the learning process goes with pleasure and turns into a pleasant form of interaction between mother and child.

The modern, dynamically developing world dictates its own rules - mastering English from the age of 4 onwards allows the child to optimally fit into the surrounding space and not experience communication barriers. Our English courses in St. Petersburg will help you with this.

How to teach English to children of different ages

The effectiveness of learning a foreign language at this age depends on how to teach english to kids. The use of classical methods for teaching school-age children used in educational institutions, can form a persistent aversion to the subject. And the selection of individual programs, the use of author's methods, taking into account the physiological characteristics and interests of the child allow us to achieve amazing results in a fairly short time.

Each child has a certain type of memory - someone can easily memorize sounds, words and expressions by ear, and someone will certainly need to write them down, someone cannot remember a word without demonstrating the corresponding image. Determining the abilities, preferences and interests of the child about the subject, the first step is to determine what the student is like - what type of memory and perception he has. It all depends on the efficiency educational process. And then the most interesting and main thing begins - we awaken interest in the subject!

Let's play English!

We did not accidentally use this word - "play". It is the game that can captivate, inspire excitement and arouse genuine interest in its essence. Teaching English to children aged 4 to 6 years is built precisely in the form of a game.

The maximum of interactive materials, pictures, songs, rhymes, fairy tales, role-playing games, the use of toys to form language situations - all this together is perceived by the child as fun game, during which counting rhymes, songs, fairy tales, words and expressions in English are simply remembered. We have done everything to ensure that the EF Small Stars course becomes a way for your child to make new friends, discover the new kind communication and gain an extra advantage over their peers (there will be something to show off in the yard).

At this stage, we introduce only common vocabulary, words that occur daily in everyday speech - the names of products, animals, flowers, greetings, names of household appliances, furniture, etc. That is, everything that a child sees every day at home and knows how it sounds in Russian. Trying at this age to explain what “English weather” and other more complex concepts are is not worth it. You still have time. Our task at this stage is to arouse a steady interest in learning the language, learning the names of things and objects, as well as the desire to learn how to read English fairy tales.

EF High Flyers Advanced Course

Schoolchildren of younger age - from 7 to 9 years old - already have more adult needs. Back and forth and learning modern English online will become your child's favorite pastime. The task of the teacher at this stage is to make English an alternative means of communication for them.

In general, at this age, children's games have already faded into the background, and serious perseverance has not yet come. Our teachers work taking into account the peculiarities of the behavior of younger students. In the learning process, the focus is on finding an equal partner with whom it is interesting to talk and learn his opinion.

The form of teaching is somewhat different from working with the junior group but still playable. They just change the themes of game situations for more age-appropriate ones. Everything will also have to be interspersed with explanations with game moments, musical pauses. But the whole process is aimed at awakening the desire to communicate and not just communicate, but in English. And for this, more words are already needed, and the basic rules of grammar will have to be remembered. Here you can't do without interactive materials and original, colorful textbooks.

Does your child enjoy watching cartoons and films in English and trying to understand everything himself? Then we are waiting for you on the course for teenagers - EF Trailblazers!

Wanting the baby to develop a whole and harmonious personality, many parents start the educational process from an early age. Among other things, they want to teach the child English, but, as a rule, they do not know at what age it is better to start. We will get acquainted with the positions of teachers and their recommendations in this regard.

Age

Most important question to be answered - when to start learning a foreign language so that classes are as productive as possible? There are several main points of view, information on which will be presented in the form of a table.

The specialist notes that in the first years of life there is an active development of the child's brain, so it is very important to start the learning process as early as possible. But you should not “stuff” the baby with information, the main thing is to present useful knowledge in an interesting form for him.

Position of specialists

There is no unambiguous answer to the question, at what age is it best to start getting acquainted with foreign speech. It all depends on the individual abilities and desires of the child. However, since early years you can include in the baby’s daily routine an initial acquaintance with English: study counting rhymes and the simplest words.

Experts note that if a child has speech problems, then it is impossible to start learning English or any other foreign language. It is important to first deal with speech therapy defects, and only then proceed to new material.

Learning principles

Teaching a child English is not easy, because for preschoolers it is important to be able to actively move, and not sit and memorize boring words. Therefore, during homework, one should actively use game forms, visual material, cartoons and musical accompaniment - all this will help the child not lose interest in training. Lessons should be held regularly, only in this case you can count on success, but not tire the baby. You can remember English vocabulary along the way. For example, if a mother and child meet a cat during a walk, the mother may ask: “Who is this? How will it be in English? This will help memorization.

The main task of parents is to instill in the child a steady interest in learning a language, the desire to study independently, learn new words and build phrases. Motivation is very important, so you should build classes in such a way that the children themselves ask for them. The task is not easy, but the result is worth it.

Pictures, toys must be present in the classroom, parents can come up with a fascinating story and complete the lesson, keeping the intrigue so that the child looks forward to the next day.

No less important is the fact that the parent who took the responsibility of conducting the lesson must have an impeccable command of pronunciation, otherwise the child will get used to articulating incorrectly and in the future he will have to relearn.

Important Rules

Having decided to study at home and introduce the baby to the rules of English speech, parents should adhere to the key rules.

• Criticism should not be, and praise is welcome. Moms and dads should understand that if they do their best to dismantle their dissatisfaction with the success of the baby, scold him, get nervous, break into a cry, then they can forever kill in the child not only the desire to learn English, but also self-confidence. And praise for success, no matter how small, will help the preschooler feel more at ease. You can gradually praise the child even with simple, understandable English phrases, this will help both create motivation and remember them.
• Correct pronunciation is extremely important. Even if the parents are fluent in colloquial foreign language, they must pronounce each sound clearly when communicating with the child.
• Various games. The child will get bored if each lesson is carried out according to a single scenario: a rabbit came to visit us, he really wants to get acquainted with English words. The kid will quickly feel false, will cease to be interested in the rabbit, and the lessons themselves. Therefore, creativity, ideas, creativity are required from parents. Lessons can be held with the active use of finger games, while drawing or needlework, on the street.
• Regular repetition. Only in this way the child will be able to quickly memorize the vocabulary. Therefore, you need to use every free minute for repetition. For example, during a conversation, a mother can unobtrusively say that she forgot how the “bear” will be in English, motivating the baby to remember and prompt.

Only in this way will the child be happy to memorize words and actively demonstrate their knowledge.

Techniques

You can teach your child English from scratch using various methods. Let's get acquainted with the most popular of them.

• Meshcheryakova's technique– active work with toys. The parent shows the baby a toy, such as a cat, and says "cat". Gradually, after several lessons, the child understands and remembers that this foreign word is a cat in English. You can play with the baby, for example, in a store, saying phrases they understand (how much something costs) in English. The child understands the meaning, because the situation itself helps him, and gradually remembers the phrase.

Numerous songs that can be learned with the baby will help create a cheerful mood.

• Immersion technique. The bottom line is that a special language space is created around the baby - only English speech sounds, so he has to adapt, strive to intuitively understand what exactly adults are saying. This method can only be used if the parents are confident in their knowledge. Do not get carried away with "immersion", 5-7 minutes a day is enough to help the child get to know a foreign speech better, but not feel discomfort.

The situation itself must be somehow beaten - to explain to the baby, for example, that mom and dad are preparing for a trip abroad, so they train with his help.

• Game techniques. The best choice for children from 3 to 5 years. It is through the use of role-playing and story games that it will be possible to instill a steady interest in learning English.
• Glen Doman Method- work with cards. Helps to quickly memorize English words - the names of animals, plants, flowers, household items. The main difficulty is to find words suitable for children's perception. Work with cards should be carried out three times a day, spending no more than 15 seconds on each word. Modern parents have the opportunity not to prepare cards, but to find them on the Internet and turn on a slide show for their baby for 2-3 minutes a day.
• Zaitsev's method. It can be used with children aged 5 years and older, it is a work with cubes, on the faces of which syllables are written. The baby is required to "collect" a word from syllables and read it. Due to the fact that the cubes are bright and colorful, they are of interest to the child, but it is not worth overworking him with a long search and restoration of words, 5-10 minutes a day is enough.

Moms and dads can include elements of each of these techniques in homework to make the learning process bright and unusual.

First step

It is very important to conduct the first lesson with the child so that he does not lose interest in subsequent learning. Therefore, it is necessary to use visual material, pictures, music, games. A series of first lessons can be combined with the theme of travel. For example, we are making an exciting trip to England.

• At the first stop, we meet Teddy Bear, a favorite of a large number of British children, with whom we listen to short rhymes.
• The second stop (second day) is a meeting with Cinderella, listening to songs.
• The third day is an acquaintance with the names of English animals, here cards with their images are used.

The learning process will thus turn into an exciting pastime, much more interesting than regular games.

stages

There are several stages of learning.

1. Introduction to transcription oral speech. To do this, kids just listen to funny simple rhymes, songs.
2. Learning words. The child gradually learns how the familiar words will sound in English.
3. Introduction to letters and sounds.
4. Learning the simplest rules for reading syllables and words.
5. Reading text.

Do not deceive yourself - the work is very difficult, so parents should be patient, and if there are gaps in their own knowledge, eliminate them.

First months of life

The researchers note that acquaintance with foreign speech should occur quite early, at the age of two years, only in this case, in the future, the child will make progress in comprehending the norms of English grammar. It is clear that small children are not yet ready to perceive complex information, but they will be happy to listen to a lullaby in English.

You can develop kids from the age of 1.5, sometimes weaving phrases in English into their speech, this will help them understand that sounds and words can sound a little different than in their native Russian. Songs in English are also useful at this age, while experts advise turning on the child not foreign pop music, but funny children's songs performed by small native speakers.

It is important for parents to understand their main goal - to help the child get acquainted with the English language, to interest him, to motivate him to further study, and not to force him to memorize complicated rules"from under the stick."

You should not rush to send your child to a language school, because at 2-3 years old it is better to deal with him on your own: this will give the baby the pleasure of communicating with his parents, as well as psychological comfort.

How to build a workout with a baby? There are several possible forms.

• Finger games: putting special toys on fingers, the child, under the guidance of parents, learns how one or another of them is called in English, and at the same time trains fine motor skills.
• Slamming the simplest English rhymes and nursery rhymes. For example: little mouse, little mouse, where is your house (clap is done after pronouncing each word). While working on the phrase, show the child a picture with a mouse or a toy to visualize the image.
• Gradual memorization of poems by heart. Babies of this age remember very well, but they cannot always repeat, so they can simply say individual words after the parent.
• Say hello and goodbye in English. Arriving home, dad can say to his baby: “Hello”, and kiss him at night and say: “Good night”. Gradually, the child will use these phrases in his speech.
• The study of colors is best done in the form of drawing: for example, a child draws with red paint, and the parent tells him how to be “red” in English - red.
• To maintain interest, you can offer the guys the following exercise: put several items of the same group in a bag, for example, fruits. The task of the child is to determine by touch what it is. Then the adult calls the guessed fruit in English. After a few lessons, the task for the child becomes more complicated - he must not only guess the contents of the bag, but also name it in English.
• Gymnastics with pronunciation will also be useful English verbs, meaning the action that the baby needs to perform. An adult pronounces the verb loudly and clearly, in the first lessons he shows an example, the task of the child is simply to repeat. But after a few workouts, mom or dad only speaks, giving the baby the opportunity to remember the meaning of the word.

Parents are now required to constantly turn on rhymes and songs in a foreign language to their child so that he remembers the rules of pronunciation.

Gradually, training becomes more difficult, children get acquainted with the letters. If they know the words, the work will be easier, since it will be enough for the parent to show the card that contains the image of the object, its name is written, and on the basis of the visual material, show the letter.

Learning English is an important step in preparing a child for later life and schooling in particular. It is necessary not to force the child to memorize phrases and words in order to please parents and demonstrate their abilities in front of other children, but to organize classes so that they look like fun games and bring pleasure to the baby. Only in this case, you can count on success.

AT modern world knowledge of English is required everywhere. Learning a foreign language starts at a very young age. kindergarten and continues at school. However, this may not be enough to fully master all the skills and speak fluently in another language. Therefore, parents often ask themselves the question: where to start learning English for a child? Teaching methods and strategies differ depending on age.

English for kids 3-4 years old

Many parents want their child to speak English as soon as possible. But the strategy “the sooner the better” does not work in this case. Experienced teachers advise to start teaching a child a new language not earlier than his native speech is formed.

That is why it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question: at what age do you start learning English? After all, the ability to speak at least a little in their native language develops differently for everyone.

Where to begin

At 3-4 years old, children know the name of some items and can count up to 10. At this point, you can connect a second language. It is worth starting at home on your own, since courses do not always make sense, especially at home in a familiar environment, the child will not get lost and will feel calmer.

Even if mom and dad do not speak English, this is not a problem, since there are many materials with audio and video accompaniment. In addition, helping a child is a good reason to start learning English yourself.

It is difficult for children aged 3-4 to be interested in learning, so classes should be relaxed, preferably in a playful way. Songs, reading fairy tales, and games are perfect for this.

Songs

Songs, as well as poems, are easier to remember, so you won’t have to memorize them for a long time. But how many benefits: memory and pronunciation are trained, the child is passionate, and memorizes new words.

Even if the baby does not delve into the meaning of words, he will learn to perceive foreign speech by ear and individual phrases and words will definitely be deposited in the subconscious.

As a rule, there are also special children's songs to teach the alphabet, numbers, basic vocabulary or expressions.

Fairy tales

At this age, children still cannot read, but this does not mean that fairy tales in a foreign language should be abandoned. Books of this genre are always accompanied by illustrations that will interest the child. During the reading, you can point to individual pictures, and name the objects and characters that are depicted on them.

Use audio recordings with voice acting whenever possible. Another option is fairy tales in video format. The advantage is that they are shorter than simple cartoons and don't get bored quickly.

Rapunzel in English

Cinderella

Rumpelstitzkin

Games

Now even children can easily manage gadgets - smartphones and tablets. And in order to make the time spent playing games useful, install applications in English or use English-language sites (https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/fun-games).

For active children who cannot sit still, outdoor games in English are suitable.

Simon says.

The host says: “Simon says… stand up” (jump, sit down, touch your lips). Participants must execute only those commands, before which the introductory phrase "Simon says" sounded. If a participant executes a command without this phrase, he is out of the game.

Confusion

The host calls one part of the body while touching another. For example, he says Lips (lips), and points to the ear. Players must touch the part of the body that the leader shows. In the same way, actions can be studied - the players must perform the voiced commands, and not the perfect action (the leader said Sit down - sit down - and he jumped, the players must repeat the actions of the leader).

English for children 5-7 years old

At preschool age, children have a more conscious approach to learning, but it is still difficult to interest them, and activities similar to school lessons will not work.

However, the task can be complicated, and active learning of words can be connected with the help of cards, simple dialogues, cartoons. You can also optionally take a simple textbook designed specifically for younger children. At the age of 5-7, children begin to learn to read, and reading in Russian can be combined with reading in a foreign language.

Vocabulary

Words are the foundation of language learning. Therefore, the study of words should be given more attention in the initial stages.

For the successful assimilation of new vocabulary, it is important to make English a part of Everyday life, since only regular repetitions contribute to consolidating everything learned.

In addition, you need to use as many ways of perceiving information as possible. There are 4 types in total:

• visual (visual),
• auditory (by ear)
• sound reproduction (repeat after the speaker),
• tactile (handwritten).

Experienced teachers believe that the key to successful language learning is the use of all methods of perception. The child sees the word before his eyes, listens to its pronunciation, repeats aloud and writes the word on paper. In this scenario, different areas of the brain are involved and information is absorbed much faster.

But where to get words to learn, and what words in English does a child need to know? Simple dialogues, reading short stories, cartoons and games are a great way to expand your vocabulary.

Do not forget that you need to use different activities so that the child does not lose interest and does not get bored.

Dialogues

Simple dialogues will help you remember everyday expressions that will be useful in everyday life. In addition, you can use them in everyday life for communication.

Ask your child to pass a plate (to pass a plate), or to pick up toys (to pick up toys) - simple everyday things, but a few new words have already been learned. Phrase examples for different cases can be found

cartoons

Simple cartoons are the first listening exercises for your child. The characters speak slowly and clearly, using simple phrases that are sure to come in handy for communication.

Even if in the first stages the child will not catch the exact meaning by ear, but do not worry. Children have a well-developed language intuition. They may not understand the meaning of the word, but they perfectly understand everything by intonation, emotions, movements.

In addition, children can watch their favorite cartoon several times. So a couple of new learned words are guaranteed.

Games

The games also remain actual way to diversify activities. It can be:

• games on the computer and smartphone;
• board games;
• outdoor games;
• group or pair games.

If you study English with your child on your own, then you can play together.

Game "Sleuth"

The child leaves the room, at this time you hide an object. The point is to find the hidden thing by asking questions about its possible whereabouts. Such a game will help you learn the names of pieces of furniture and practice the use of prepositions.

Edible - inedible

A popular and well-known game can be used to learn English words. The rules are simple: the host throws the ball to the participants, while calling miscellaneous items. If he names something edible, the ball must be caught, and if it is inedible, it must be discarded.

English for younger students

English lessons in general educational institutions start from grade 2. In the primary grades, children are not yet able to solve all the problems on their own, unlike students in the 5th grade. These are the features of psychology.

Therefore, even if the child is taught the language at school, you need to help him not only with homework, but also in developing reading, listening and writing skills in English.

Reading

Reading is a very multifaceted aspect that can be approached from different angles. So, for example, reading can be intensive and extensive. The first type involves working on the text - parsing grammatical structures, searching for the meanings of unfamiliar words and their transcription, etc. Extensive reading does not require so much effort, and is designed to train reading fluency and passive memorization of words.

In the lower grades (grades 2-4), both methods can be used, but only in moderation.

Grammar

Mastering grammar is the most difficult process, since it is much more difficult for children to understand the logic of a foreign language. Therefore, for this it is worth purchasing a textbook in which all the rules and the procedure for presenting the material will be systematized.

There are several types of textbooks - authentic (in a foreign language) and non-authentic (in Russian). The first option is not recommended if English is being studied from scratch. Many argue that the use of English-language materials will help to "immerse" more in the language environment. This is true, but it is not necessary at the very beginning. The main task is to understand the use of the rules, and it is much easier to explain them through the native language.

Of course, there are a large number of textbooks, and they are all different: from simple collections of exercises to huge reference books with detailed explanations. There is no universal method of choice, everything is determined individually. You can choose only by testing the textbook in practice.

In addition to textbooks, you can use video lessons for children. So information is perceived much easier than with books.

If you have trouble understanding or explaining specific rules, you can read more about some of them:

Tests

Tests - good way check how well the child has learned the material on a particular topic. This will make it clear which aspects of the study are more difficult, and what needs to be paid more attention. Thus, you can adjust the training plan, and the lessons will become more effective.

Tests can be thematic or divided into levels:

Games and websites

Even for preschool children, sometimes it is useful to take a break from serious activities and spend time with interest. To do this, you can use various English-language sites with cartoons and games. They will help you not only have a good time, but also expand your vocabulary, improve your knowledge of grammar and spelling.

https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/ru - educational materials in a light form of entertainment, cartoons, exercises, etc.

https://www.funbrain.com/games - a site with games on various topics

https://www.theproblemsite.com/word-games - website for expanding vocabulary

1. Schoolchildren and preschoolers need to develop all skills at once in parallel: reading, writing, speaking, listening and vocabulary. However, some of them will require more time and effort, such as speaking and writing. These skills are considered active and are more difficult to master.
   Combine classes so that the child does not lose interest, and use new knowledge and vocabulary to the maximum in practice.

1. In no case should you scold a child for mistakes. So you can discourage any desire to continue learning. Mistakes are only an indication that a particular topic needs to be given a little more attention and gaps in knowledge need to be filled.
2. Motivate your child. Learning a new skill is easier when there is interest in it. Therefore, the task of parents is to try to make classes varied. At the same time, do not forget about promotions.
3. Classes should be regular. Do not leave them for a long time, even during the holidays. It is not necessary to repeat a large amount of information at once, it is enough to repeat a few words a day.

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