Teaching a 3-year-old child English
"I want to teach my 3-year-old son English, but don't know how to go about it or how long lessons should be. As I’m not a professional teacher, I don’t expect to have a bilingual child but, it would be a pity not to take advantage of the incredible capacity children have to learn new things at early ages. My three year old son is extremely excited about learning English and is always asking me "Daddy, how do you say this in English? Can you help?"
Firstly, how long should lessons be?
If logistics are not a constraint the little and often is the secret to success. Teach for 25 minutes and stop while the child is still having fun. It's best to stop with the child wanting more than going on until he or she is fed up. That is a strategy so that your child keeps wanting to learn English with you long-term. If your child or pupil feels that learning English with his teacher, mum or Dad is a special time, then with luck he'll keep wanting more.
Another reason to keep lessons short and sweet is that young children need repetition to learn and remember. Little and often is more effective than one long chunk. That said one can go up to 45 minutes with a 3-year-old, if you include a break for a drink and keep the activities varied. More on that coming up...!
What should I teach and how?
1. Use games and play together
2. Use songs and music
3. Use mime and make-believe
4. Use stories
The best way to experience how to teach a 3-year-old child is to receive my free emails.
There you'll receive games, a story and a song. You'll learn exactly how to do it, in a way that your child or pupil loves.
"My son loved the games and we had a lot of fun together. Actually, the day after the first section day, it was him who asked me to play with the flashcards again. Later, I caught him playing alone. By the end of the third session, he was pretty confident in identifying the 7 animals in the listening drills and also saying them in an understandable way."
To learn this fun method just try out this lesson plan and story. It's a free sample from my method,(which is an absolute bargain, even if I say so myself!)
I'm Hungry Story and Lesson Plan Free Gift
When do I move on to a new topic?
The question now is how do I know when it's time to move on to a new topic?
Answer: Move on to a new topic after three or four sessions, but do not abandon the first topic. Keep revising in every lesson, as well as adding some new vocabulary, short phrases or sentences.
To keep revising fun do something different with the topic each time. If you are using my stories curriculum, see the post story ideas. These include acting parts of the story, doing sound effects and mimes, doing a craft, or playing more vocabulary games. I spell it out for you step by step in my lesson plans for each story.
In every lesson have something new, and some revision. You don't want to stay on the same story or theme until it's word perfect. Move forward, but revise constantly.
Preschool teachers and parents, get the bargain lesson plans and stories for three to five year old children.
Teaching your child at home?
You also need these video demonstration lessons and 1-2-1 games book.
Teaching a toddler?
This is for you. How to teach toddlers English.
Leave your comments and ask your questions - I'm here to help!
All the best
Kind regards
Shelley Ann Vernon, Teaching English Games
4 Comments
Shelley Vernon: Jan 19, 2018 at 15:10 pm
jackie: Jan 23, 2018 at 21:39 pm
Shelley Ann Vernon: Jan 24, 2018 at 09:45 am
Paula: Jan 24, 2018 at 02:50 am