Beginning English

How can parents and guardians help their children learn English?

1.  The most important thing is to encourage your child to try to participate and not be embarrassed of mistakes.  Mistakes are an important part of learning.  We need your child to feel they are capable of improving; we call this a "growth mindset."

2.  Remind your child not to compare themselves to others.  Everyone learns differently and at different speeds.  It is not a race.  The study of a language takes many years.  It is more important for them to try their best and to help their classmates than it is to be the best in the class.  

3.  Understand that your child might be very tired.  They are learning a lot right now.  Please make sure they get lots of sleep and that they have a lunch, a snack, and water bottle every day at school.

4.  Please let the teacher know about things that may affect your child's learning.  This includes allergies, food restrictions, and medical issues.  It might also include if your child has recently experienced a death of a family member or pet, a parent moving away, or something that might be bothering them.  We are here to help care for your child.

5.   It would be lovely if you could spend a few minutes a day doing an English activity with your child to practice reading or new words. 

6.  Please continue to use your first language to speak and read to your child.  Not only is it comforting to them, but it will help them learn about the commonalities between languages.  We want to encourage a positive relationship between your child and their culture & first language.