As English becomes a language that is used worldwide, every parent wants their child to be able to speak the language. Just as the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, your child’s quest to learn English starts with one word.
You could enroll them into a language school that provides English lessons for kids in Singapore to improve their skills. At the same time, there are also other ways for you to enhance your child’s learning as they attend those lessons.
Read
Read newspapers, magazines, online articles and other materials to your child as often as you can. The more you read, the higher the chances of being exposed to new words and the wider your child’s vocabulary will be. When your child come across a new word, encourage them to first guess its meaning according to the context. Then, teach them how to check it out in a dictionary.
Play
The most effective way for kids to learn is when they are having fun. Play word builder games such as Scrabble, crossword puzzles, and many other creative games to test their vocabulary as well as understanding. Many of these games are available online or at local bookstores. When they take their English language courses, these lessons can also involve fun game activities to engage in their learning skills.
Write and review
You should instill the habit of note-taking in your child. Every time they learn a new word, they can note down its meaning into their notebook. At the end of the day, you can go through the new words with them and let them practice using it in a sentence.
Make flash cards
Make flash cards with single words or sentences and use them to frequently review your child’s learning progress. If you prefer an app rather than paper cards, go right ahead and use it.
Important words
Come up with a list of important words that are specific to a profession or a social setting. You can teach your child how to apply them in those specific settings. By using the right vocabulary in the right context, they will be able to master the language in no time.
Make associations
Another technique to enhance your child’s memory is learning by association. Make a connection between new words and the words they already know. Make as many connections as possible and where possible, let it be an emotional connection.
Focus on phrases
Learning isolated words can be a little confusing. However, it is a lot easier to understand the meaning of a word when applied in a phrase. English is full of phrases used in everyday conversations. The more your child learn these phrases, the more comfortable and confident they will be in using the vocabulary.
These tips will enrich what your child will learn in their English classes and will set them on a path to mastery.