Many families with young children are likely engaging in "English at home." Parental support is essential for a child's English language development. The British Council's English classes for children also recommend reading aloud at home.
This is because when parents begin to oversee their children's learning, it has a positive effect on their learning attitude and speed. If parents support their children outside the classroom, the children will show remarkable improvement in the classroom as well.
British Minister of Education Jim Knight stated that "parents have six times more influence than teachers on the learning of primary school-aged children."
There are several simple ways for parents to encourage their children and help them build confidence in using English. This blog will share ideas to support parents.
Picture book
Thousands of children's picture books are published in the UK every year. When you stand in front of the children's bookshelf in a bookstore, you'll be overwhelmed by the sheer number of works by some of Britain's leading authors, ranging from exciting new releases to familiar classics, making it difficult to choose just one.
Children whose native language is English have many opportunities to encounter these picture books, but young children who are learning English as a second language can also benefit from using them.
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A free guide book for your child's English learning. It contains all the information you need to support their English learning.
Download the free guidebook.
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The benefits of starting early
Even if it's their very first time hearing English, children will be delighted if you carefully select picture books.
When adults initially read aloud in an enjoyable way, young learners can quickly memorize short passages.
Children are naturally fond of stories. From a very young age, they speak in a narrative style. They express their thoughts, hopes, and feelings not only through words but also through drawings and pretend play, shaping their true selves within the narratives of their daily experiences.
Many children are accustomed to understanding stories and information they see on television and in movies in Japanese, and some may even enjoy reading picture books with their parents and engaging in dialogue. With guidance from their parents, most children will quickly figure out how to apply their reading comprehension skills to understand the meaning of picture books written in English.
The purpose of reading picture books aloud is not only to help children acquire another language, but also to open their eyes to a wider world with the guidance of their parents .
Through the one-on-one interaction of reading picture books aloud, children feel their parents' encouragement and grow both physically and mentally at their own pace and level.
The more picture books children are exposed to, the more confident they become. This confidence is reflected in their willingness to take on unfamiliar English and new experiences .
I'll share specific tips on how to choose books in my next blog post!
Today's picture book recommendation
- “What Shall We Do With the Boo-Hoo Baby? ”
- “BEAR ABOUT TOWN”
- “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly “
