Welcome back!
Back to school, back to life, back to your normal routine...
Let's face it, for as difficult as it is to get back to work and school, us humans need a routine. And this applies to kids too! Kids need a routine even more than adults. It makes them feel safe when they know what to expect. Think about it for a second, if your child usually has their guitar lesson on Mondays, but one week it gets changed to Wednesday or worse yet, Friday, do they suddenly not want to go to the lesson? Or if you have to take them out of school for a few hours to go to the dentist, do they then make a huge fuss when you take them back to school?
This is totally normal - kids don't express their feelings as articulately as adults (not that us adults are always great at this either...), and so any extra stress caused by changes in their routine usually gets turned into crankiness and irritability, often towards the very activity that they usually enjoy, when it's at its regular time in their daily or weekly routine.
Now, what's the actual point of a routine for kids? Essentially, a routine teaches kids how to grow into responsible adults. We don't have our morning and evening teeth brushing routine just because it's fun - we do it to avoid unexpected trips to the dentist, and we don't stop doing it when we turn 12, 15 or 18 - it becomes a lifelong habit. We don't have our school day routine with its various activities just because it's what we're supposed to do. We do it to get used to having to go somewhere and do things for a certain number of hours a day, exactly like we'll eventually have to do as adults at our job.
So, now that we know why routines are especially important for kids, let's dive a little deeper into why it's so important that English becomes a part of their routine if we want them to grow up with a positive attitude towards English, ultimately allowing them to learn with ease and grow up speaking it comfortably. We want speaking English to become part of a child's routine so that it becomes something that they continue to get better at as they grow so that they can have access to a world of opportunities when it comes to choosing where to go to university or where to look for a job.
Now, the earlier a routine is instilled, the better, but you can make English a part of your child's routine at any age! They might just resist a bit more if they're a bit older because essentially you'll be "changing" their current routine, but don't worry, you can make it happen! Here are a few tips to get you started, followed by some practical ideas on activities that you can do with your child, no matter how young or old they are!
Choose a time of day when you are not in a rush - if your mornings are a crazy whirlwind of getting your child dressed, fed and out the door for school, it's probably not a good time to try to add something to your already stressful morning routine. Choose a time of day when you know things at home are a bit calmer and you don't have to worry about rushing the activities.
Use activities that your child already does, and doesn't mind doing. You don't necessarily have to add any new activities. For example, if you already have the routine to read a story before bed, why not try doing it in English once or twice a week?
Be flexible, but not too much! It's completely normal for your child to give you some resistance when first trying to incorporate these activities in English, because it's something new, and since they can already communicate with you in their first language, they won't really see the point of having to spend time with you in English. Be patient and consistent, and after a few tries, your child will start to accept their new routine in English.
Little and often is better - it will be much easier for both you and your child if you try to incorporate 1 or 2 English activities at a time instead of trying to incorporate 10 new things in a week. The important thing is to be consistent with the few activities that you do add, until they become a fixed part of your child's routine.
Now that you've got a better idea on where to start, here are some example activities that you could try to incorporate. Most are easily adaptable to suit your child's age and English level, so like I said before, don't worry if your child is already in middle school, it's never too late to start!
Storytime in English - if your child likes reading, choose 1 or 2 days a week to read a story in English. If your child is old enough to read on their own (and is a bookworm), then take them on a trip to the bookstore and let them pick out 1 book in English! You can also find all kinds of fun "read-a-loud" books on YouTube, just type in "Stories for kids in English" and choose one that your child will like!
Cartoons in English - let's face it, our lives are so digital these days, but this can be used to our advantage! If your child loves their cartoons and films, this is a great way to incorporate "productive screentime". Make an agreement that for every episode or video they watch in their first language, they have to watch another in English. You can activate the subtitles in any language you like, the important thing is that they are listening to English.
Family game time, in English - do you sometimes play boardgames or card games? This is a brilliant opportunity to do something in English with the whole family. Games like Monopoly and Twister can easily be played in English (you can buy the English versions online), or card games like UNO and "Go Fish" are great easy options.
Let' get dressed, in English! - if you still help your child get dressed in the morning, it's a great way to have them review colors (if they're very small) and clothes vocabulary (if they're a bit older). Just ask them what color t-shirt they want to wear that day, or to tell you if they want to wear a t-shirt or a jumper, jeans or sweatpants, a skirt or a dress. If they're old enough to get dressed by themselves, you can ask them to "model" for you in English and tell you what they're wearing that day. For example, "Mom, today I'm wearing a black Adidas t-shirt, black Adidas trousers and my beautiful white Adidas sneakers (I know, the streetwear trend is making you poor, don't worry, it'll end soon enough🤣).
What's on my plate today? - Turn mealtimes into a review of colors, numbers and foods in English. Depending on your child's level, you can ask them what colors they can see on their plate, how many of something they can see on their plate, or even what foods they can see. You can turn it into a bit of a role play and have them pretend to be your waiter or waitress and present the plate for you.
What's the weather like today? - The weather is a great way to review not only weather vocabulary, but also colors, temperatures (hot and cold) and clothes. You can ask your child to tell you what the weather is like that day, as well as what clothes are appropriate for it. If they're very small, you can review the colors by asking them questions like, "Yes, it's sunny! What color is the sun?"
If you get a bit creative, you can turn pretty much any regular routine activity into an opportunity for your child to use a bit of extra English. Your child already has English lessons at school, and incorporating extra activities at home is a great way to reinforce what they learn at school, while giving them the opportunity to actually speak it as well, which is what doesn't usually happen enough at school.
If you want to take your child's English to the next level, you might also consider hiring an English speaking babysitter or signing them up for after school English lessons, which are also fabulous ways to make English part of their weekly routine. I can't become your babysitter, but I can help you with the second option, after school English lessons! I offer a 30 lesson school year course for kids aged 5-12, designed to get kids speaking English in a fun and relaxed environment where they can try, make mistakes and try again, which is exactly how learning a language should happen!
If you want to know more about my school year courses, just click this link here!
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