Your child’s journey with English starts from the moment they say their first word and listen to stories, to learning letters and how to write. Those early years are the foundation for KS2/3 to KS4.
Some children, however, struggle through Primary School for all sorts of reasons, arriving in Secondary totally unprepared for the year ahead.
Whether there are hearing/speech/visual processing problems, a specific learning difficulty such as Dyslexia or ASD, or there has been some disruption to learning, it can mean a rocky road lies ahead.
The good news is, there are plenty of things you can do to make that journey easier. Here are just some tips from our professional English tutor team here at 121 Home Tutors:
1. Reading improves communication
The more you read, the better your communication is – whether verbal or written. In case your child hates reading books, get them interested in magazines or non-fiction books on a subject they enjoy first.
Get digital too… YouTube is now one of the best free resources for audible books. Joining a local library as well means you can access a digital app to listen to/read books and magazines online.
Check out lots of book ideas/reviews on Achuka.
2. Seek out key vocabulary
Children often struggle with key vocabulary at Secondary level. There is SO much of it…
If your child struggles with certain subjects such as English, History or any other ‘communication’ subject, ask the teacher for a list of useful terms that you can go over at home.
Equally, the more technical subjects have a mountain of terminology to learn. There are word problems in Maths, and reports to write in Science, for starters.
The more words your child can learn – perhaps using flashcards – the easier school will become.
3. Get your brain in gear
Being good or (not so good..) at English impacts almost every subject. A jumbled mind results in unclear, brief or half-finished writing.
It makes sense then to approach writing with a mind-map or outline before starting. Doing a brain dump on a plan first can make a piece of work seem less daunting. Plus it helps shape a response, offering a visual help aid when your child hits a brick wall.
Pass assessments and exams with flying colours
Of course, there are so many more techniques to written and verbal communication than meets the eye. But we hope you’ve found the suggestions above useful in getting you started.
Should you need an experienced English teacher or tutor to help, do get in touch as we have a wonderful team of experts at hand.
Tags: brain dump, disruption to learning, Dyslexia, how to improve English, key vocabulary, mind-mapping, processing problems, technical terminology, using flashcards