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Do you know what is common between swimming, learning to ride a bike, and your child learning to communicate fluently in English?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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To learn swimming or riding a bike, requires a lot of rigorous practice, and once learned it feels natural and easy. Similarly, learning to communicate in English is also a skill that requires practice \u2013 and can be a great asset for your child.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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So, how can you make learning English<\/a> as fun as swimming or biking?\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first step would be to understand why children often find difficulty in speaking in English while they are able to communicate effectively in their mother tongue. Children are exposed to their mother tongue from a very young age. They listen to the language being spoken all around them, they are immersed in the language. Slowly, but surely \u2013 they start speaking the language. Reading and writing the language comes later and forms the natural progression.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, in the case of English, the reverse usually happens. A child grows up listening to his mother tongue and is suddenly exposed to the world of English in the form of alphabets that he is expected to read and write. He is asked to write the language before he has even learnt to speak the language fluently. The natural progression of learning is disturbed \u2013 and the child now must struggle!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is a lot that parents can do to correct and provide a better, natural, and effective learning path for the child.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Listening is an important skill that paves a good foundation for other skills. Though listening might sound straight-forward, developing listening skills in children involves honing a series of sub-skills. The way a child listening in a classroom is different from how he listens to a song or a cartoon program.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Every child exposed to a variety of avenues where they have to listen and process information develops their listening skills – one of the essential skills for learning English.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here are some activities that you could do with\u00a0your\u00a0child at home to help him improve his listening skills.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reading aloud is an inevitable teaching technique that English instructors swear by. However, this is also something that the parents can at home. Make sure you pause at intervals and ask your child questions. Encourage him to listen carefully and participate in the read-aloud process.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here are 3 great books for children (grades 3-7) that work great for reading aloud:\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pippi\u00a0Longstocking<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 A fun book about a little girl who loves adventure!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matilda<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Follow along as Matilda discovers a remarkable power about herself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charlie and the chocolate factory<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 This wonderful tale of magic that teaches empathy and kindness will be your kid’s favorite, for sure.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Assemble a toy following voice instructions or listen to a recipe and bake a cake. Doing these listening activities with your child comes with two\u00a0advantages; not\u00a0only that it helps your child\u2019s listening\u00a0skills,\u00a0but it\u00a0also improves his cognitive aptitude.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For a fun listen and draw activity, click here<\/a>.\u00a0While the voice instructions here guide the child to draw a monster \u2013 you can make up any number of listening-drawing games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Games like Simon says or Chinese whispers are not just fun to play but also develop listening skills. There are also karaoke games that you can encourage your child to play.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here<\/a>\u00a0is a list of fun\u00a0listening games that you can play with your\u00a0child.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n From Speeches to inspirational\u00a0stories,\u00a0there are a number of interesting podcasts available today\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Story Nory\u00a0Podcast\u00a0<\/a>(for\u00a0the story\u00a0lovers)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kidnuz\u00a0podcast<\/a>\u00a0(current\u00a0affairs simplified for kids)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\nIt all begins with listening<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Read aloud\u00a0to\u00a0them<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Listen and do activities\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Listening games\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Movies and Podcasts<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n