【講師コラム】マデル講師No.15～Which English learning material would work for your kids?～

Good day, everyone!!! How are you doing, Mommies and Daddies? I hope that none of you have a pollen allergy. Here in the Philippines, the temperature has started to become really hot already, so many families are renting private resorts for overnight swimming. Our government has recently eased its COVID 19 restrictions. Many schools in different cities have also started having face-to-face classes with a very limited number of students per class. Although many parents are still skeptical about this, there are also some who are glad that their children could go back to school again. 

How about the current situation there in Japan? Is the number of daily COVID 19 cases getting lower already? Oh, by the way, have you heard about the hybrid versions of the coronavirus that combine genes from the Delta and Omicron variants – dubbed “Deltacron” – that have been identified in at least 17 patients in the United States and Europe? Oh, no!!! When will this nightmare ever end?..

Anyway, today, I would like to talk about some of the materials that we can use to support your children’s English learning. Finding the right learning material that children would truly enjoy is really tough. Sometimes we hear from some moms that their children really enjoy these books, or these CDs, YouTube channels, or some English learning apps. But we must always remember not all children are the same. They have their own interests and personality. They all learn at their own unique pace and style. It does not mean that because those popular English learning materials are effective for others, they would have the same effect on your child, too. 

But if I were to recommend a good English learning website, I would highly recommend STARFALL. It is an interactive website for kids where they can enjoy learning phonics, reading, writing, singing, solving math problems, and playing fun and educational games. I would also recommend encouraging them to regularly read books so they can enhance their vocabulary. So, it is important to carefully select reading materials that suit their interest. If your child really is not the type who enjoys reading, I think it won’t be good to really force them to read books, they might only end up disliking reading more. Letting them take online English lessons and just allowing them to play in English while learning is a wonderful way to let them know that learning English can be really fun. 

Raising a child is really tough. You’ll be needing a mountain of patience to be able to really understand them. But raising them to be bilingual could be much tougher, so we really need to be extra, extra patient, resourceful and creative. Oh, but I know there is nothing that parents won’t do for their children. Parents can make an impossible very possible to ensure their children’s bright future. That is how amazing parents like you, Mommies and Daddies, are. 

Thank you so very much again for reading my entry… Take good care and stay safe, Mommies and Daddies… Thank you always…