How to Teach Parents & Children in the Same ESL Class

When teaching parents and children in the same ESL class, you often deal with a wide variety of abilities. Some parents may be fluent in English and want their young children to attain the same mastery. Other families may have children who speak better English than the parents. In most cases, though, you primarily teach the children while involving the parents. This may make you nervous, but remember that the parents are there to support their children.

Instructions

    • 1

      Review vocabulary words with flash cards. Focus on one or two sets for the day, such as colors, animals or food. Even if some students know the words, it's good to provide a reminder.

    • 2

      Address the person you want to answer the question. When asking students conversational questions or asking them to identify vocabulary words, ask the child or parent directly. It can be tempting to direct your question to whoever is more likely to understand, but this can make the student who needs help more feel left out.

    • 3

      Play games that use the parent and child as a team. For example, they might participate in a relay race against the others in the class or work together to put the words in alphabetical order.

    • 4

      Give the parents tips on how to continue practicing English at home. For example, before class starts, have toys on hand for the children to play with. Demonstrate how parents can use English to count the number of blocks in a tower or point to the various colors in a picture book.

    • 5

      Use songs from CDs that are readily available for purchase. Songs can make learning English fun and easy. If parents can buy the songs that you use in class, they can practice more at home.

    • 6

      Pass out vocabulary lists at the end of class. This gives the children and parents something to work on together at home.

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