Learning English by Teaching My Children

Posted at February 18, 2010

Speaking English all my life, I realize how much I didn’t know grammatically about the English language till I decided to home school and teach the kids. It is very humbling as I learn English alongside my 6 year old. I am learning how to read again, the short and long vowels, I don’t remember how I learned to read. I just knew it…

I know as I learn English, the verbs and pronouns etc, I am helping myself as I learn other languages too. The book that I am using to teach is First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise. This book covers the program is for grade 1 and grade 2. The instructions are all there in the book with the hows and what to do all outlines. It makes it so easy to teach them, with reviews and exercises. The kids learn poems and learn to summarize stories and also do little presentations along with some writing and reading. It is a great resource for learning the English language. I highly recommend it. I am glad I am learning the English Language again.

One of my goals is to teach English to a non native speakers, I am on my way to doing that, without any more effort than teaching my own kids. This is one of those things where you put your intentions out and the “how” just happens.

Right now, I am using the book for all my kids 4, 6 and year olds. My 8 year old has done all that already but a little extra reinforcement in the grammar is not a bad thing. My 4 year old picks up little bit and pieces but she knows and memorizes the poems along side the other 2. It is so amazing to watch them learn.