Do more with language: 5 tips for parent and child.

1. Free online practice

There is a lot of free online practice material you can use at home. It can be language or math but also you can learn more about practical matters like dealing with money or learn more about government websites.

2. Play games

It is not only fun to play games like Scrabble, Hangman, Pim Pam Pet or Pictionary, they are also very useful to practice letters and words together with your child. And do not forget ‘I spy with my little eye’ and ‘it starts with the letter…’ These help you learn sounds of letters and new words.

And do you know The song chest yet? The song chest has fifteen songs by Dutch artists. Each song covers one Dutch language rule. A fun way to learn language rules together with your child!

3. Keep reading aloud and read together

Even if your child can already read, it is important and fun to keep reading aloud. Did you know there are also shared reading books? These books you read together. One reads the easier text aloud and the other reads the slightly harder text aloud. So you read aloud in turns but from the same book.

Make a reading corner at home. Provide soft cushions and good light. Here you can both withdraw with a nice story. Try a different kind of book once, for example a book of poems or a comic book, and talk together about what you have read.

4. Listen to stories and podcasts

Listening to stories grows your child’s imagination and it is of course very relaxing. Do you know the podcast Sara’s mystery yet? In this podcast by Zapp children solve mysteries. Fun for children and for parents.

Also The apple core and the youth journal make their own podcasts. For children preparing for secondary school the podcast The secondary school by NPO Zapp is very suitable.

5. Fun things to do with reading

For children up to 18 years a subscription to the library is completely free. Children can then borrow books for free and take them home, but also have access to audiobooks.

You do not always have to go out for a fun reading activity. What about cooking or baking together while your child reads the recipe aloud?