🎒 First weeks at an English-speaking school
The first weeks are the hardest, and they get easier fast. Learn ten phrases before the first day, know that it's fine not to understand everything, and find one friend. Here's how.
Practise ten phrases
Before the first day, practise the ten everyday phrases out loud at home: hello, I don't understand, can I play, I need help. Play the What do you say? quiz together.
What the first days are like
- You won't understand everything, and that's normal. Watch what the other children do and copy them.
- Some days you'll feel tired: listening in a new language is hard work.
- Lots of children in your school are learning English too. You are not the only one.
Making friends
- Smile and say hello. A smile works in every language.
- Ask "Can I play?" at break time.
- Games with simple rules, like tag or catch, need very few words.
- Teach a friend a word in your language. They'll love it.
For families: how to help
- Ask your child about the day in your home language; feelings are easier to say in it.
- Practise the school words together.
- Tell the teacher about your child: what they like, what they're good at, and the words they know.
- Read the families' guide.