How to teach English to your child
Start with
- Step
- 1. Hear it
- What to do
- Listen to words said clearly while looking at the picture. Say them back.
Ten minutes a day, in this order
| Step | What to do | On Peabody |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hear it | Listen to words said clearly while looking at the picture. Say them back. | Picture word cards |
| 2. Read aloud together | You read a short picture book while your child follows the pictures. Reading to them comes before reading by themselves. | Books you can sound out |
| 3. Sound it out | Once a child knows some letters, sound out short words: c-a-t. | Decodable readers |
| 4. Write and print | Trace letters, color, and put flashcards on the wall. | Trace letters and flashcards |
| 5. Type and spell | For ages 7 and up: the keyboard and spelling words. | Typing games |
| 6. Learn the patterns | Once a child reads short sentences, take one grammar skill a week: nouns, verbs, capital letters, plurals. | Grammar, one skill at a time |
A week that works
Pick one topic a week, such as animals or food. On the first day play the cards. Through the week, say the words when you see them in real life: at the table, at the park, on a walk. At the weekend, print the flashcards for the topic and play a matching game on the floor.
Keep it short and happy. A child who enjoys five minutes will come back tomorrow; a child who is told off for a wrong word will not.
If you are not confident in English yourself
You do not need to be. Peabody says every word and every book sentence for you, so your child hears English spoken clearly. Your part is to sit with them, point at the pictures, and say "yes, that's a cat". Learning it together is fine. 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10
Everything here is free, with no ads, no sign-up and nothing to download. Nothing about your child is sent anywhere.
Questions parents ask
How do I start teaching English to my child at home?
Start with picture word cards: ten minutes a day, hearing and saying words with pictures. Add a read-aloud picture book after a week or two.
How long should a child practise each day?
Five to ten minutes for ages 3 to 6, and up to twenty for older children. A little every day beats a long session once a week.
Should my child learn to read or speak first?
Speaking and listening first, then reading. Words with pictures and read-aloud books build the ear, and then sounding out short words turns letters into reading.
Does my child need to know their letters first?
No. The picture cards need no letters. Letters come alongside, with tracing and the first readers.
Is there a Spanish version for families?
The picture cards show a Spanish word for every English word, and there is a guide in Spanish at Para familias. Grown-up guides in other languages: العربية · Português · 中文 · Русский · Bahasa Indonesia · Tiếng Việt · Türkçe.
Teacher? Share this page to Google Classroom. Children open it with no sign-up.
Checked against how Peabody works on 7 November 2026. Written with help from AI, from Peabody's own code and library. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: if you're worried about your child's learning, talk to their teacher. How Peabody's pages are made.