Your child can speak fluently and read confidently, but they make constant mistakes in their spelling. Is this scenario familiar? It’s one I’ve seen many times during my time at i-Learner, and I’ve found three key tools can make a significant difference: 1. Phonics Early learners of English need to use two systems to read – phonics and sight words. If… Read More
Ben joined my Critical Reading and Writing L1 class when he was in Primary 1. On his first day, he walked through the door with his school bag half-open and books spilling out. During class, when I asked him to read passages aloud from the workbook, he stared at me blankly. I wasn’t sure if he would fit into the class, which had five… Read More
Many students in Hong Kong are able to read and write well in English due to intensive drilling at schools. However, once they are required to speak in English, they are often stumped and don’t know how to express themselves. In my time teaching at i-Learner, I have come across many students who struggle with getting their messages across in daily conversation or with sounding… Read More
When learning a language, it’s great to focus on the four key skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. But in order to make really good progress, it’s essential to add one more skill to the list: thinking. When I speak to the parents of my students, I always give them ways to help their children practise thinking in English. This is a great way to… Read More
Critical thinking helps learners analyse new information and solve difficult problems. It’s the key to long term educational success. When I help my students prepare for their exams, parents often ask me: ‘Why can’t my child learn from their mistakes?’ This is a great question, and understanding the answer makes it clear why critical thinking is so important to students. Often, children are overwhelmed with… Read More
