How to help a child to come back to school routines? A psychologist Gülizar Şehitoğlu shared with Novakid online English school her tips to make the first school weeks smooth and exciting for a child and families.
Daily micro-habits that help kids learn english every day
- What are micro-habits and how can they help children learn english?
- Why everyday life is a great opportunity for learning english
- 8 Daily micro-habits to help your child learn english
- How parents can make english a habit
- What if parents don’t speak english fluently?
- How Novakid supports learning beyond the lesson
- Make english part of your child’s everyday life
Takeaways
- Small, consistent habits can make learning English a natural part of your child’s everyday routine.
- Parents can use every day activities such as breakfast, playtime, bath time and bedtime as opportunities to practise English.
- Repetition is key – hearing the same words and phrases regularly helps children become familiar with the language.
- You don’t need to create extra study time. Simply add English to routines you already have.
- Parents don’t need to speak perfect English to support their child’s learning. Encouragement and enthusiasm go a long way.
- Combining structured English lessons with everyday exposure gives children more opportunities to hear and use English in meaningful contexts.
Parents often say “I want my child to practise English at home, but we simply don’t have time for another scheduled lesson.”
Learning English doesn’t have to mean sitting down for a formal lesson (although our lessons are so much fun, your child won’t even realise they are sitting down for a formal lesson!).
Small, consistent moments throughout the day can give children the regular exposure to English that they need, without making it feel like homework.
This is where the idea of micro-habits comes into play. These are small, manageable actions that can easily become part of an already existing routine. For parents wondering how to learn English at home with their child, incorporating English into activities you already do together can be a simple and effective place to start.
What are micro-habits and how can they help children learn english?
Micro-habits are small actions that are easy to repeat and gradually become part of your everyday routine. When it comes to learning English for children, this could be as simple as saying the same English phrase every morning, singing an English song on the way to school, or reading a short story before bed.
Small and consistent practice is easier for busy families to maintain in the long term than long, infrequent study sessions. Rather than trying to create extra time for English, parents can attach English practice to activities that are already happening everyday.
Why everyday life is a great opportunity for learning english
Children don’t only learn during lessons; they are learning throughout every part of their day. Everyday activities therefore provide meaningful contexts for hearing and using English.
This approach is sometimes described as teaching English speaking through daily life skills. Instead of memorising vocabulary in isolation, children hear words and phrases while they are actually doing something.
For example, a parent might say “Put on your shoes” while getting ready to leave the house, or “Would you like an apple or a banana?” at snack time.
These simple daily use English sentences give children repeated opportunities to hear how English is used naturally.
8 Daily micro-habits to help your child learn english
- Start the morning with English
Use a few simple phrases as part of your family morning routine.
For example:
- “Good morning!”
- “Did you sleep well?”
- “What would you like for breakfast?”
These simple phrases can become part of your family morning routine and help children start hearing English from the moment they wake up.
2. Use English during breakfast
Breakfast (or any mealtime) provides lots of opportunities to introduce vocabulary naturally.
For example:
- “Would you like tea or juice?”
- “How many strawberries are on your plate?”
- “What is on your toast?”
3. Turn getting dressed into a fun English activity
Use simple daily English language sentences while your child gets dressed, such as: “Where are your shoes?” “Put on your blue shirt.” “What colour are your socks?”.
The goal isn’t to turn getting dressed into a lesson; it’s simply to add a little English to something you already do.
4. Sing an English song on the way to school
Songs are an easy way to introduce repetition, rhythm, and pronunciation without making children feel like they are studying.
Choose a favourite English song and sing along together in the car. You could even repeat the same song for a week so that your child becomes familiar with the words.
You can learn more about using songs to support English learning in this article.
5. Use English during play time
Play is one of the easiest opportunities for natural language practice.
Narrate what your child is doing, or introduce simple phrases such as “The car is going fast!”, “The doll is hungry!” or “Let’s build a big tower.”.
You can also ask simple questions such as “What are you building?” or “What colour is the car?” to encourage your child to respond in English.
6. Use English during bath time
Bath time can become a fun opportunity to practise body part vocabulary and numbers.
Try naming all the body parts and counting together. For example, “How many fingers do you have?” “Ten!” “How many hands?” “Two!”.
7. Read one English story before bed
You don’t need to read a long book every night. Even five to ten minutes of reading can become a valuable English micro-habit.
Ask simple questions about the story you are reading, such as “Where is the dog?”, “What is the boy doing?”, “How do they feel?”.
8. End the day with English
Create a simple English bedtime poem or chant, for example: “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
How parents can make english a habit
The secret to successful micro-habits is to start small. Choose one existing routine – such as getting dressed – and add a little English to it.
For example:
“Put on your socks. How many socks have you got? One, two!”
Repeat this routine regularly before gradually introducing new words or phrases.
The British Council recommends short, frequent sessions as children often need to hear words and phrases many times before they are ready to produce them themselves.
This is one of the simplest English learning methods for parents: start with language that is useful, repeat it often, and gradually build on what your child already knows.
What if parents don’t speak english fluently?
Parents don’t need to be English teachers – that is what Novakid is here for. Parents can act as facilitators of the English learning process and enjoy learning alongside their child.
The British Council reassures parents that their own English does not need to be perfect. Enthusiasm, encouragement and creating positive opportunities to use English are far more important than speaking perfect English.
Click here to learn more about how parents can support their child’s English learning journey.
How Novakid supports learning beyond the lesson
Novakid does not only provide structured 25 minute English lessons. Children can also access games, cartoons and stories in their free time, giving them additional opportunities to hear and interact with English.
This combination of structured learning and everyday exposure can help children develop their English in different contexts.
The lessons help teach the language, while everyday life gives children opportunities to use the language they have been taught.
Make english part of your child’s everyday life
Small daily habits can make a big difference, but structured lessons give children the guidance and progression they need to develop their English skills.
Give your child a fun, interactive way to learn English with Novakid. Book a FREE trial lesson today and discover how our experienced teachers can help your child build confidence, develop their English skills, and enjoy learning along the way.
Sources:
Blackmore, J. (no date) How to start teaching kids english at home, How to start teaching kids English at home | LearnEnglish Kids. Available at: https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/parents/helping-your-child/how-start-teaching-kids-english-home (Accessed: 01 September 2026).
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