Stories in English with your child 

1. Make storytime in English a part of your family life. Life is hectic with little ones. If there is a set time and days when you have English storytime, it will be easier to do it often. Have picture books and easy stories available around the house or in a place near to where you usually have cuddles. As your child gets older, it will become a natural thing for them to pick up a book themselves.

2. Don´t worry that your child won´t understand the story. Your newborn baby didn´t understand everything you said to them in your own language. Use as natural a pace as you can. The rhythm, sounds, intonation and just the moment of being in your arms or on your lap as you go through a story together is what matters.

3. Don´t let it worry you if you are not native-level fluent in English. Your child will hear English in many different accents from native and non-native speakers of English as they grow up. If you are curious about the language, they will be, too. Talk about the pictures together and make connections with the child´s world. If something reminds you of a song – take the moment to sing the song.

4. Set up or join a reading group in English. Meet with other parents who want to do the same thing, get comfy and spend some time looking at books. Some local libraries offer story times in English for little ones, too. They can also advise you on great books to borrow or buy.

5. Enjoy it. Story time is a special time. You can share books between other parents or carers but the lovely thing is the sense of togetherness that exploring a book creates. At this age, you can tell the same story many times over, and that makes it even more special.