English Teacher for children: 0 to 3 yo rock it!

This is a real story, where you’ll meet an English teacher for children, and Riccardo. It’s the story of how a toddler achieved Natural English Fluency with no stress for anyone, not for him, his mum, or his teacher.

(per la versione in Italiano clicca qui)

15 months: learning English for the first time

When Riccardo first joined our English Playgroup at 15 months old, he just sat quietly in his mother’s lap. (Fill in this form to know more about the Playgroups and opportunities for teacher).

He watched. He listened. And he rarely smiled.

Class after class, the pattern remained the same. Those big, attentive eyes observed everything, but Riccardo kept his distance. He didn’t want physical contact with the teacher (me, Letizia).

This is not a unique behaviour, but it’s not typical either. Other toddlers in the group showed different approaches:

• Z. was constantly moving, amazingly repeating almost every word
• B., the tiniest one, laughed from his mother’s arms
• E., slightly older, would gracefully direct questions to her mum, then surprise everyone by using perfect English phrases during play

Riccardo just watched.

While Riccardo observed, his mum was fully engaged – she played, took part in the activities, interacted with the teacher and other children. For an entire year, we barely heard Riccardo’s voice, I hardly managed to hold his hand (except during particularly engaging games).

2 years old: learning English, a laugh and a cuddle, at a time

Then came the second year of English playgroup. The first few sessions followed the familiar pattern, then something remarkable happened. One day, Riccardo spontaneously sat in my lap and greeted each of his classmates in English, one by one.

He hadn’t yet turned two and a half.

Soon, he was completing English sentences independently. When he wanted something, he’d ask in English – first through his mother, then increasingly on his own. He sang entire songs in English.

With joy and enthusiasm.

So far so good. A great personal satisfaction for me and Riccardo’s mum, but nothing unusually.

2 and a half years old: learning English autonomously

During lockdown, while conducting online Playgroups, Riccardo’s mother started sending videos. Some showed him singing, others playing with her. Then came the video that left even me, his teacher, speechless: Riccardo, not yet three years old, “reading” an English book on his own.

This would be impressive for a five-year-old. For a child under three, it was extraordinary. What struck me most was how natural and spontaneous it was – clearly, no one had asked him to demonstrate his skills. He was simply enjoying himself.

This story encapsulates the essence of our teaching philosophy:

_{If you are a teacher or want to become one, and you’re curious about teaching through play, engaging both children and parents, and loving your job, fill in the form below!}

I’d like to thank Riccardo’s mum for allowing me to tell this story, and for sharing this video.

This approach demonstrates what’s possible when we trust in play-based learning and parent-teacher collaboration. Riccardo’s journey from silent observer to confident English user shows that young children can achieve remarkable results when given the right environment and approach.