The Power of Parent Involvement at Home

At 3R-English we often see a common misunderstanding: parents assuming that English homework and reading should be left entirely up to the child and the teacher. In reality, your active involvement at home makes the single biggest difference in your child's success, especially when they are young. You do not need to speak or understand English yourself to be an active partner in this journey!

Here is exactly how you can get involved and guide your child every single day:

• Establish a "15-Minute Reading Routine": Set aside a dedicated, quiet time every day—right after dinner or before bed—where screens are off and you sit together for English reading. By managing the schedule, you show your child that English homework is a top family priority, not an afterthought.

  
  

• Show Active Interest in Japanese: Engage with the book by asking questions in your native language. Ask them, " What is happening in the pictures?" (「絵の中で何が起きているの？」) Who is your favourite character?" (「どのキャラクターがいちばん好き？」) or "What do you think will happen next?" (「次はどうなると思う？」). Having your child translate the plot to explain it to you reinforces their deep comprehension of the text.

  
  

• Connect Books to Screens: If your child particularly likes a book, why not see if there is a TV or film version available online? Doing so counts as a valuable learning activity. Watching the story come to life reinforces the vocabulary they just read and strengthens their listening skills.

  
  

• Celebrate and Reward Every Finished Book: Do not let a completed book go unnoticed. Create a simple reward system together, like a sticker chart on the refrigerator. When they complete a challenging library book, celebrate it as a team with enthusiastic praise or a small reward. Turning book completion into a shared family milestone keeps them motivated to reach for the next level.

  
  

Put very simply, reading works on every level of English learning. All of our best students, both past and present, have been or are active English readers. Their scores are better; they are more articulate and able to communicate much more effectively.

We have just taken delivery of more English books for students, which are in our school library now!

Please feel free to borrow one upon your next visit to the classroom!