Is Your Child Struggling With English? 7 Signs to Look Out For
04/12/2025
Is Your Child’s English Ready for School? Here’s How to Tell As parents, we all want our children to start school feeling confident — especially
Is Your Child’s English Ready for School? Here’s How to Tell
As parents, we all want our children to start school feeling confident — especially in English, the foundation for reading, writing, comprehension, and future academic success. But many children enter Primary 1 still struggling with basic English skills, and this can affect their confidence, learning pace, and overall happiness in school.
So how do you know if your child’s English is truly ready for school? Here are the key signs to look for.
1. Can your child recognise basic letter sounds?
English reading begins with phonics — understanding that every letter has a sound.
If your child cannot recall sounds like s, a, t, p, i, n, reading will feel difficult from the very beginning.
2. Can they blend sounds to read simple words?
This is the skill of turning sounds into words:
cat = c-a-t
ship = sh-i-p
If blending feels slow or confusing, your child may struggle when reading sentences later.
3. Can they segment words for spelling?
Spelling is the reverse of reading: breaking a word into its sounds.
For example, dog → d-o-g.
If your child often guesses words when spelling, they may need more phonics support.
4. Can they read short sentences confidently?
Children entering Primary 1 should be able to read simple sentence structures like:
The cat is on the mat.
If your child reads each word separately without flow, or struggles with common tricky words like the, is, said, their reading foundation may still be forming.
5. Are they able to understand what they read?
Reading is not just sounding out words — it’s understanding them.
Ask simple questions like:
Who is in the story?
What happened first?
If your child struggles to answer, they may need help building comprehension skills.
6. Can your child speak in full sentences?
Clear spoken English supports clear written English.
If your child uses very short phrases or switches between languages mid-sentence, they may need more exposure to structured English.
7. Does your child enjoy reading?
This is one of the biggest predictors of long-term success.
Children who enjoy reading learn faster, read more, and gain confidence quickly.
If reading feels like a struggle, frustration can build early.
How Brain Champs Helps Your Child Succeed
At Brain Champs, we use a proven phonics method used in 150+ countries that helps millions of children learn to read confidently.
Our programme helps children:
✔ Master all 42 English sounds
✔ Blend and segment words confidently
✔ Read in full sentences
✔ Improve spelling and writing
✔ Build comprehension
✔ Gain speaking and listening skills
✔ Develop a genuine love for reading
Our approach is fun, multi-sensory, and child-centred — ensuring real progress in a short time.
Whether your child is preparing for Primary 1 or catching up in reading, the right guidance makes all the difference.
Ready to Give Your Child a Strong Start?
If you’re wondering whether your child’s English is ready for school, this is the perfect time to strengthen their foundation.
Better reading. Better confidence. Better futures.
Join Brain Champs.