How to get your child ready for their first online English lesson

What does my child need for an online English lesson?

Not much: a device with a camera and microphone, a reliable internet connection, headphones if possible and a quiet place to sit. Getting these right before the first lesson means your child's attention goes on the teacher, not on the technology.

This guide is about the practical side of getting ready. For what to watch for during the lesson itself and how to judge it afterwards, read what to look for in a free first lesson.

Which device works for online lessons?

A laptop or desktop computer, or a tablet, is easiest. Use an up-to-date version of Chrome, Edge or Safari, and make sure the device has a working camera and microphone. A phone works too, but lesson slides and the whiteboard are smaller and harder to see, so use a bigger screen if you have one. On an Android phone or tablet, join in Chrome.

Place the screen at about your child's eye level, an arm's length away, with your child sitting at a table. A tablet on a stand or propped against books is steadier than one held in small hands, and your child's hands stay free for the whiteboard.

Does my child need headphones?

They help. Headphones with a built-in microphone let your child hear the teacher clearly and keep background noise, such as a television, siblings or traffic, out of the lesson. Clear sound matters for English in particular, because young children are learning to hear the difference between similar sounds, such as /b/ and /p/ or /s/ and /sh/. Choose a comfortable pair that fits a child's head, and set the volume at a comfortable level.

Where should my child sit for the lesson?

Choose a quiet spot in a shared room, such as a corner of the living room or the dining table, rather than a bedroom. It keeps the lesson in a family space and lets you stay close by. A few details make a difference:

• Light on your child's face, not behind them. A bright window behind your child turns them into a silhouette.
• A clear table with toys, other screens and snacks out of reach.
• A quiet background, with the television off and siblings busy elsewhere if possible.
• Water nearby, and paper and a pencil in case the teacher asks your child to draw or write.

What should we test the day before?

Give yourself time to fix any problem calmly. The day before, open the browser you'll use, check that the camera shows your child clearly and that the microphone picks up their voice, and play some sound through the headphones. If the browser asks for permission to use the camera and microphone, allow it. Check the internet connection in the spot where your child will sit, not just in the room where the router is, and install any device updates so they don't start in the middle of the lesson.

What should we do just before the lesson starts?

• Charge the device fully, or plug it in.
• Close other apps and tabs, and turn off notifications.
• Have a snack and a drink, and a trip to the toilet.
• Put the headphones on and check the sound.
• Log in a few minutes early, so nobody feels rushed.
• Ask others at home to keep the noise down for the lesson.

Pick a lesson time when your child is usually fresh. Straight after school, a long day or a big meal, attention can be harder to find. A short run around beforehand helps some children settle.

What should I tell my child beforehand?

Keep it short and positive. Tell your child they'll meet a friendly teacher on the computer, that they'll play some English games together, and that it's fine not to know some answers, because the teacher wants to find out what they already know. If your child is nervous, show them the screen and headphones beforehand and promise that you'll be close by.

Avoid practising answers or making the lesson sound like a test. A child who feels they have to perform is more likely to freeze. If your child is shy about speaking English, our guide to a child who understands English but won't speak it has gentle ideas to try.

What happens in a CurioKids free first lesson?

Your child meets their teacher for a live, 1-to-1, 25-minute lesson in the CurioKids online classroom, with live video, an interactive whiteboard, lesson slides and games. The teacher gets to know your child, checks their English and records a starting level, so lessons begin in the right place.

A typical CurioKids lesson follows a simple shape, and the first one gives your child a taste of it: hello and a warm-up with sounds or words, something new on the lesson slides, practice together on the interactive whiteboard, then games and a quick recap. Read more on how it works.

Where should I be during the lesson?

Nearby. We suggest a parent or carer stays close, especially with younger children, to help with the technology and to reassure them at the start. Once your child is settled, step back, ideally out of the camera's view, and let them talk to the teacher. Try not to answer for your child or whisper hints: the teacher learns most when your child tries on their own.

Older children may want more independence, and that's fine. Stay within earshot all the same, so you can help if something goes wrong and know how the lesson went.

What if the connection drops?

Stay calm and rejoin. Dropped connections happen on any video call. Check that the Wi-Fi is still on, then go back into the lesson the same way you joined. If the problem keeps happening, move closer to the router, close other apps and ask others at home to pause downloads or streaming during lessons. Our FAQ covers common questions about lessons and technology.

What should we do after the lesson?

Talk about it positively. Ask light questions, such as what the funniest part was or what game they played, rather than quizzing them on what they learned. Praise how they joined in, not just what they got right.

Then read the teacher's feedback, which helps you see how your child got on. If you continue, your child's progress appears in your parent dashboard. You decide afterwards whether to continue, and if you don't, there's nothing to cancel or pay. Book a free first lesson from our Malaysia page.