How many English lessons a week does my child need?

Is there one right number of lessons for every child?

No. Two children of the same age can need very different amounts of English. One hears English at home every day and mainly wants more chances to speak. Another hears almost none outside school and is still learning letter sounds. The right number of lessons depends on how much English your child meets elsewhere, what you want lessons to do, how busy the week already is and how much energy your child has left after school.

It helps to think of lessons as a rhythm rather than a target. Most families settle on 1, 2 or 3 lessons a week, and each rhythm suits a different situation.

When is 1 lesson a week enough?

This rhythm keeps English moving steadily alongside school. It often suits:

• A busy child whose week is already full of homework, tuition, religious classes or sport.
• A confident child who reads well and mainly wants regular speaking practice with a teacher.
• A younger child who is just getting used to lessons and a screen.
• A family that wants a steady habit without adding pressure.

The limit is the gap. A week is a long time for a child learning new sounds, so home practice between lessons matters more at this rhythm. Ten minutes of reading together a few times a week makes one lesson go much further.

Why do many families choose 2 lessons a week?

This is the usual middle ground. It suits a child who is building reading with phonics, because new sounds and words come back again after a few days, before they're forgotten. Each lesson can start by recalling what came last time, and that regular recall is what helps learning stick.

This rhythm also leaves room in the week. Spread the lessons out, for example one early in the week and one at the weekend, so your child has time to rest and to use what they learnt in between.

When does 3 lessons a week make sense?

This rhythm suits a child who needs more English, sooner. That might be:

• A child who hears little English at home and has few other chances to use it.
• A child with a clear gap to close, such as reading that has fallen behind classmates.
• A keen child who enjoys lessons and asks for more.

Watch for tiredness. 3 lessons on top of a full school week is a lot for some children, especially younger ones. Spread lessons across the week, avoid slots straight after a long school day, and check in after a few weeks. A child who is still keen is fine; a child who starts dreading lessons needs fewer.

Why are short, regular lessons better than one long one?

Young children's attention is short and fades as a lesson goes on, so the end of a long lesson often goes to a child who has stopped taking things in. Several short lessons keep your child in the part of the lesson where they're alert, and each one ends while they still want more. Meeting new sounds and words several times across a week also gives them more chances to remember and reuse them.

Our guide how long should a child's lesson be? explains the signs a lesson is too long for your child.

How much practice should we do at home between lessons?

A little, often. You don't need worksheets or perfect English. A few minutes most days is enough:

• Read a picture book together, in English and in your home language.
• Play a quick sound game, such as I spy with letter sounds.
• Ask your child to teach you one thing from their last lesson.
• Use one new English word or phrase together during the day.

For five-minute ideas, see phonics games at home.

What are the signs it's time to step up?

• Your child seems to forget much of the last lesson by the time the next one comes round.
• They enjoy lessons and ask when the next one is.
• The teacher suggests more practice would help with a particular skill.
• Your child needs more English for school and has energy to spare.

What are the signs it's time to step down?

• Your child is often tired, restless or upset before lessons.
• They start to avoid lessons they used to enjoy.
• Schoolwork, rest or family time is being squeezed.
• Your child has reached a comfortable place and now mainly needs to keep English going.

Look for patterns over a few weeks rather than one bad day. Changing the time of day sometimes fixes the problem without changing the number of lessons.

How do I choose before the first lesson?

Start with the rhythm that fits your week now, not the one you think you should manage. The free first lesson then gives you a second opinion: the teacher hears your child speak and read, and can tell you where they're starting and what lessons would focus on first. Ask how many lessons a week they would suggest, and why. Our guide to what to look for in a free first lesson has more questions to ask.

How do CurioKids plans match these rhythms?

CurioKids lessons are live, 1-to-1 and 25 minutes each, with a real teacher. Starter is 1 lesson a week, Growth is 2 lessons a week and Accelerator is 3 lessons a week, which means 4, 8 or 12 lessons every 4 weeks. You can change plan any time, so you can step up before a busy school period or step down when the week fills up.

In the free first lesson, the teacher checks your child's English and records a starting level, so lessons begin in the right place, and you decide afterwards whether to continue. See our plans in ringgit, read the FAQ, or book a free first lesson from our Malaysia page.