The four lines to start with
A first English conversation needs only four short lines. The hello and goodbye cards above have audio: play them, wave as you listen, and let your child wave back before saying anything. Most children understand words before they say them, so listening and waving already count.
- “Hello!” when someone arrives
- “What’s your name?” to ask someone’s name
- “I’m Sam.” to answer, with your child’s own name
- “Goodbye, Sam!” when someone leaves, with the other person’s name
Whose name goes where
In “I’m …” the name always belongs to the speaker, so it changes when the speaker changes. Listen to the short conversation below together: Nia asks, Leo gives his name and asks back, Nia gives hers, and then they say goodbye. Asking the question back is what turns two answers into a real conversation.
At the end it works the other way round: when Leo says “Goodbye, Nia!”, he uses the name of the person he is saying goodbye to. Point to that person as you say it, so your child sees whose name it is. When you practise, use your child’s real name; they don’t need to pretend to be a character.
Nia What's your name?
Leo I'm Leo. What's your name?
Nia I'm Nia.
Leo Goodbye, Nia!
Nia Goodbye, Leo!
Three two-minute games at home
Greetings are easy to practise because they happen many times a day. Keep each game short and stop while your child still wants to play.
- Puppet meeting: two toys walk towards each other, say “Hello!”, ask each other’s names and wave “Goodbye!” Play both toys yourself the first time, then give one to your child.
- Name ball: sit in a circle and roll a ball. Whoever rolls it asks “What’s your name?”, and whoever catches it answers “I’m …”. Brothers, sisters and grandparents make the circle bigger.
- Real hellos and goodbyes: when someone comes home, say “Hello, Grandma!”; at the door, at the school gate or at the end of a video call, say “Goodbye, Grandma!” and let your child say it too. Real moments help the words stick.
If your child gets stuck
If your child repeats the question instead of answering, that is a normal first step. Let a toy answer first, “I’m Teddy.”, then ask again and whisper the start of the answer, “I’m …”, so your child only has to add their name.
Don’t correct every slip; say the right line naturally instead. If your child says “Hello!” as someone leaves, smile, wave and say “Goodbye!” Hearing the right word at the right moment is enough.
Some mix-ups come from the home language. Many languages use one word for both hello and goodbye, or need no word like “am” in “I’m Sam”. If your child says “I Sam.”, repeat the full line back with a smile, “I’m Sam!”, and carry on.
The next questions to add
When your child greets you and answers the name question without help, add one new question at a time: “How are you?” – “I’m fine, thank you.” Then “How old are you?” – “I’m five.” The “I’m …” your child already knows does most of the work. Colours, feelings and the days of the week are good next topics; the links below show how to start them.