How to teach English speaking to toddlers who can’t read yet: listening comes first

If you’re wondering how to teach English speaking to toddlers who can’t read yet, here’s the good news: this is the most natural way to start. Listening, repeating, touching things and talking is exactly how your child learned Spanish, long before they knew a single letter.

In the early years, children learn languages with their ears, their eyes and their hands. They don’t need to see “dog” written down to know the dog is called “dog.” They need to hear it many times, see the dog and get a chance to say it.

In this guide you’ll see why listening comes first, how to teach English without letters, ten activities for home, what to do about pronunciation and what to look for in an app for kids who don’t read yet.

Can kids learn English before they read?

Think about how your child learned to say “agua,” “mamá” or “pelota.” Nobody showed them the written words. They heard them hundreds of times, in real moments, and one day they started saying them. Talking comes long before reading, in every language.

English works the same way. A young child can understand and say many English words without knowing which letters they have. Letters come later, at school, and by then your child already has something very valuable: they know how the words sound and what they mean.

That’s why there’s no reason to wait until your child reads to start English. And a 3-year-old’s English doesn’t need to go through letters, word cards or tracing worksheets either.

Why listening comes first

To learn to speak a language, you first need to hear it a lot. Before your child says a word, they need to hear it several times, at different moments and, if possible, in different voices.

Listening gives them the sound of the word, plus the rhythm and melody of the language. That’s why little ones love copying sounds and voices: they learn by ear and pay close attention to how everything sounds.

When English comes in through the eyes, as written words, something curious happens. A child who is starting to read in Spanish tends to read English words the Spanish way. “Water” comes out with a hard, clipped t, and “hello” turns into something like “eh-yo,” because in Spanish the h is silent and the double l sounds like a y. When a child has heard the word many times first, it’s much easier to say it the way it really sounds.

How to teach English speaking to toddlers

A three-step rhythm works beautifully with children who don’t read, because everything goes through the ears, the eyes and the hands:

1. Listen and repeat. Show a real object or a picture and say its name slowly, three times: “Apple… apple… apple.” Pause so your child can say it.
2. Touch it. Put two things in front of your child and ask, “Where’s the apple?” Your child touches the one they hear. This shows you whether they understood, without asking them to talk.
3. Name it. Hold up the apple and ask, “What’s this?” Wait a moment. If nothing comes, say it yourself, cheerfully, and keep playing.

Three or four words a day are plenty, for five minutes, always at the same time. If you’d like help choosing which words to use, we have a list of first words in English and Spanish, sorted by topic.

Ten English activities with no letters

1. The mystery bag. Put three objects in a bag. Your child pulls one out and you name it together.
2. Touch your nose. “Touch your nose. Touch your ears. Touch your feet.” Do it first so they can copy you.
3. Find the color. “Find something blue!” and off you go, searching the whole house.
4. Simon says. “Jump! Sit down! Clap your hands!” Use gestures so the words make sense.
5. Who says moo? Make an animal sound, and your child points to the right toy.
6. Playing store. “Banana, please.” “Thank you!” Use toy fruit or real fruit.
7. Up and down. A teddy goes up: “Up!” It comes down: “Down!” Then your child moves it when you say the word.
8. The story without reading. Open a picture book and name what you see in English: “A cat! A red ball!”
9. Finish the song. Sing a song your child knows and stop before the last word. Your child fills it in.
10. Cleanup time. “Car in the box. Ball in the box.” Tidy up in English.

None of these need paper, pencils or letters, and all of them can be repeated many days in a row. All you need is your voice, a few objects and a playful mood.

Pictures, objects and gestures instead of written words

For a child who doesn’t read, a card with the word “DOG” printed on it says nothing. A card with a drawing of a dog says a lot. And a stuffed dog that barks says even more.

So with little ones, it’s better to use:

• Real objects: a spoon, a shoe, an apple. What you can touch is easier to remember.
• Toys: animals, little cars, dolls.
• Simple pictures: one per card, big and clear, with no text.
• Gestures: pretend to drink for “drink,” to sleep for “sleep,” to jump for “jump.”

If you use picture cards, choose ones without printed words, or cover the words. That way your child focuses on the picture and the sound, which is what matters right now. Our post on whether flashcards are good for toddlers has more ideas for using cards in a playful way.

Pronunciation: hearing clear voices

If English isn’t your first language, you may worry about pronunciation. It’s a very common worry, and the answer is simple: let your child hear English from several clear voices, and join in with a smile.

• Say what you know, slowly. Simple words like “ball,” “milk” or “dog” you almost certainly say quite well.
• Lean on English voices. Traditional children’s songs and spoken lessons give your child each word said clearly.
• Repeat after those voices. Your child sees that you’re learning too, and they love that.
• Don’t correct every sound. If your child says “ba” for “ball” or “wawa” for “water,” that’s a great try. Answer by saying the word clearly: “Water! Yes!”

Young children are excellent listeners. Over time, and with many voices, they fine-tune their pronunciation on their own. Our guide to English songs for toddlers has ideas for using music to hear words said clearly, again and again.

What about letters?

There’s no need to teach English letters to a young child. There will be plenty of time for that at school, and the natural order is talking first and reading later.

If your child loves the alphabet song, sing it together: it’s a fun song and good practice for the ear. Just treat it as a song, not a reading lesson. The same goes for numbers: counting “one, two, three” on your fingers is perfect, with no need to recognize how the numbers are written.

The most useful thing you can do now to get ready for reading is to fill your child’s ears with words: words they know how to say and understand. Reading will come more easily when the words already sound familiar. Reading picture books aloud together helps here too, because your child hears new words while looking at the pictures. Our guide on how to read books to toddlers shows how to do it even if English isn’t your first language.

What to look for in an app for kids who don’t read yet

Many apps for kids look simple but hide written instructions, buttons with words or letter activities. If your child doesn’t read yet, look for an app that:

• Works with voices and pictures only, with nothing written your child needs to understand.
• Says each word slowly, several times, and leaves a pause for your child to repeat it.
• Asks your child to touch the right picture, so they can show what they understand without talking.
• Gives your child a chance to name the picture before saying the answer.
• Explains what to do with a voice, ideally in Spanish, so you understand too.
• Has short, calm lessons.

We have a complete guide on how to choose an English learning app for toddlers, with warning signs and a one-week trial plan.

Common mistakes (and what to do instead)

• Starting with the alphabet. For a child who doesn’t read yet, letters don’t help them speak English. Words from daily life work better.
• Cards with printed words. Pictures alone are better, and real objects are better still.
• Coloring and tracing sheets. They can be fun, but they aren’t spoken English. If you use them, name out loud what your child is coloring.
• Talking fast. For a young child, slow and clear works much better.
• Waiting until they read. You don’t need to read to talk. You can start today.

Signs it’s working

• Your child touches the right picture when they hear the English word.
• They repeat words after you, even if it’s in their own way.
• They name something in English without being asked: “Mira, dog!”
• They sing bits of English songs.
• They follow simple directions in English, like “sit down” or “give me the ball.”

Every one of these is a small win worth celebrating. And if you’re ever worried about how your child talks or understands, in any language, check in with your pediatrician.

Where Tatako fits

Tatako’s short spoken English lessons have nothing to read, so they work for children long before they can read on their own. The 369 first words and phrases in 72 lessons cover people, food, animals, colors, actions, little helper words and what the teacher says at preschool, in about five minutes a day.

Each lesson follows the same three steps as this guide. Your child hears each word three times, with a pause to say it out loud. Next come two pictures, and your little one touches the one they hear. Finally the picture comes back without the word, and your child gets to name it first.

A Spanish guide voice explains what to do, so you understand every step, and you can turn it off once you don’t need it. Afterward, a grown-up spends about two minutes marking how each word went (New, Repeat more, Understands or Can say), and the next lesson brings the shaky words back first. You choose the mix of old and new words. Lessons run in the browser, and you sign in with Google. Learn more on the Tatako home page.

Questions parents ask

How do I teach English to a child who can’t read yet?

With the ears, the eyes and the hands: say each word slowly with the object in front of your child, ask them to touch what they hear and give them time to name it. Five minutes a day, always at the same time, are enough.

Should a 3-year-old learn the English alphabet?

There’s no need. If your child likes the alphabet song, sing it as a song. But for speaking English, the most useful things at this age are words from daily life.

Are there English apps for kids who can’t read?

Yes. Look for one that works with voices and pictures only, with no written instructions, and that leaves room for your child to repeat and name things out loud. Tatako works this way.

Will my child pronounce words badly if they learn from me?

Your child will hear English from many voices over the years. Lean on songs and spoken lessons with clear voices, and join in with a smile. Pronunciation gets fine-tuned with time.

Will reading in Spanish and learning English confuse my child?

It doesn’t have to. When it’s time to read, it helps a lot if your child already knows how English words sound. That’s why it’s a good idea to start with spoken English, without letters.

A child who can’t read yet is at a wonderful moment to learn English the way they learned Spanish: by listening, touching and talking. No letters, no worksheets and no rush. When you’d like five calm minutes of English a day, start a Tatako lesson together.