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Mommy & Me English · Trinity Certified

English for children — from a mother, not a tutor

Practical guides for moms teaching English at home to children 1–5: daily rituals, songs, stories, play and the science behind it all. By Trinity College London-certified Kateryna Ivanova.

Daily rituals Songs First words Reading aloud Bilingualism Method & science

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59 articles
1–5 age range
9+ years teaching
10 мін per day
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A toddler pointing out of a nursery window while an educator crouches beside them - EYFS and English in a Dubai nursery
Teaching Methods 19 min read

EYFS in a Dubai Nursery: What It Means for English

A Dubai nursery that follows EYFS has adopted an English framework, not met a UAE requirement. Here is what that framework actually says about your child's English, why its early learning goals probably do not apply to your three-year-old, who really regulates your nursery, and the Arabic rule that England has never heard of.

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All articles 59 Teaching Methods Parent Tips Child Development
A mother sits on a living room rug holding a teddy bear while her smiling toddler reaches out towards it
Teaching Methods 21 min read

The English-Speaking Teddy: How a Puppet Gets Your Toddler Talking English at Home (Ages 1–5)

When your toddler says "Mama, talk normal!", give English its own voice. How to choose and create an English-speaking teddy or puppet, a first-meeting script, 10 games, what research says about puppets and pretend play, and a four-week plan.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A mother reads an English picture book to her toddler in bed under warm string lights
Teaching Methods 25 min read

English Bedtime Routine for Toddlers: A 20-Minute Wind-Down That Teaches English (Ages 1–5)

The bedtime routine you already have is the English ritual most families can count on. Six steps with exact phrases, age-by-age expectations, what sleep research says about new words, and which language to say goodnight in.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A toddler holds up an empty cup and asks her mother for more milk in a bright kitchen
Teaching Methods 17 min read

Please, Thank You, Sorry: How to Teach a Toddler Polite English (Ages 1–5)

Please and thank you are only half of English politeness. Why Ukrainian "Дай, будь ласка" turns into an order in English, the four politeness jobs, the request ladder, and how to teach sorry without forcing it.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A little girl holds up a crayon drawing and tells her mother about it on the sofa in warm evening light
Teaching Methods 18 min read

"What Did You Do Today?" Gets Silence: How to Talk About the Day in English With a Toddler (Ages 2–5)

"What did you do today?" asks a toddler to search a whole day with no clue where to look. The five-move Memory Loop, why English past tense is simpler than Ukrainian, and which language to use for memory talk.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A mother kneels at eye level with her toddler, her hand on her own chest, as the child points at himself
Teaching Methods 19 min read

My Child Says "You" and Means "I": Teaching English Pronouns to a Toddler (Ages 1–5)

Pronoun reversal is a normal stage, but it lasts longer in Ukrainian-speaking families because Ukrainian hides the subject inside the verb ending. The cause, the teaching order, and the mirror technique.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A mother crouches at eye level with her two-year-old and listens calmly
Teaching Methods 19 min read

How to Teach a Toddler to Say No in English: From "No!" to "I Don't Want It"

Refusal is the most motivated language your child owns, and most families spend it in the wrong one. Five kinds of no, six ready-made chunks, and why "No want it" is not a mistake.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A mother kneels beside her toddler on a rug as he holds up a large soft ball
Teaching Methods 21 min read

Describing Words in English for Toddlers: What to Teach First (and Why Colours Come Last)

Six describing words do more than twenty new nouns, because they attach to everything your child already names. The order of acquisition, why colours are hardest, and the missing "is".

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A toddler raises his hand to point at something while his mother listens beside him
Teaching Methods 16 min read

How to Teach a Toddler to Ask Questions in English (Not Just Answer Them)

The day your child asks their own question in English matters more than any answer they give: the current reverses. Why English questions arrive late, and what to change at home.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A mother kneels beside her toddler as he drops a wooden block into a basket
Teaching Methods 15 min read

How to Teach Prepositions to Toddlers: In, On, Under and the Order They Actually Arrive In

Your child can name twelve animals but cannot tell you where the cat is. The order position words arrive in, the four stages from body to picture, and why flashcards belong last.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A toddler points and says a single word while his mother crouches beside him and answers
Teaching Methods 15 min read

My Child Knows English Words But Never Puts Two Together: How Single Words Become Phrases

The most predictable bottleneck in a second language — and not a delay. The bilingual arithmetic behind the 50-word threshold, the eight frames first phrases are made of, and the add-one-word technique.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A mother sits face to face with her toddler on the floor, listening as the child speaks
Child Development 16 min read

My Child Says "Tat" Instead of "Cat": Which English Sounds Toddlers Get Wrong, and When It Matters

Most "wrong" sounds at two, three and four are not English problems at all. The three different causes, an age-by-age table of sounds, and the one measurement that actually matters.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova
A mother and her toddler name an apple on a living-room rug, surrounded only by everyday household objects
Parent Tips 16 min read

What to Buy to Teach Your Child English at Home (and What to Skip)

The families whose children end up speaking English are almost never the ones who spent the most. An honest verdict on what to buy, what to skip, and why no purchase changes your child directly.

Kateryna Ivanova Kateryna Ivanova