How to Choose an Online English Teacher for Your Child: 12 Questions to Ask First
Qualification first, then experience with your child's age group, then the lesson itself. These 12 questions, a 25-minute trial-lesson checklist and an age-by-age table show you what to ask any online English teacher before you commit.
The short answer: qualification, age experience, then the lesson itself
If you are choosing an online English teacher for kids, check three things in this order: a recognised teaching qualification (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA or an equivalent, plus native or near-native English), proven experience with your child's exact age group, and the way the lesson is actually run, which you can only judge by watching a trial. Most parents do this backwards, starting with price and a friendly profile photo. The 12 questions below put the order right and take about 20 minutes to work through with any teacher or school.
Why the order matters when choosing an online English teacher for kids
A qualification tells you the teacher knows how language is learned, not just how to speak English. Age experience tells you they can hold a child's attention through a screen, which is a separate skill from teaching adults. The lesson itself tells you whether the first two translate into something your child will look forward to. Before you start, write your goal in one sentence; "speak more confidently" and "prepare for an exam" lead to different teachers.
12 questions to ask an online English teacher for kids
Area 1: Qualifications and language competence
1. What teaching qualification do you hold? Why it matters: a certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages means the teacher has been trained to present new language, check understanding and correct errors, rather than explaining grammar the way they learned it at school. A good answer names the certificate (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, a teaching degree or an equivalent) and ideally mentions training specific to young learners. "I have spoken English all my life" is not an answer to this question.
2. How much of your teaching has been with children, and which ages? Why it matters: teaching a six-year-old and a sixteen-year-old are almost different jobs. The first needs movement, songs, routine and repetition; the second needs real topics, honest feedback and respect. A good answer gives numbers and ranges ("about four years, mostly 7 to 11"). If the teacher mostly teaches adults and "also does kids", keep looking.
3. Is English your first language, and if not, what is your level? Why it matters: a child building pronunciation and listening from scratch copies whatever model they hear. Native-speaking teachers are the simplest guarantee of a natural model, but a near-native teacher at CEFR C2 with excellent pronunciation can be just as good, especially if they remember what was hard about learning English. The trial will confirm the answer within two minutes.
Area 2: Teaching style
4. In a typical lesson, how much of the time is my child speaking? Why it matters: children learn to speak by speaking. A lesson where the teacher talks for 35 of 45 minutes is a lecture. A good answer for one-to-one is "at least half"; for a small group, "every child speaks several times in every activity".
5. How do you correct mistakes? Why it matters: too much correction makes a child stop talking; too little lets errors settle in. A good answer separates fluency activities (let them talk, note errors, go over them afterwards) from accuracy activities (correct gently on the spot and have the child say it again). Bonus points if the teacher mentions recasting: repeating the child's sentence correctly, naturally, without stopping the flow.
6. How do you keep a child engaged on a screen, and does that change with age? Why it matters: engagement is the whole game online. A good answer describes a toolkit, not a trick: for younger children, activities of five to seven minutes, props, songs, movement and a visible routine; for older ones, topics they care about, a little competition, projects and genuine conversation. For a seven-year-old, a well-designed game is the serious teaching; for a fifteen-year-old, constant games feel patronising.
Area 3: Structure and progress
7. What curriculum do you follow, and how does it map to CEFR levels? Why it matters: without a plan, lessons drift into "what shall we talk about today?". A good answer names a structured syllabus, explains where your child would start (a placement test or trial assessment), and can describe what "finishing A1" looks like in terms of what the child can do. For a complete beginner, ask whether they start from Pre-A1 rather than assuming some knowledge; you can see how a Pre-A1 start is organised on Fleydo's English for kids page.
8. Will my child have the same teacher every week? Why it matters: children, especially under ten, learn from people they trust, and trust takes weeks to build. A rotating pool of teachers resets that every lesson. A good answer is a straightforward yes, with a clear policy for holidays and illness (a named substitute, not a random one).
9. What happens between lessons, and what will I hear from you? Why it matters: two lessons a week is around 90 minutes; a little practice in between doubles the exposure. A good answer describes short homework (ten minutes, not an hour), a way of checking it, and regular feedback to you with attendance and what was covered. "You can ask me any time" usually means there is no system.
Area 4: Practicalities
10. If it is a group, how many children, and how are they grouped? Why it matters: in a group of twelve, your child may speak twice in 45 minutes. In a group of four to six, matched by age and level, every child gets a real share of the time. A good answer gives a hard maximum and explains how levels are matched.
11. How does the schedule work, and what happens when we miss a lesson? Why it matters: consistency beats intensity. Two fixed slots a week through most of the year will do more than ten lessons crammed into a holiday followed by nothing. A good answer is specific about fixed times, lesson length, how many weeks a year lessons run, and the policy for missed lessons and make-ups.
12. Can we have a trial lesson, and what will I be able to see afterwards? Why it matters: everything above is words until you watch the teacher with your child. A good answer offers a trial, lets you sit in quietly, and shows you what the ongoing parent view looks like: attendance, homework, feedback, progress. No trial is a decision point in itself.
Watch the trial lesson: a 25-minute checklist
Sit nearby, say nothing, and tick these off. Judge the teacher on what can reasonably be seen in 25 minutes, not on whether your child became fluent.
- First three minutes: does the teacher use your child's name, check sound and camera, and start with something easy your child can succeed at?
- Talk ratio: is your child speaking at least a third of the time, more if they already have some English?
- Activity changes: for a young child, does something new happen every five to seven minutes? For a teen, is there at least one real topic and one task with a clear outcome?
- Correction: when your child makes a mistake, is it ignored, corrected harshly, or repeated correctly and moved past?
- Attention recovery: when your child drifts (they will), does the teacher bring them back with a question or a change of pace, or just by talking louder?
- Your child's face: leaning in or leaning back? Any smile? Anything said unprompted?
- The end: does the teacher summarise what was learned, say something specific and positive, and tell you what they noticed about your child's level?
Afterwards, ask your child one question: "Would you like to do that again?" How fast the answer comes is worth most of the checklist.
What a child needs from an English tutor online at 6–8, 9–12 and 13–17
The same teacher will not suit every age. Use this table to decide which answers matter most right now.
| What to look for | Ages 6–8 | Ages 9–12 | Ages 13–17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher's key skill | Warmth, patience, physical energy on camera | Clear structure, fair rules, humour | Respect, honest feedback, real conversation |
| Lesson rhythm | Many short activities, songs, routines, props | Games with a goal, stories, small projects | Topics they choose, debates, tasks with an outcome |
| Correction | Mostly recasting; almost no explicit grammar | Gentle on-the-spot correction, short grammar explanations | Explicit feedback, self-correction, written work reviewed |
| Reading and writing | Letters, sounds, first words | Short texts, sentence writing, spelling | Paragraphs, essays, exam-style tasks |
| Homework | Five minutes, playful, with a parent | Ten to fifteen minutes, independent | Twenty minutes, checked and discussed |
| Best format | One-to-one or very small group, same teacher | Small group for interaction, one-to-one to catch up | Small group for speaking, one-to-one for exams |
| Typical goal | Pre-A1 to A1: confidence, sounds, basic phrases | A1 to A2/B1: fluency, structure, school support | B1 to B2+: accuracy, exams, independence |
Red flags when choosing an English teacher for your child
None of these proves a bad teacher on its own. Two or more together usually do.
- The profile is about the teacher (travel, hobbies, "passion") and says nothing about how a lesson is run.
- No qualification is named, or the only credential is being a native speaker.
- Every age from 4 to 94 is listed as a speciality.
- Lessons are described as "conversation" with no level, syllabus or goal.
- A long package must be paid before any lesson can happen, with no refund window.
- Promises about results, such as "fluent in three months" or a guaranteed level. Language learning does not run on a timer.
How to read a teacher profile and reviews
A profile is a sales page, so read it for specifics: the name of the qualification, the years spent teaching children, the age range given as a range rather than "all ages", and at least one sentence about method ("lots of movement with younger learners", "with teens I build each lesson around a task").
Reviews need a different filter. Look for reviews that mention a child's age and describe something that changed ("he now answers in full sentences", "she stopped refusing to speak"). Check the dates, and notice who is writing: a parent of a child your child's age predicts your experience far better than an adult learner does. Finally, if the profile promises "games and songs" and the trial is twenty minutes of flashcards, trust the trial.
FAQ: choosing an online English teacher for kids
Is a native English speaker always the better choice for a child?
Not automatically. A native speaker gives your child a natural model of pronunciation and rhythm, which matters most in the early years. But a native speaker without training may not know how to make language learnable, and a qualified near-native teacher at C2 level with excellent pronunciation can do an outstanding job. The safest combination is a certified teacher with native or near-native English and experience with your child's age.
Should the teacher speak my child's first language?
For most children from about age six upwards, no, and an English-only lesson is an advantage: the child learns to understand from context, gestures and pictures, which is how real listening works. A teacher who shares the child's language can help in the very first lessons with a shy beginner, or with a teenager who needs grammar explained precisely before an exam. If the teacher does speak your language, the right amount to use in the lesson is "as little as possible".
How often should we change teachers?
As rarely as possible, as long as it is working. Continuity with one teacher is one of the biggest advantages of a structured school over ad-hoc tutoring, especially for children under ten. Reasonable moments to change: your child has outgrown the teacher's strongest age range, the goal has changed (exam preparation is now the priority, for example), or the lessons are still not landing after six to eight weeks and an honest conversation.
Finding the right teacher on Fleydo
Every Fleydo teacher is a certified native English speaker with experience teaching children and teenagers, and you can read their qualifications, age specialities and parent reviews on the teachers page before you choose. Group classes are capped at six children, matched by age and CEFR level from Pre-A1, with the same teacher each week and attendance, homework and feedback visible to you in the Zolinex parent dashboard; see how it works for your child's age on English for kids. The easiest way to answer all 12 questions at once is to book a free trial lesson, sit in, and use the checklist above.
