How to Tell If Your Child's English Is Improving: 10 Signs and a Home Progress Check

If you are wondering how to tell if my child's English is improving, look at the order in which progress appears. It shows first in listening and in willingness to speak, then in longer and more accurate sentences, and only last in test scores. Check every 4–6 weeks against a fixed set of signs, not against last week, because week-to-week change is too small to see.

Key takeaways

• A child's English progress appears in a predictable order: comprehension and willingness to speak first, sentence length and accuracy second, test scores last.
• Test scores lag real progress by weeks or months and miss listening, confidence and spontaneous speech.
• Ten observable signs, grouped by skill, let a parent measure a child's English progress without speaking English well.
• A 10-minute home progress check every 4–6 weeks gives comparable results when the tasks stay the same.
• Plateaus of 6–10 weeks are normal, especially between A1 and A2 and between A2 and B1; they call for a change of input.
• Ask for a professional assessment if no sign has moved for three months despite regular lessons.

Why do test scores lag behind real progress?

Test scores measure what a child can reproduce on demand, under time pressure, in a format they may not know. Ability grows underneath that long before it appears on a marked page: a score moves in steps, ability in a slope. Tests also miss the strongest early signs, such as understanding a spoken instruction without translating it, answering a stranger or choosing an English book for fun.

The CEFR is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, a six-level scale from A1 (beginner) to C2 (mastery) that describes what a learner can do. Pre-A1 is the starting level below A1 used for young beginners. Moving up one CEFR level usually takes a child a year or more, so a level test shows "no change" for long stretches while the child progresses steadily inside the level.

What are the 10 signs your child's English is improving?

The signs are grouped by skill, with what each looks like at 6–8 and at 10–13. You do not need to speak English well to observe any of them.

Listening

1. Understanding without translation. The child reacts to English directly instead of waiting for a translation. The silent period is a normal phase, often lasting weeks or months, in which a child understands far more than they say; progress inside it is almost entirely this sign.

• At 6–8: follows a two-step instruction ("Take the red pencil and give it to Sam") without looking at a parent; laughs at the right moment in a cartoon.
• At 10–13: follows a short story without subtitles and can retell a one-minute clip in their own language, including a detail.

Speaking

2. Responding in English. When spoken to in English, the child answers in English rather than the home language, even with one word.

• At 6–8: "yes", "blue", "I don't know"; uses lesson phrases such as "Can I go to the toilet?" on their own.
• At 10–13: stays in English for three or four turns; switches languages only for a missing word, then switches back.

3. Longer utterances. Answers grow from single words to phrases, to sentences, to two linked sentences.

• At 6–8: "dog" becomes "a big dog" becomes "I see a big dog".
• At 10–13: "I like football" becomes "I like football because I play with my friends after school, and we usually win."

4. Self-correction. The child notices a mistake and fixes it unprompted, a stronger sign than a correct worksheet.

• At 6–8: "He go… he goes to school."
• At 10–13: "Yesterday I see… I saw a film"; begins to fix word order and tense alone.

5. New words appearing unprompted. Words from lessons or videos turn up at home, in play or in arguments, with nobody asking for them.

• At 6–8: names toys, animals or food in English during play; sings a lesson song with the right words.
• At 10–13: says "actually" or "that's not fair" in English; explains a game or hobby using its English terms.

6. Asking "how do you say…?" The child wants an English word to finish a sentence they are already building in English, not translating from their own language.

• At 6–8: points at an object, asks for the word and uses it immediately.
• At 10–13: asks mid-sentence, or checks whether a word they heard means what they think.

Reading

7. Reading for meaning. The child reads to find out what happens, not only to decode. Decoding is the mechanical step of turning letters into sounds; reading for meaning follows it.

• At 6–8: finishes a short illustrated book and tells you one thing that happened; reads a word on a game screen and reacts to it.
• At 10–13: chooses English chapter books, game text or articles; summarises a paragraph in a sentence; guesses a new word from context.

Writing

8. Writing with simple connectors. Sentences are joined with "and", "but", "because", "so", "then", which shows the child is organising ideas in English rather than listing them.

• At 6–8: "I like cats and dogs", "It is cold but I am happy", with phonetic spelling.
• At 10–13: a paragraph of four to six sentences on one topic with two different connectors and a clear opening and closing line.

Confidence and attitude

9. Confidence with strangers. The child uses English with someone outside the family and the teacher.

• At 6–8: says "hello", "thank you" or "my name is…" to a visitor without hiding behind a parent.
• At 10–13: orders food or asks for directions on a trip; recovers from being misunderstood instead of giving up.

10. Enjoyment. The child chooses English content without being asked. Enjoyment is a cause of progress as well as a sign.

• At 6–8: asks for the English version of a cartoon or song; plays "school" in English with toys.
• At 10–13: watches, games or reads in English by choice; does not treat lessons as a punishment.

How do I check at home whether my child's English is improving?

Run the same four tasks, in the same order, for about 10 minutes, every 4–6 weeks, on a calm day. Keep every recording and sample in one dated folder; comparing this month with last month tells you more than any single test.

1. One-minute talk recording (3 minutes). Ask the child to talk for one minute on a topic that stays the same every month, such as "my week". Record audio on a phone. If they stop early, ask one open question ("What else?"). Do not correct.
2. Picture description (2 minutes). Show the same busy picture each month. Ask "What can you see?" and then "What is happening?". Count the different things named and whether full sentences appear.
3. Five questions (3 minutes). Ask the same five questions each month, from "What is your name?" to "What did you do yesterday?". If your pronunciation is shaky, play a recording made by the teacher.
4. Read-aloud (2 minutes). The child reads the same short passage aloud, slightly hard in month one, then answers one question about its meaning.

Scoring table

Score each row 1 to 4 and write the total (4–16) in the progress log. Direction matters more than the number.

Task	1	2	3	4
One-minute talk	Single words, stops before 30 seconds	Short phrases, two or more prompts needed	Full simple sentences, one prompt or none	Linked sentences, fills the minute, some self-correction
Picture description	Fewer than 5 items named	5–10 items, no sentences	10+ items, some "There is / He is …ing" sentences	Describes what is happening in several full sentences
Five questions	0–1 answered in English	2–3 answered, mostly one word	4–5 answered in short sentences	All 5 in full sentences, including past and future
Read-aloud	Decodes word by word, cannot answer the meaning question	Reads slowly, partly answers	Reads most words fluently, answers correctly	Reads with expression and explains the passage

When the child scores 4 on three rows, make the tasks harder and note the change in the log so old and new scores are not confused.

How should I use teacher feedback and reports?

Teacher feedback complements the home check because the teacher sees the child perform where you do not. Good feedback is specific, skill-based and compares the child with their own earlier self, not with the class.

What good feedback contains

• A current working level ("within A1, approaching A2") and the next step inside it.
• One or two things the child can now do that they could not do six weeks ago.
• One or two targets for the next period, each with a reason.
• A note on participation and confidence, not only accuracy.
• Attendance and homework completion, so exposure can be ruled out as the cause of a plateau.

"Good progress" alone is not enough to act on. It is fair to ask: "What can my child do now that they could not do last term, and what are you working towards next?"

Why has my child's English stopped improving?

A plateau is a period of several weeks in which the measurable signs stay flat. Plateaus are normal and usually mean consolidation, not failure. Two are especially common: between A1 and A2, when the child has enough language to cope and stops stretching, and between A2 and B1, when the jump to longer, more abstract language is large.

Why plateaus happen

• The input stopped getting harder. The same cartoon, games and routines contain nothing new.
• The child has "enough". They can do what they need, so there is no pressure to extend.
• Attention has moved. A new hobby, school year or friendship competes for energy.
• Consolidation. New grammar often brings a brief dip in accuracy before a rise.

What to change

1. Raise one input only: a harder book, a video without subtitles, or a topic the child cares about but has never discussed in English.
2. Add a real reason to speak: an exchange with another child, a short presentation to the family, a message to a relative abroad.
3. Ask the teacher to focus on one skill for six weeks and measure that skill in the next home check.
4. Keep the routine. Stopping lessons during a plateau almost always produces regression.

How do I keep a progress log?

A progress log turns impressions into evidence: one row per check, kept for at least a year and reviewed with the teacher twice a year.

Date	Home check total (4–16)	Signs seen (1–10)	Teacher feedback	English hours (lessons + home)	Note / change made
Month 1	8	1, 2, 10	Within Pre-A1; follows instructions, speaks little	6 + 4	Baseline. Topic: "my week".
Month 2	9	1, 2, 5, 10	Flat; good attendance	6 + 3	Plateau. Swapped cartoon for a story series, no subtitles.
Month 3	11	1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10	Longer answers, asks for words	6 + 6	First "how do you say" at home.

When should I worry and ask for an assessment?

Ask for a structured assessment when none of the ten signs has moved for three months despite regular attendance. One flat month is noise, two is probably a plateau, three deserves a closer look. Fleydo English School, like most schools, starts every learner with a level assessment and can repeat one at any point.

Ask sooner if the child refuses to speak in every setting for more than six months, if reading does not develop at all after a year while speaking does, if there is a clear regression without a break in lessons, or if lessons cause real distress. In most cases the answer is a change of method, group or pace, and a fresh assessment gives the log a new baseline.

Frequently asked questions

How fast should a child progress in English?

With two lessons a week and some exposure at home, most children move up one CEFR level roughly every 12–18 months in the early levels. Inside a level, expect at least one new sign from the list of ten every 4–6 weeks. Speed varies with age, exposure and enjoyment, so compare your child with their own log, not with other children.

My child understands but won't speak. Is that progress?

Yes. Comprehension before production is the normal order, and the silent period can last from weeks to several months, especially in younger or cautious children. Score sign 1 carefully during this time, because that is where progress is happening. Speech begins sooner when nobody insists on it.

Are the scores in apps reliable?

App scores reliably measure what the app practises, usually recognition of words and sentence patterns on a screen. They do not measure listening to real speech, spontaneous speaking, confidence with people or reading for meaning. Treat an app score as one data point about vocabulary.

How often should I test my child's English?

Run the home check every 4–6 weeks and no more often. Weekly checking shows noise rather than progress and can make the child anxious about something that should feel like a game. Formal level assessments are useful once or twice a year.

What if there is no progress for 3 months?

First check exposure in the log: if hours fell, the plateau is explained and the fix is more input. If exposure was steady, ask the teacher for a structured assessment and a plan for one skill over six weeks. If nothing changes, consider a different format, such as one-to-one lessons for a term or a smaller group.

How Fleydo English School can help

Fleydo English School teaches children and teenagers aged 6–17 in live online lessons with certified native English-speaking teachers, in groups of at most six or one-to-one, on a CEFR-aligned curriculum from Pre-A1. Parents follow attendance, homework, feedback and progress reports in the Zolinex parent dashboard, the teacher's side of the log above; see how it works. The English for kids programme is built around the skills in this article, and every learner starts with a free trial lesson with a level assessment, so you have a baseline from day one.