Chinese Immersion Homework Helper: Mandarin for Parents Who Don't Speak Chinese

By the end you can

• Recognise the words your child hears in class. The lines that start and run an immersion lesson, so you know what your child means when they play school at home.
  跟我读。 · Gēn wǒ dú. · Read after me.
• Read the task lines on a homework sheet. Spot 抄写, 背诵 and the 家长签字 box at the bottom, and work out how many times a line asks your child to copy or read.
  要家长签字吗？ · Yào jiāzhǎng qiānzì ma? · Do I need to sign it?
• Check maths homework set in Chinese. Read and say simple sums with 加, 减 and 等于, and count things with 两个.
  三加五等于八。 · Sān jiā wǔ děngyú bā. · Three plus five equals eight.
• Name the four tones the way the teacher does. Hear 汤, 糖, 躺 and 烫 side by side, ask 第几声？ and read pinyin aloud with your child.
  第几声？ · Dì jǐ shēng? · Which tone is it?
• Coach character writing stroke by stroke. Three stroke-order rules cover most characters. Count strokes and check which comes first on your child's sheet.
  先写横，再写竖。 · Xiān xiě héng, zài xiě shù. · First the across stroke, then the down stroke.
• Listen to your child read aloud and coach it kindly. Ask for a page read aloud, ask for it a bit louder, and point at a character your child stops on.
  这个字怎么读？ · Zhège zì zěnme dú? · How do you read this character?
• Read the school calendar and notes home. Dates, weekdays and holidays, plus what a notice asks you to bring or wear for events like 运动会 (sports day).
  明天要带什么？ · Míngtiān yào dài shénme? · What do you need to bring tomorrow?
• Talk with the teacher and praise your child in Chinese. Greet the teacher, say whose parent you are, ask how to help at home, and read comments like 优 and 加油 on returned work.
  我在家怎么帮她？ · Wǒ zài jiā zěnme bāng tā? · How can I help her at home?
• Run the weekly dictation at home. Read the week's word list twice, mixing up the order the second time, then check what your child wrote.
  我说，你写。 · Wǒ shuō, nǐ xiě. · I say it, you write it.

What’s inside

• Unit 1: Learn: Classroom Words Your Child Hears · Practice: Listen for Classroom Words
• Unit 2: Learn: Read the Homework Sheet · Practice: Decode a Homework Sheet
• Unit 3: Learn: Numbers and Maths Words · Practice: Help with a Maths Sheet
• Unit 4: Learn: Pinyin and Tones in Ten Minutes · Practice: Read Pinyin Aloud with Your Child
• Unit 5: Learn: Strokes and Character Homework · Practice: Check Stroke Order Homework
• Unit 6: Learn: Listen to Your Child Read Aloud · Practice: Coach Reading Aloud
• Unit 7: Learn: Dates and the School Calendar · Practice: Read the School Calendar
• Unit 8: Learn: Talk with the Teacher · Practice: Plan Your Parent Meeting Lines
• Unit 9: Learn: Praise and Encouragement · Practice: Praise in Chinese at Home
• Unit 10: Learn: Ask About the School Day · Practice: Ask Five After-School Questions
• Unit 11: Learn: Weekly Dictation (听写) · Practice: Run a Dictation at Home
• Unit 12: Learn: Notes Home and School Events · Practice: Read a Note Home
• Weekly routine: Your 15-Minute Weekly Routine
• Review: Parent Meeting, Then Homework

How to use this book

Twelve units, each a learn page and a practice page. One unit a week is plenty, about 15 minutes alongside your child's own homework.

1. Weeks 1–2: Classroom and homework words. Units 1 and 2. Stick 作业, 抄写, 背诵 and 家长签字 on the fridge for a week, and read the next real homework sheet with the book open.
2. Weeks 3–6: Maths, pinyin, strokes and reading aloud. Units 3 to 6, each in the week your child's homework touches it. Play the audio and say each line in the pause.
3. Weeks 7–10: Calendar, teacher, praise and the school day. Units 7 to 10. Prepare three lines before the next parent meeting, and ask one specific question after school each day.
4. Weeks 11–12: Dictation and notes home. Units 11 and 12. Run the weekly 听写 at home with the teacher's word list and read the next notice that comes home.
5. Every week after: The 15-minute routine. Follow the weekly routine on page 27, then act out the parent meeting and the dictation on page 28.

Who it’s for

Parents and carers of children in a Chinese immersion school who don't speak Chinese themselves, and want to read the homework, help at home and talk with the teacher.

Before you start: Nothing. Every line has pinyin and English and is on the free audio. You only need to recognise the homework words; your child does the writing.

Frequently asked questions

I don't speak any Chinese. Is this book too hard for me?

No. It is written for parents who start from zero. Every line has pinyin and English, and you learn to recognise homework words like 作业 and 听写 rather than write them.

My child's school teaches zhuyin, not pinyin. Does the book still help?

Most of it does: homework words, maths, dates, praise, dictation and talking with the teacher. The pinyin unit uses pinyin, and page 9 tells you to ask the teacher which system your child uses.

How long does it take each week?

About 15 minutes. At one unit a week the 12 units last about a school term, and page 27 turns the book into a short routine for each school day.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 35-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

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