EnglishGrade 2ages 7–8
👨👩👧 mum dad I
I is a word that changes who it points to depending on who is speaking, which is a strange idea for a young child used to words that always mean the same fixed thing — like mum or dad.
Try this lesson freeNo card needed. The first lesson is free.
Download on the App StoreWhat your child learns
- I means me — only about myself.
- mum is a parent word.
- dad is another parent word.
- Don't say I about someone else. Don't say mum about yourself.
The mistake most kids make here
Thinking I is a word about someone else.
Try one question
About myself I say…
About myself
- mum
- dad
- I
Answer
I — That's it. I = me. mum and dad are parents.
How Maya teaches it
Your child tells Maya what they did in class. She teaches this topic at her desk, asks questions with tappable answers, and when the answer is wrong she explains why that answer was tempting instead of saying “try again”. She remembers what did not land and comes back to it.
Your child has it when they can: Say I for yourself, and mum or dad for a parent.
How to help at home
Mum and dad are fixed words — they always point to the same people. I is different: it points to whoever is speaking, so it means someone new every time the speaker changes.
Practice by taking turns: when you speak, you say 'I am mum' (or dad); when your child speaks, they say 'I am' followed by their own name. The same word, I, points to a different person each time.
If your child uses mum or dad about themselves, or I about someone else, gently ask: 'who is talking right now?' The answer should match who I is pointing to.
A good sign they've got it: they use I correctly about themselves every time they speak, and use mum or dad correctly when talking about a parent.
Questions parents ask
- Why does my child think I means someone else?
- Unlike mum or dad, which always point to the same person, I changes meaning depending on who is speaking. That shifting reference takes practice to get used to.
- What's the rule for using I correctly?
- I always refers to whoever is speaking, right now. It's never used to talk about someone else, and a parent is never called I by their child.
- What's a simple way to practice this at home?
- Take turns speaking about yourselves out loud: an adult says 'I am mum,' and the child says 'I am' plus their own name, showing that the same word I points to a different person each time.
- How does Maya teach this differently from a worksheet?
- Maya asks which word to use when talking about yourself, with real options, so the child practices choosing I in context instead of only filling in a blank on paper.
No card needed. The first lesson is free.
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Sources: English Curriculum 2020 for elementary school – Israeli Ministry of Education