Wong's Tips
Topic
Language
English, Mandarin, and bilingual development — reading, writing, phonics, and raising children who move confidently between languages.
Should Your Child Learn Traditional or Simplified Chinese? A Language Teacher's Honest Answer.
A Hong Kong Chinese language teacher gives her clear recommendation for families navigating the traditional vs. simplified Chinese question — with the cognitive science behind it.
I get this question more than almost any other, and it tends to arrive in one of two forms....
Miss ChanThe Grammar Mistakes HK Students Still Make in P6 (That Started in P1)
Some English grammar errors fossilise in lower primary and persist for years. Here's how to spot them early and break the pattern.
Last week, a P6 parent showed me her son's English composition. It was genuinely impressive — creative story, good vocabulary, clear structure. Then I spotted it: "He go to the park yesterday." Third ...
Miss ChanCantonese at Home, English at School: Making Code-Switching Work
Your child's code-switching between Cantonese and English isn't confusion — it's a cognitive advantage. Here's how to nurture it.
Last month, a P3 parent sat across from me at parents' evening and said something I hear at least twice a term: "Miss Chan, I'm worried. My daughter keeps mixing up Cantonese and English. She'll start...
Miss ChanMore in Language
The Simplified Chinese Exam Controversy Isn't About Characters. It's About Who Belongs.
Miss Yang15 DecDictation Week: How to Prepare Without Tears
Miss Chan29 NovWhy Hong Kong Kids Mix Up 'b' and 'd' (And When to Actually Worry)
Miss Chan10 NovReading Aloud vs Silent Reading: Which One Builds Better English?
Miss Chan22 OctThe 5 English Spelling Patterns Every P2 Parent Should Know
Miss Chan4 OctWhat I Actually Observed About Language in 10,000 Children
Ms. Poon5 Aug7 Mistakes Parents Make When Helping with English Homework (I See Them Every Parent Evening)
Miss Chan21 AprThe P3 to P4 English Jump: Why So Many Students Suddenly Struggle and How to Prepare
Miss Chan7 AprReading in Both Chinese and English: How Bilingual Reading Builds Stronger Skills in Both Languages
Miss Chan24 MarInference Questions in English Reading Comprehension: How to Teach Children to Read Between the Lines
Miss Chan10 MarTense Consistency in Writing: The Most Common English Error in HK Primary Exams
Miss Chan24 FebQuestion Tags in English: Why HK Students Always Get Them Wrong
Miss Chan10 FebAdjectives and Adverbs: The Easiest Upgrade for Flat English Writing
Miss Chan27 JanGetting Reluctant Boy Readers Interested in English Books: What Actually Works
Miss Chan13 JanMandarin Summer Reading List: Books for Every Level from K3 to S3
Miss Yang10 JanSpell-Check and Autocorrect: Are They Making HK Students Worse at Spelling?
Miss Chan30 DecHow to Write an Interesting Opening in English (Not "One day..." or "I am going to tell you about...")
Miss Chan16 DecWhy Children Tell Stories: Language, Play, and Emotional Processing
Miss Fu14 DecRunning a Summer Reading Programme at Home: Books, Goals and Keeping It Fun
Miss Chan2 DecThe Path to English Fluency for Cantonese-First Students: What Actually Works
Miss Chan18 NovEnglish Oral Examination Tips: What Examiners Look for Beyond Vocabulary
Miss Chan4 NovPrepositions in English: The 20 Most Common Errors I Correct in HK Children's Writing
Miss Chan21 OctA, An, The: The English Articles That Confuse HK Students (And a Simple Rule That Helps)
Miss Chan7 OctAccent Anxiety in Mandarin: Why Hong Kong Children Feel Embarrassed and How to Change That
Miss Yang20 SeptSpeech Day and Public Speaking Prep: Confidence-Building Techniques for Primary Children
Miss Chan9 SeptTeaching Chinese Idioms (成語) to Children: Why They Matter and How to Make Them Stick
Miss Yang6 SeptSubject-Verb Agreement: The 6 Error Patterns I See Most in HK Primary English
Miss Chan26 AugFormal and Informal Letter Writing in English: The Format HK Primary Exams Expect
Miss Chan12 AugTeaching Mandarin Social Language to Children: Beyond 'Nǐ Hǎo'
Miss Yang9 AugSelective Mutism in Hong Kong Schools: The Child Who Won't Speak English in Class
Miss Fu3 AugLearning English Through Movies and TV: The Parent Guide to Making Screen Time Count
Miss Chan29 JulHow to Assess Your Child's English Reading Level at Home (No Special Tools Needed)
Miss Chan15 JulChinese Composition Writing: The Structural Approach Mainland Schools Use That HK Students Are Missing
Miss Yang12 JulAdvanced English Dictation Preparation: Beyond Just Reading Aloud
Miss Chan1 JulShould Hong Kong Children Learn Pinyin? My Honest Answer
Miss Yang28 JunEnglish Essay Structure in HK Primary Schools: Introduction, Body, Conclusion Done Right
Miss Chan17 JunBuilding a Chinese Reading Habit at Home: Books and Approaches That Work
Miss Yang14 JunVocabulary Building Strategies That Work Better Than Rote Memorisation
Miss Chan3 JunPunctuation from P1 to P6: A Year-by-Year Guide for Parents
Miss Chan20 MayClassical Chinese Poetry for Primary Children: Why Memorising Tang Poems Is Worth the Effort
Miss Yang17 MayHow to Write a Book Report in English: The Structure HK Teachers Want
Miss Chan6 MayWhy Stroke Order Matters More Than Parents Think
Miss Yang3 MayBuilding English Speaking Confidence in Shy Children Without Forcing Them
Miss Chan22 AprEnglish Listening: The Exam Skill HK Students Spend Least Time Practising
Miss Chan8 AprHow Young Children Actually Acquire Language: What Play Therapy Observation Teaches Us
Miss Fu30 MarIrregular Past Tense Verbs: The 50 Your Child Must Know by P4 (With Memory Tricks)
Miss Chan25 MarCreative Writing in HK Primary Schools: Why Children Write Well in Class but Blank at Exams
Miss Chan26 FebSimplified vs Traditional Characters: The Debate, the Practicalities, and My Advice
Miss Yang22 FebP4 English Reading Comprehension: The 5 Question Types and How to Approach Each
Miss Chan12 FebTeaching Mandarin Tones to Young Children: Methods That Actually Work
Miss Yang8 FebSight Words vs Phonics: What HK Parents Get Wrong About Early Reading
Miss Chan29 JanMandarin or Cantonese First? What the Research Says and What I've Seen
Miss Yang25 JanPhonics in HK Primary Schools: What Has Changed Since 2020
Miss Chan15 Jan