A favourite song gives you something to sing together. A story gives you characters to talk about and events to act out. Both can make room for English in a family day without requiring a child to sit through a lesson.
The useful part is what you do together around the recording: choosing, noticing, asking and playing. Try one of these ideas with a short song or story your child already enjoys.
Choose something you can enjoy together
British Council guidance recommends listening to songs and stories with children and letting them choose a favourite. It notes that listening can support pronunciation. Sharing a recording gives you a chance to listen, join in and talk together.
Offer two options and let your child decide. Before you press play, look at the cover or opening picture. Ask what they notice, in whichever language they prefer. Choose one detail to listen or look out for: a character, a vehicle or a familiar colour.
Give one word an action
Pick a word from the song that you can show with a simple movement. Make up the action together: a finger drawing a wheel in the air, a wave for hello, or a hand shading your eyes to look. Join in when the moment returns.
Keep the rest of the song for enjoyment. You do not need to stop after every line or explain every unfamiliar word. If a child would rather watch your action than copy it, carry on sharing the song without turning participation into a test.
Retell a single moment from a story
After a story, choose one moment to recreate with a drawing or a toy. You might place a toy vehicle beside a paper road and ask where it goes next. Follow your child’s interpretation, including a different ending if that is what they want to tell.
Make up a short phrase for your scene: “Tiki is here”, “Help, please” or “Let’s go”. You can have the rest of the discussion in Sinhala, Tamil or another home language.
Try it with Tiki The Tuk
Our Watch & Listen section brings together the Tiki The Tuk Kids YouTube channel and links to Tiki’s audiobooks. Choose a song, or explore Tiki’s Big Adventure, Raju’s Brave Rescue and Isla’s Sweet Surprise through the audiobook collection.
Before listening, look at the artwork and choose a character to follow. Afterwards, invite your child to draw that character somewhere new. What would Tiki take to the beach? What would Milo pack for a journey? These are prompts for your own imaginary stories.
The printed storybooks are coming soon. Until then, the available artwork and recordings give you a place to start. Choose and manage playback yourself, then carry an idea from the song or story into a conversation away from the screen.
Sources & further reading
The original research and parent guidance used in this article, with dates and context.
- Listen to stories and songsBritish Council LearnEnglish Kids · Parent guidance accessed 10 October 2026.
