I am interested in the experiences of parents of bilingual children attending school in the UK or in another country where the main language of schooling is not the same as the one spoken at home.
We are both Polish and at home we speak only Polish with our daughter. We read to her in Polish, and she watches cartoons exclusively in Polish. She attends nursery full-time and, from what we've been told and heard, she speaks English well. I suspect her vocabulary is broader in Polish because of her exposure to books, etc., but she is on track with her English language development.
I am curious: what approach have you taken at primary school when help with spelling or reading was needed? Did you help even though your own pronunciation or accent might be far from native one? And how did you incorporate your native language into the mix?
I have friends in a similar position who practise spelling and reading in Polish with their child, but never do so in English (although they do make sure he practises—it’s just that he does it on his own so as not to mix the two).
Any other experiences?