Moving to Czechia with school-age children? Or is your child already attending a Czech school, getting by with classmates, but still finding lessons hard? Both situations are completely normal — and manageable, step by step. Here is a calm guide for families whose first language isn't Czech.
Tento průvodce je k dispozici i česky · Цей текст є також українською · Bản tiếng Việt.
The double load: language and subjects at once
A child with a different mother tongue is handling two things at the same time: the language itself and the school subjects taught in that language. Everyday playground Czech usually comes quite fast — the tricky part is "school Czech": subject vocabulary, written assignments, reading tasks. That's why a child may "already speak Czech" and still feel lost in class. It's not laziness — it's a normal phase, and it can be bridged with the right support.
What helps at home
- Reading at the right level — short texts, comics, children's books. Ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
- Let them speak — mistakes included. Correct gently and sparingly; confidence matters more than perfection.
- Czech outside school — a hobby group, sports, after-school club. Language grows fastest where it's about play, not grades.
- Keep the mother tongue strong — a solid first language supports learning the second one, it doesn't hold it back.
How Czech-as-a-second-language tutoring works at Doučse
At Doučse we teach Czech to foreign children patiently and practically — and for school kids we always combine the language with actual schoolwork: the tutor mixes Czech basics with whatever your child's class is currently studying, so the child catches up as quickly as possible. Lessons run online or in person in our classrooms across Czechia.
Practical for parents: booking and coordination work in English, Ukrainian and Russian — our coordinator will speak a language you're comfortable with. How lessons work in general is described in Czech lessons for kids; for maths support see math tutoring for children.
Grade 9: entrance exams for secondary schools
A special chapter is preparing a foreign child for the unified secondary-school entrance exams (CERMAT). Good to know: applicants who received part of their education abroad may, under certain conditions, request adjusted exam conditions (for example, replacing the Czech language test with an interview) — always verify the current rules at prijimacky.cermat.cz and with the school itself. We prepare children for both the Czech and the maths test — see our entrance exams guide written for foreign parents.
If money is tight
We always adapt the price to the family's situation, and for families in real difficulty there is the Pomáháme programme with free or discounted lessons. Don't hesitate to ask.
Next step
Write to us via the contact page — the coordinator will discuss what your child needs and match a tutor experienced with children learning Czech as a second language.
