Chinese dictation is more than a test of whether a child can write a word correctly. It is also an important part of helping children recognise, remember and reinforce their understanding of Chinese characters.

For children with literacy difficulties, repeatedly following the usual process of looking at a word, writing it from memory and correcting mistakes can be challenging. It may also make it difficult for them to develop a strong and lasting memory of Chinese characters.

So, how can parents use multisensory learning at home to make Chinese dictation practice more effective?

If you have not read the previous article, “Bringing Chinese Characters to Life: Using Multisensory Learning to Help Children Read”, we recommend starting there. The first article introduced how parents can create multisensory learning materials and use sight, sound, touch, speech and writing to help children learn Chinese characters.

In this second article, we take these techniques one step further by applying them to Chinese dictation. Instead of focusing only on getting the correct answer, children learn to recognise, remember and write Chinese characters through repeated multisensory experiences.

Here are some simple activities that parents can try at home to incorporate multisensory learning into regular dictation practice. Through short, frequent and repeated practice, children can gradually develop a stronger memory of Chinese characters.

1. Using Multisensory Learning for Chinese Dictation at Home

Parents can use a structured, step-by-step approach to help their child prepare for Chinese dictation:

Step 1: Read the word aloud
Encourage your child to read the word aloud to become familiar with how it sounds.

Step 2: Break down the character
Help your child examine the structure of the character and identify its radicals. This can help them better understand and remember its written form.

Step 3: Use radical cards
Ask your child to find the corresponding radical card. Encourage them to trace it with their finger while saying the radical’s name, meaning and position within the character.

Step 4: Reconstruct and write the word
Use the radical cards to help your child reconstruct or complete the character before practising writing it.

Step 5: Recall from memory
Once your child becomes more familiar with the word, cover it and encourage them to write it independently. This helps check their understanding while strengthening recall.

For example, when learning 早 (zǎo, “early”):

• Encourage your child to say 早 aloud.
• Help them identify 日 at the top of the character and explain its association with the sun.
• Ask them to trace the 日 radical card with their finger while saying its name and meaning.
• Show them how 日 and 十 come together to form 早, then practise writing it on a whiteboard or paper.
• Finally, cover the word and ask your child to write 早 independently.

Throughout the activity, parents should provide immediate feedback and gentle corrections to help children develop accurate writing habits.

2. Multisensory Learning in Practice

Here are several examples of how multisensory strategies can be used to practise Primary 4 Chinese vocabulary at home.

Not every Chinese word can be understood or remembered through radicals. However, making use of radicals wherever appropriate can still simplify the learning process and help children remember a significant number of words. For students with dyslexia, even this additional layer of support can help make dictation practice more manageable.

讨论 (tǎo lùn, “discuss”) — Using Radicals

Key radical: 讠 (speech radical)

1. Help your child identify the 讠 radical and explain that it is associated with speech and communication.
2. Ask your child to find the corresponding radical card, trace it and say its meaning and position in the character — in this case, on the left.
3. Explain that both characters in 讨论 are related to speaking. Your child can remember the word by imagining two people exchanging ideas.
4. Ask your child to write the word on a whiteboard or paper while saying the radical and describing its structure.
5. Once they are familiar with the word, cover it and ask them to write 讨论 independently.

乌云 (wū yún, “dark clouds”) — Using Visual Associations

The character 鸟 (bird) is a character that children may have encountered previously in school.

1. Use a simple story to help your child remember the difference between 鸟 and 乌: when there are dark clouds, the little bird is no longer flying in the sky, so 鸟 loses a dot and becomes 乌.
2. Combine this with visualisation — such as imagining a dark sky — and movement, such as using their hands to gesture towards the sky.

姑姑 (gū gu, “aunt”) — Using Radicals

Key radical: 女 (female radical)

1. Help your child identify 女 and explain that it is often associated with women or female family members.
2. Ask your child to find the corresponding radical card, trace it and explain its meaning and position on the left side of the character.
3. Help your child observe that 姑 consists of 女 and 古. Explain that 古 provides a clue to the character’s pronunciation.
4. Ask your child to practise writing 姑姑 on a whiteboard or paper while describing its structure.
5. Once they are familiar with the word, cover it and encourage them to write 姑姑 independently.

忽然 (hū rán, “suddenly”) — Learning Through Context

1. Create a situation that demonstrates the meaning of 忽然, such as suddenly clapping your hands or unexpectedly changing an action.
2. Ask your child to observe the structure of the characters and explain how the word might be used.
3. Have your child practise writing 忽然 on a whiteboard or paper while reading it aloud.
4. Once they are familiar with it, cover the word and ask them to write it independently.

灵机一动 (líng jī yí dòng, “to suddenly have a good idea”) — Learning Through Movement

1. Use an action to demonstrate the meaning, such as lightly tapping your head to represent suddenly thinking of a good idea.
2. Encourage your child to explain the meaning of the phrase aloud. You can also break down the concepts of 灵机 and 动 to support understanding.
3. Ask your child to practise writing the phrase on a whiteboard or paper while reading it aloud.
4. Once they are familiar with it, cover the phrase and encourage them to write 灵机一动 independently to reinforce their memory.

3. Making Chinese Dictation Less Stressful

Chinese dictation is not simply about checking whether a child can write a word correctly. It is also an opportunity to help them recognise, understand and reinforce their knowledge of Chinese characters.

Multisensory learning turns abstract Chinese characters into more tangible learning experiences. By seeing, touching, saying and writing, children can explore characters from different perspectives and develop a better understanding of their forms, structures and meanings.

At home, parents can incorporate simple tools such as radical cards into regular dictation practice. With relaxed and repeated practice, children can gradually develop a more stable memory of Chinese characters.

More importantly, short, frequent and structured practice can be more beneficial than simply increasing the amount of time spent studying. Each successful learning experience can help children gradually strengthen their understanding of Chinese characters while building their confidence in learning Chinese.

By supporting children step by step, we can help make Chinese dictation feel less intimidating and turn it from a source of pressure into an opportunity for progress.

Looking for Chinese language support that better suits the way your child learns? The DAS Chinese Programme uses multisensory teaching approaches to help children with literacy difficulties strengthen their Chinese reading and writing skills while building confidence in learning the language.