When I think about online Dutch lessons in Nigeria, I can’t help but smile.

Because Nigeria is where, without realizing it at the time, Dutch for Kids began. 

Today, hundreds of children around the world take online Dutch lessons with Dutch for Kids. Children in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East log in every week to meet their Dutch teacher.

But thirteen years ago, there was no big team. No library full of our own teaching materials. No students joining us from all over the world.

There were simply two children living in Nigeria: Sarah and Noah.

And they became my very first online students.

From Nigeria to the Netherlands: where Dutch for Kids began

Sarah and Noah lived with their parents in Nigeria. Their father is Dutch, their mother Nigerian, and the children attended an international school in Nigeria.

During a sports camp in The Hague, they came to me for Dutch lessons.

Alongside all the sports activities, they had one hour of private Dutch tuition with me every day.

At the end of the week, their parents told me that the family would be returning to Nigeria.

But they also had an important question:

“Can we continue the Dutch lessons from Nigeria?”

The family was planning to move to the Netherlands in approximately two years. Sarah and Noah would then need to enter a Dutch primary school.

Their parents wanted to make that transition as smooth as possible.

Today, online lessons sound completely normal.

Thirteen years ago, they really weren’t.

Very few people were teaching Dutch to children online, especially children living abroad.

So my first thought was simply:

Okay. Where do we start?

Preparing for a Dutch primary school

I started by looking at what children of the same age were learning in the Netherlands.

The youngest was roughly at Group 4 level within the Dutch primary school system, while the oldest was around Group 6.

That became our starting point.

We worked on Dutch language skills, spelling, reading, reading comprehension and grammar. But I didn’t simply open a Dutch schoolbook and expect them to keep up.

Instead, we built their Dutch step by step.

• What could they already do?
• What were they still missing?
• What would they need once they started school in the Netherlands?
• And how could we make sure they continued to enjoy learning Dutch along the way?

Because there was something else we needed to work on.

Sarah and Noah understood quite a lot of Dutch, but speaking it themselves wasn’t easy.

English was the main language at their international school. They heard Dutch from their father at home, but Dutch wasn’t the language they used throughout their day.

So our lessons weren’t just about reading and spelling.

We also spent a lot of time speaking Dutch.

Talking about school. Telling stories. Making jokes. Answering questions. Learning new words. Making sentences. And, most importantly, discovering that making mistakes in Dutch was absolutely fine.

That is still exactly what we do with many of our students today.

My child understands Dutch but always answers in English

Does this sound familiar?

You speak Dutch to your child and they understand almost everything you say.

• “Can you get your shoes?”
• “What did you do at school today?”
• “Shall we call grandma later?”

No problem at all.

But when your child answers…

English.

We see this all the time with multilingual children.

When a child in Nigeria attends an international school, speaks English with friends and hears English for most of the day, it is perfectly understandable that English becomes their strongest language.

Even when one of their parents is Dutch.

During our online Dutch lessons in Nigeria, we therefore help children turn Dutch into a language they actively use themselves.

We talk a lot, build vocabulary and combine speaking with reading, spelling, grammar and writing at a level that suits the individual child.

One step closer to the Netherlands

Sarah and Noah initially had one Dutch lesson per week.

As their move to the Netherlands came closer, we increased this to two lessons a week.

Not because we suddenly wanted to rush through lots of schoolbooks.

But because we could see that they needed that extra bit of support to make their transition into Dutch education as comfortable as possible.

Eventually, the big moment arrived.

The family moved to the Netherlands.

Sarah and Noah were accepted into a school in The Hague and were able to continue their education there.

Their father was incredibly happy.

The children had made enormous progress during those two years and, perhaps even more importantly, they had always enjoyed their Dutch lessons.

And then something happened that I could never have predicted.

Their father started telling other Dutch families in Nigeria about our lessons.

From two children in Nigeria to students all over the world

Through the Shell community in Nigeria, more families found me.

And then another family joined.

And another.

There were children living abroad who needed to maintain their Dutch. Children preparing for a move to the Netherlands. Children who understood Dutch but hardly ever spoke it themselves.

And slowly, Dutch for Kids began to grow.

A website was created.

That meant families could suddenly find us through Google as well.

Alongside children I met through the sports camps and families who came through word of mouth, enquiries started arriving from Dutch and Belgian families in other parts of the world.

And today, what started with two children in Nigeria has grown into Dutch for Kids as it is now: a team of Dutch teachers helping hundreds of children around the world develop their Dutch.

That is why Nigeria will always have a special place in my heart.

This is where it all began.

Online Dutch lessons in Nigeria: who are they for?

Thirteen years have passed and a lot has changed.

But interestingly, the questions parents ask us today are often very similar to the question Sarah and Noah’s parents asked all those years ago.

How can we make sure our child continues to speak Dutch?

How can our child keep up with Dutch academic language?

What if my child understands everything but always answers in English?

And how can we prepare our child if we might move to the Netherlands in a few years?

Those are exactly the kinds of questions we can help you with.

For example, we teach children who:

• live in Nigeria and attend an international school;
• have a Dutch or Belgian parent;
• understand Dutch well but rarely speak it themselves;
• need to expand their Dutch vocabulary;
• want to learn to read and write in Dutch;
• want to follow the level of Dutch primary education;
• may move to the Netherlands or Belgium in the future;
• already live in the Netherlands but need some additional support;
• or want to keep the option of studying in the Netherlands open for the future.

Because all our lessons are one-to-one, your child doesn’t have to fit into a standard programme.

We adapt the Dutch lessons to your child.

Learning Dutch alongside an international school in Nigeria

Many Dutch and Belgian children living abroad attend an international school.

That can be a wonderful experience. Children grow up in an international environment, often become comfortable using several languages and have friends from all over the world.

At the same time, it usually means that Dutch only makes up a small part of their week.

And there is an important difference between:

being able to speak Dutch with mum, dad, grandma or grandpa

and

having the level of Dutch needed for school or university.

At a Dutch primary school, children need more than conversational Dutch.

They need to read and understand texts, apply spelling rules, write stories and reports, understand grammar and gradually develop more complex academic vocabulary.

That is why our lessons focus on the child’s overall Dutch language development.

Depending on their age and level, we can work on:

• speaking and vocabulary;
• technical reading;
• reading comprehension;
• spelling;
• grammar;
• writing;
• academic Dutch;
• and oral language skills.

Of course, we don’t need to work on everything at once.

We first look at where your child is now and then at where you would like them to go.

Moving from Nigeria to the Netherlands with children

Do you already know that your family will be moving to the Netherlands in one, two or perhaps three years?

Then it can be very helpful not to wait until a few months before the move to start working on Dutch.

A child attending an international school in Nigeria continues to learn and develop every day.

But most of that development takes place in another language.

During our Dutch lessons, we therefore try to keep developing your child’s Dutch alongside their age and education.

We look at the Dutch learning objectives and gradually work on the skills your child may need.

If your child is the same age as children in Group 5 in the Netherlands, for example, we can look at what Dutch children in Group 5 are learning and decide which parts are relevant and achievable for your child.

We don’t need to rigidly tick every box.

The aim is to build a strong foundation in Dutch so that, if your family does return to the Netherlands, your child is as well prepared as possible.

Just like we did all those years ago with Sarah and Noah.

What if we aren’t planning to move to the Netherlands?

That’s absolutely fine too.

Not every family that starts with Dutch for Kids has a moving date marked on the calendar.

Some families have lived abroad for years and simply don’t know whether they will ever return.

But they still want their children to speak Dutch well.

Perhaps because grandparents speak Dutch.

Because they want to talk to cousins during holidays in the Netherlands or Belgium.

Because Dutch is part of their family.

Or simply because they want to keep as many options open for their child as possible.

Your child may eventually choose to study in Nigeria, the UK, the United States or somewhere else entirely.

But perhaps one day they will decide to study in the Netherlands or Belgium.

How wonderful would it be if Dutch wasn’t a language they suddenly had to learn from scratch, but a language they had been developing for years?

How do our online Dutch lessons in Nigeria work?

Our lessons take place completely online.

Your child logs in from home via Google Meet and receives one-to-one tuition from their own regular Dutch teacher.

Our lessons include:

• a regular teacher;
• a regular weekly lesson time;
• personal one-to-one guidance;
• lessons based on Dutch learning objectives;
• our own colourful teaching materials;
• stories and themed lessons;
• reading, language, spelling and grammar;
• lots of speaking and interaction;
• and materials matched to your child’s age and level.

One-to-one lessons also mean we can adapt very easily.

Is your child already a strong speller but hesitant to speak Dutch?

Then we spend more time speaking.

Does your child love reading but find writing difficult?

We adjust the lessons accordingly.

Is your child progressing faster than expected?

Then we move forward.

Your child sets the pace, not the textbook.

From preschool to the end of secondary school

We teach children from preschool age all the way through to the final year of Dutch secondary school (6 vwo).

This means we can continue supporting a child for many years.

A young child may begin with stories, pictures, games, conversations and new Dutch words.

At primary-school age, we can add reading, spelling, grammar and reading comprehension.

And as children get older, we can gradually work towards Dutch at secondary-school level.

Some children stay with us for a year.

Others stay for many years.

We even have students who started Dutch lessons with us when they were very young and have now been learning with us for ten years.

That is incredibly special.

Because over time, we don’t just get to know the student.

We grow alongside the whole family.

Online Dutch lessons in Lagos, Abuja and across Nigeria

Because our Dutch lessons are completely online, it doesn’t matter where in Nigeria your family lives.

Whether you live in Lagos, Abuja or elsewhere in Nigeria, your child can simply log in from home and meet their Dutch teacher online.

Our teachers also live in different parts of the world, which gives us more flexibility when looking for a lesson time that works with your child’s school schedule and your family life.

All you need is a laptop or computer, a good internet connection and, of course, a child ready to learn some Dutch.

What does your child need?

Ultimately, that’s the most important question.

Not:

“Which Dutch school year should my child be in?”

But:

What can your child do now, and where would you like them to go?

• Perhaps your child already speaks Dutch quite well but struggles with spelling.
• Perhaps they understand almost everything but hardly ever speak Dutch themselves.
• Maybe you are planning to move to the Netherlands in two years.
• Or perhaps you’re perfectly happy living in Nigeria and simply want Dutch to remain an active language within your family.

All of those reasons are valid.

We start where your child is today.

And from there, we build.

With conversations, colourful pictures, stories, spelling rules, grammar, reading, writing and, most importantly, lots of personal attention.

Learning Dutch in Nigeria with Dutch for Kids

Sometimes I still find it incredible to think about how it all started.

Thirteen years ago, there were two children sitting behind a computer in Nigeria.

And on the other side of the screen, there was me, teaching them Dutch and essentially trying to answer one question:

How can we make sure these two children can make a comfortable transition into Dutch education?

None of us knew that those lessons would become the beginning of something much bigger.

That other families in Nigeria would follow.

That a website would be created.

That parents from more and more countries would start finding us.

And that eventually hundreds of children around the world would be learning Dutch with Dutch for Kids.

But perhaps the most important part hasn’t changed at all.

There is still a child on one side of the screen.

A Dutch teacher on the other.

And together we look at:

Where are you now? Where do you want to go? And how can we help you get there while enjoying the journey?

It started in Nigeria.

And I am still incredibly proud of that.

Free introduction to Dutch for Kids

Do you live in Nigeria and would you like to know which level of Dutch lessons would suit your child?

Book a free introduction with Dutch for Kids.

During the introduction, I’d love to hear more about your family.

Which languages does your child speak?

Do they attend an international school?

How much Dutch do you speak at home?

Are you planning to move to the Netherlands or Belgium in the future?

Or do you simply want to make sure your child’s Dutch continues to develop alongside their English?

After our conversation, we can find a teacher who suits your child and arrange a free trial lesson.

That way, you can experience our online Dutch lessons before deciding whether Dutch for Kids is right for your family.

And secretly, I still find it just a little extra special whenever a child from Nigeria logs into one of our online classrooms.

Because without those first two children in Nigeria…

Dutch for Kids might never have existed.