Russian for Ages 3–6

Russian for Ages 3–6

A fun, fast-acting Russian language programme for the youngest learners, aged 3 to 6. Children learn through play, songs and poems. Each level is tailored to the child's stage of mental and emotional development.

From lesson one, teachers communicate with children exclusively in Russian, encouraging them to participate in all class activities. Using this immersive approach, children begin to understand and use Russian to express feelings, thoughts and interact with others.

• Designed specifically for ages 3–6
• Songs, rhymes, stories and games
• Covers emotional, intellectual and social development
• Small class sizes for individual attention

Who this programme is for

The programme is for children aged 3 to 6 — a first encounter with Russian through play, songs and poems. There is no academic pressure: at this age a language is absorbed through listening and repetition, not through rules.

• Children heading for a Russian-medium school or nursery — ear and pronunciation are formed before school starts.
• Families who do not speak Russian at home — the child starts from zero, in a group.
• Partly Russian-speaking families — the child understands but will not answer; in a group the speech opens up.
• Children growing up in Baku's Russian-speaking environment — what they cover in class they can use in the courtyard or the shop the same day.

Once your child turns 6 we move them to the Children and Teens programme. All our Russian programmes: Russian language courses in Baku.

Age steps: from 3 to 6

Every level is tailored to the child's stage of mental and emotional development — a three-year-old and a six-year-old do not work on the same task.

• Ages 3–4 — listening, imitation and first words: songs, movement games, short repeated phrases.
• Ages 5–6 — simple sentences and dialogue: answering a question, describing a picture, following a short story.

Cyrillic and reading are not the job of this stage — they begin in the programme that follows age 6. How Russian levels are structured: how to learn Russian — the guide. Why starting early matters: why start a foreign language before age 6.

What a lesson looks like

From lesson one the teacher speaks to the children only in Russian — the Inlingua method does not use translation. This is the order in which a child acquires language: hear it, repeat it, then use it.

• Songs, rhymes, stories and games are the main format of the lesson.
• Activities come in short blocks that follow one another at the pace of a child's attention span.
• Classes are small — every child gets individual attention and nobody can sit it out.
• Meaning is carried by gesture, pictures and movement; translation is not used.
• The programme covers emotional, intellectual and social development alongside the language.

The materials you work with

Textbooks are designed in Bern and published in Switzerland by the Inlingua Bern publishing house exclusively for schools in the association; there is a separate series for the pre-school years.

• illustrated books and worksheets matched to age;
• audio with songs and rhymes — to play in the background at home;
• game cards and materials for movement activities;
• access to the online learning platform.

More on this: Teaching materials. Free PDFs for parents — a Cyrillic pronunciation guide and the 100 most frequent words: the Russian language guide.

Format, schedule and price

At this age lessons run at the centre in small groups — working alongside other children is part of the method. Mini-group and one-to-one are also possible, and the timetable is built around nursery hours.

Before you enrol there is a free introductory conversation: we take the child's age and temperament into account and suggest the right group and time. No obligation. The price depends on age group, format and intensity — message us on WhatsApp and we will send the full price list.

FAQ

We do not speak Russian at home — will my child understand?

Yes, the programme is built for starting from zero. The teacher carries meaning with gesture, pictures, movement and repetition — which is exactly how the child learned their first language.

Is age 3 too early?

The programme is designed for this age and carries no academic load: songs, games, rhymes and stories. There is no homework and no grading.

How many children are in a group?

Groups are small — that is a deliberate condition, so every child gets individual attention. We give the exact size and the age split at the introductory conversation.

Will my child learn Cyrillic and reading?

Not at this stage: between 3 and 6 the work is on listening and speaking. The alphabet, reading and writing start systematically in the Children and Teens programme, after age 6.

My child has turned 6 — which programme now?

From 6 the Children and Teens programme takes over: a group for ages 6–10 and a group for ages 11–17. For a pupil in a Russian-medium school there is also the Russian Homework Help programme.

How much does the programme cost?

The price depends on age group, format (group or one-to-one) and intensity. Message us on WhatsApp and we will send the full price list straight away. The introductory conversation is free.

Next step: send your child's age on WhatsApp and we will suggest a group and a timetable. Contact page.