ESL/ELL Lesson Resource: African Animal Unit

Do you use The Oxford Picture Dictionary for Kids with your ESL/ELL students?

I recently found a great companion book to go with the "I'm in Africa" African animals unit. It is the picture book What the Animals Were Waiting For by Jonathan London.

The illustrations are beautiful, and this picture book is the perfect complement to an African animal unit.

To give a little more insight into the value of these resources, here is a target vocabulary comparison:

 

 

The Oxford Picture Dictionary for Kids

African animals vocabulary:

gazelle

hippopotamus

zebra

giraffe

gorilla

chimpanzee

baboon

flamingo

leopard

jaws

spots

stripes

What the Animals Were Waiting For

African animals vocabulary:

cows

goats

gazelles

zebras

elephants

hippos

crocodiles

wildebeest

giraffes

lion

zebras

I hope you find this book helpful too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Book: Perfect for an ESL Clothing Lesson!

I recently stumbled across this book at our local library. What a find for an ESL teacher! I was just starting a clothing unit with my newcomers, and this book was the perfect addition.

 

This picture book (Get Dressed! by Seymour Chwast) shows clearly labeled vocabulary words such as belt, long-sleeved shirt, socks, umbrella and sunglasses. However, it is not your ordinary clothing book. The whimsical illustrations highlight the imaginations of the children depicted in the books--and I must say that the pictures delighted my newcomers! The kids in the book get dressed for different activities (to read about dragons, to hide, to keep warm, etc.); the author shows ordinary wardrobe items in addition to a few unique items.

 

All in all, this book is a great one for your young ELL learners!

Descriptive Words/Synonyms Activity!

"French fries" have made their way around the world, and many kids love them.  That also means that they will love this activity that I found today on Pinterest!

Source: Uploaded by user via Laurie on Pinterest

Help your ELL kids expand their vocabulary with these "french fry words!"

Pin of the Day: Angry Verbs Grammar Lesson!

I just love this idea, a take on the popular game "Angry Birds."

Source: pvroom121.blogspot.com.au via Laurie on Pinterest

For "Angry Verbs," every bird has a sentence, and kids need to identify the verb in each sentence.  What a great way to make grammar fun!

Pin of the Day: Springtime Compound Word Activity!

I love hands-on vocabulary learning.  Here is a great one for kids!

Source: lessonplandiva.blogspot.com via Lahia on Pinterest



Teaching compound words will suddenly become fun!  Can't wait to try this one.

Teaching ELL Kids Household Vocabulary

From years of teaching ELL kids, I know that children that seem on the surface rather fluent in English, often have big vocabulary gaps.  It is sometimes most apparent if you start discussing items in the home.  Kids might be very familiar with terms used in the classroom or on the playground, but when it comes to the home that familiarity with English vocabulary vanishes. 
Because of this common challenge, I love lessons that teach household vocabulary.  I also have a favorite book for young kids to increase their vocabulary:

In Elmer Blunt's Open House, Elmer is late for work and leaves the door open.  A group of animals enter the home (as well as a robber), and cause all sorts of mischief.  The illustrations in this book are just charming, and they are perfect for eliciting language. 

If you are not familiar with this book, check it out!

Vocabulary Game: Perfect for ESL Kids!

I LOVE this idea! I am always looking for new and fun ways to teach and review vocabulary.  Here is a great one I saw on Pinterest today, designed especially for young kids.

Source: primaryteachers.org via Tara on Pinterest

It is a vocabulary pancake flip game!  I would adapt it for ESL kids by adding pictures to the "pancakes" (it would be great for beginners).

I might also use this method as part of a "pancake unit."  It would pair perfectly with a couple of my favorite kid books featuring pancakes:

Pancakes for Breakfast is a wordless book, great for language development and growth of retelling and conversational skills.

Another favorite:

Nate the Great is just plain fun (and the main character LOVES pancakes!).

All of this talk about pancakes is making me hungry . . .

Compound Words and English Language Learners

Compound words can be very difficult for ELLs.  If a student knows the word "lip" and the word "stick," but does not know the word "lipstick," he or she could become confused.

I love this idea I found on Pinterest today:

Source: lh4.ggpht.com via Leonardo on Pinterest

Visuals work great for ESL students--and this tool is perfect for teaching compound words!

Another Fun Idea for Teaching Vocabulary!

Pin of the day:

I love this idea for teaching vocabulary!  It is easily adaptable.

Source: secondinshawnee.blogspot.com via Laurie on Pinterest

The original pin suggests using this method to match antonyms, synonyms or  idioms, but I could see using it for new English speakers (word to simple picture).  I just love a great idea!

Pin of the Day: Fun Idea for Teaching Vocabulary!

I love new ideas for teaching vocabulary, especially lesson ideas that include active, hands-on learning.  With this method, kids will have so much fun they won't know that they are learning!

Source: mskerriandherkrazykindergarten.blogspot.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Whack-a-word vocabulary teaching--what a great idea!

Pin of the Day: Fun Worksheet for Teaching Body Parts!

I am always looking for ideas and worksheets for ESL KIDS!  There are lots of things that are for adult English language learners (ELLs), but when I find something just for children, I get pretty excited.  Here is a recent find I made on Pinterest:

Source: theteacherwife.blogspot.com via Laurie on Pinterest

This worksheet would be perfect for a newcomer body part unit!  Just had to share . . .

Pin of the Day: Teaching Contractions

I saw this idea on Pinterest recently. What a fun and easy way to teach contractions!

Source: theeducationcenter.com via Laurie on Pinterest

How do you like to teach contractions?

New feature: Elementary ESL "Pin of the Day"

Welcome to my new blog!  I am busily collecting and organizing some really great ESL material for kids(I'm afraid I've been spending more time on Pinterest than working on developing this blog!).  It suddenly occurred to me that there is an easy way to update this blog AND maintain my newly found Pinterest obsession --I can post a "pin of the day!"

So here is today's pin (click on the link to see it):

Source: google.com via Laurie on Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/pin/244179611016538996/

It is a super fun idea for teaching vocabulary.  I might tweak it a bit for new speakers or younger kids (use images/pictures instead of just words), but it is a fun idea.  Definitely one to add to my "bag of tricks!"

Hope you enjoy the idea too!

ESL Clothing Unit for ELL Students

Once a teacher, always a teacher.  That statement pretty much describes me!  Although I'm working as a stay at home mom (writing books and blogging about family fun nights), part of me will always be a teacher at heart.  I get my "teacher fix" by working with my own kids and volunteering at school, but part of me still thinks about teaching the ELL students I so enjoyed.  I taught hundreds of refugee kids, mostly beginners in English, and I know that the curriculum to meet their needs is insufficient.

So I have a new project.  I'm pulling together resources and writing curriculum so that I will be ready with everything I need when I return to the classroom.  I thought I would share some of those resources here on this new blog!
My current project is a "clothing unit."  For today, I'm sharing my favorite children's book for teaching clothing vocabulary to new English speakers:

I love the simple text, the repetition, and the clear illustrations of The Jacket I Wear in the Snow.  It is my clear favorite for ESL beginners! 

Do you have any favorite resources for a clothing unit?  Share it in the comment box below (or on my Elementary ESL Facebook page)!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laurie

Laura W Moulton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.