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 . . .

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.