Tag: efl

Recycling Classroom Games for Quick Lesson Prep Time

When teaching young learners English, it is always a good idea to be prepared. Having an easy to follow lesson plan is really important in having a great class. I love to say to myself, “stick to the plan!” when in doubt of what to do next. With this in mind, having some fun and simple games you can use with a variety of topics is really important for a great class.

Example of a Favorite Game

One of our classroom favorite games is the Tower Game. For this game all that you need are some flashcards and paper cups. The children build up a tower with the cups and flashcards as they identify the object on the flashcard. You can read more about the Tower Game and how to play here. Or watch a video at the end of this post.

Recycling Games

One reason I love the Tower Game is because you can use it with any topic that you have flashcards for. Numbers, ABCs, animals, weather, really anything. You can also use question and answer phrases. For example, hold up a flashcard of a dog and say, “What do you see?” and the student has to answer in a full sentence, “I see a dog.” before they put the card on the cup to make the tower.

Having games like the Tower Game, or memory, or other fun games that you do not have to explain the rules every time you play is not only a time saver, but students will have immediate fun as they are comfortable with the rules of play after a few plays. Check out more fun Classroom Games at www.dreamenglish.com/kidsgames and Happy Teaching!

And here is a video I made many years ago demonstrating the Tower Game. Watch it for fun : )

 

Listening to Music Before Class with Young Learners of English

I teach children English (ESL, EFL), and I always play music on either the CD player or through YouTube before the class starts. Of course I always play songs with English singing. Sometimes I put on some nice folk or blues music, but most often I put on the songs we will be singing in class that day.

Top Five Reasons to Play Music Before Class Starts

  1. Playing music sets the mood for the class, and can make it a relaxed atmosphere.
  2. The students will hear the songs in English and remember that they are in an English class and they will be expected to speak in English.
  3. Reinforces the songs that the students are learning in class. Some students may even start singing along before class starts!
  4. When parents or teachers bring their children or students to the classroom, it lets them know that the teacher is prepared for an English lesson.
  5. Helps the teacher review the lyrics of the songs they will be singing in class. (Very important!)

Whatever songs you are singing in class, I recommend making a CD or a playlist to play at least 10 minutes before class starts.

Halloween is coming up soon and we are singing many Halloween songs in the class. So now I am starting out the class with the Dream English Kids Halloween Album you can now listen to for free on YouTube.

As you can tell, I love music! Add some more music to your class today to give it a boost!