Birthday Unit Flashcards for Elementary ELLs

 This resource is included in The Birthday Unit: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Birthday-Unit-for-Elementary-ESL-5279726

Help your Elementary English Language Learners (ELLs) build essential vocabulary around birthdays with fun, engaging flashcards and language activities! This post includes practical ways to use the flashcards with your class — perfect for beginner and early intermediate learners. 

Introduce Vocabulary

Print the key party vocabulary flashcards to help your students associate the vocabulary with visual images, making it easier for them to remember new vocabulary.

Have the students identify thebirthday  party objects using the birthday flashcards: hat, balloon, cake, presents, card, candle.

Ask students: What can you see?
Students: I see a present.

Practice Colors & Details

Reviewing colors helps reinforce the birthday party vocabulary. Place two flashcards and ask: What color is this balloon?

Students: It’s orange!

Focus on colors to encourage the students to observe the birthday party  flashcards and describe objects in greater detail: What color are the candles?
Students: blue, purple, green!

Use Singular & Plural Forms

Show a single flashcard with one present and say, “This is a present. It is yellow.” Then, show a flashcard with several presents and say, “They are presents. They are green and blue.”

Sorting the birthday objects.

Create two columns on the board labeled “It is” and “They are”. Show a flashcard and ask students to decide if it goes under “It is” or “They are.” Place the card in the correct column and have students say the corresponding sentence: It’s a card.

These flashcards become even more powerful when you use them to practice basic grammar: There is / There are

Reinforce that "there is" is used with singular nouns (one object), while "there are" is used with plural nouns (more than one object).

Teacher: "There is one cake". "There are five balloons."

Add Numbers 

Incorporate the numbers 1 to 10 using the flashcards. Birthdays often involve talking about age, and students need to be comfortable with numbers to express how old they are or how old someone else is.

Birthdays often involve counting items like candles on a cake, balloons, or gifts. Have the students accurately count and talk about these items using the flashcards.

Teachers: How cupcakes are there?

Students: One, two, three, for, five! Five cupcakes.

Ask and answer about age, using question words: How.

Start by teaching the basic question structure: “How old are you?

Show a birthday flashcard with a picture of a boy or girl with a number corresponding to the age and ask students: How old is he?

Students: He’s eight!

Possessive ’s-Grammar Point

Introduce new structures: Today is Anna’s Birthday. She’s nine years old.

Have the students say more sentences using the rest of the flashcards.

To express likes and dislikes ( talking about preferences).
Teacher: I like cake! I don’t like balloons!
Make an emphasis on the final s.
Ask your students about their preferences and place that flashcard on the board and you can even graph the party objects.

Simple present tense actions

People do different actions in a party. Use any tense that you want.

Teacher: What is he doing?
Students: He is opening a present.

Teach the phrase “Whose birthday is it?” by modeling it several times. Place several flashcards on the board and ask, "Whose birthday is it?"

Students: "It's Ann's birthday."

Explain the ‘s to indicate possession. Make stick puppets ‘s to make it easier for the students to grasp the rule.

Talk about the location of objects. Prepositions.
Use the flashcards to demonstrate prepositions like "in front of," "behind," "next to," "on," and "under":
Prepare the cutouts to place the candle flashcard in different positions relative to the cupcake flashcard. Show each position flashcard and then the students will repeat the location using the cutouts.
Teacher: "The candle is on the cupcake."
Invite students to prepare their own cutouts using the template provided and move the cutouts themselves, using the correct prepositions in sentences.

Using familiar themes like birthdays helps students connect language learning with their world. With these flashcards, you’ll boost vocabulary, build confidence, and create joyful classroom moments! 

This Birthday Numbers 1–20 pack combines number flashcards with birthday-themed activities, making learning numbers memorable and relevant. Perfect for elementary or beginner ELL classes.

Use it to practice counting, reading, speaking, and even class community building — while helping students remember each other’s birthdays! All in the same resource. Go to this blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/05/birthday-numbers-1-to-20-for-elementary.html 

Visit my store today to find resources that are ready to use and perfect for supporting your elementary ELLs. Your feedback is always appreciated as I continue to develop materials that meet the needs of both teachers and students.

Here’s the link to my store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/holistic-english-resources-by-rosa-amelia