How I Use Thematic Units to Teach Elementary ESL Students

 Teaching English Language Learners in elementary school can  feel overwhelming to plan meaningful, language-rich lessons every week. That’s exactly why I use thematic units in my classroom with all you need to write your lesson plan.

 You can explore the 10 thematic units here:   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elementary-ESL-Teaching-Units-EXPLORE-Bundle-10-Thematic-Units-14383276

My Elementary ESL Teaching Units- EXPLORE- Bundle, which includes 10 ready-to-use with minimal prep thematic units are designed specifically for elementary-age ELLs (typically grades 2–5).  These units are: transportation, town,farm, beach, routine verbs, weather, seasons, time,community helpers, adjectives.

This Bundle Supports Mixed Ability Levels. In one class, you might have newcomers alongside students who are ready for richer tasks. Thematic units allow you to differentiate easily—with visual supports, simple worksheets, and extension activities all in one place.

 Each unit includes:

Flashcards vocabulary cards for visuals and frequent review to introduce vocabulary. They are included in every unit to give students clear visual support, and make language practice interactive, hands-on, and easy to reuse throughout the lesson.

Transportation unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2024/12/transportation-flashcards-for.html

Small cards are included in each unit for hands-on practice, games, sorting, and sentence-building activities that encourage active student participation.

 town unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/03/town-small-cards-for-elementary-esl.html

Cutouts are included to promote hands-on learning through matching, sorting, and interactive language activities. Adjectives blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/06/adjectives-craft-stick-puppets-sorting.html

Worksheets help students reinforce vocabulary and language structures through guided, independent practice and review. Farm Unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/04/hands-on-farm-vocabulary-activities.html

Engaging games for production in group or partner interaction.They are important in this resource because they keep students motivated while providing meaningful, repeated practice of language skills in a low-stress, engaging way.

Beach Unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/05/beach-unit-games.html

Spelling activities are important because they help students connect sounds to letters, reinforce vocabulary, and build confidence in reading and writing English words.

Seasons Unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2020/03/seasons-and-nature.html

Printable books to support thematic literacy. They give students a meaningful way to practice reading, vocabulary, and sentence structure while creating a take-home product they feel proud of. 

Transportation Unit Blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/02/transportation-layered-book-for.html

Holidays: Christmas.  The bundle includes themed units for popular holidays, helping students practice language through familiar, engaging celebrations and seasonal vocabulary.

Weather Unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/12/christmas-snowglobes-numbers-120.html

Use the unit materials in centers where students can practice vocabulary through:

Matching games.  Telling the time blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2019/04/telling-time-for-esl-learners.html

Memory cards. Community helpers Unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/07/community-helpers-jobs-and-occupations.html

Sentence Association. Routine Verbs unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/07/routine-verbs-small-cards-for-eslefl.html

Students rotate through activities.

There are add ons:

Activities focusing on numbers 1–20 help students develop counting skills, number recognition, and number vocabulary through visual, hands-on, and engaging practice that supports early math and language development. Farm Unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/10/counting-120-cows-numbers-activities.html

Prepositions of location is also found in several units. It will help students understand how objects relate to each other in space (in, on, under, next to, etc.) through visual and hands-on practice. This is especially important for ELLs, as prepositions are challenging to learn and are best taught in context, supporting clearer sentence building, better comprehension, and more confident oral language use.

Beach Unit blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/09/beach-prepositions-activities-with.html

Finally, Teaching tips to make planning easier and more effective. The 3ps lesson plans are ready to follow.

Follow me on Instagram for creative activities, classroom tips, and exclusive sneak peeks of my teaching resources! There Hands-on games and activities for young learners, freebies and more:   https://www.instagram.com/rosamelia_eslteacher/

Christmas Snowglobes Numbers 1–20 Activity Pack

 This resource is included in the complete resource, ready to download:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Weather-Flashcards-for-Elementary-ESL-EFL-3664474

This resource provides hands-on activities that support number recognition, reading number words, and sequencing. For teachers, it offers ready-to-use, low-prep materials that can be used across centers, small groups, and whole-class lessons. For students, the visual themes and interactive tasks, reinforce essential math concepts in a meaningful way.

Flashcard Activities & Games: Use these for repeated, hands-on exposure in a playful and non-threatening way.

 Snowglobe Hunt & Count (Movement Game). Hide the snowglobe flashcards around the room. Students walk with mini number collectors (printable sheet with a blank snowglobe). When they find a card, they: Say the number out loud and then, write the number in the snowglobe printable. Give the students a Time challenge — find numbers 1–20 in 2 minutes.

Students will place the flashcards in number order on the board.

The small cards are a flexible and essential tool for any lesson plan focused on numbers 1–20. They’re easy to reuse for centers, fast finishers, and teacher-led reviews—making them a practical and versatile resource.

 Snowglobe Number Build & Write Activity.  For this winter math center, students choose a Snowglobe Number card, use foam letters to build the number word, and then write it on their recording sheet. It’s perfect for literacy + math integration.

 Snowglobe Number SequencingThe teacher calls out a short number sequence (like 15, 16, 17, 18), and students search for the matching snowglobe cards, then work together to place them in the correct order on the table. It’s perfect for visual learners.

Cut the number word out of the card and have students play match.

 The worksheets in this resource provide structured, purposeful practice that reinforces the skills introduced during hands-on activities.

Follow the Code on the Snowglobe Number worksheet.  These help students build number recognition 1 to 20 and color word skills. Students follow the color code to color the snowballs correctly. It’s a great independent activity.

Listen and Color the Snowglobe Number worksheet. This interactive winter worksheet combines number recognition with listening skills! As the teacher calls out colors for each number (e.g., “Color number 12 yellow”), students find and color each number inside the snowglobe accordingly. It’s perfect for whole group instruction.

Match the Number Words Worksheet.  Learners draw lines to match each snowglobe’s numeral to the correct written word, strengthening both literacy and math skills in a holiday-themed format.

Write the Number Word Worksheet. This handwriting practice worksheet invites students to write number words for numerals 10 through 20.

Complete the Number Sequence Worksheet. Learners reinforce numbers 1 to 20 sequencing.

 These games and activities are flexible for centers, small groups, or whole-class use, and they support multiple learning styles—visual, kinesthetic, auditory.

Christmas Numbers Board Game. This game is a fun way for students to practice number recognition. With playful twists like “Miss a Turn” and “Go Back One Space,” learners stay engaged while reinforcing early math skills.

In the matching mats activity, students reinforce number and word association by placing number cards and snow globe illustrations on a matching mat.

Glue the colored template onto a toilet paper roll to make it stand.  Give the students the words in snowballs to match in a hands-on way to reinforce word reading.

Join Us at Holistic English Resources by Rosa Amelia! 🌟Explore resources for kindergarten to elementary learners and bring excitement to your classroom today!

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I use Creative Fabrica for the covers. Here is my affliate link: 

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/christmas-gingerbread-digital-paper-3/ref/2670802/?sharedfrom=pdp

Elf Christmas Gifts Math & Literacy Activities | Numbers, Colors, Vocabulary Games & Worksheets

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

Bring Christmas joy into your classroom with this fun Elf & Gift themed activity pack! This resource includes flashcards, board games, matching mats, worksheets, color activities, number games (1–20), writing prompts, sentence building, reading and coloring pages, and hands-on printable centers. Perfect for kindergarten and elementary ELL/ESL learners to practice vocabulary, numbers, colors, and simple sentences through play-based learning. Easy to prep — just print, cut, and teach!

Repeat After Me Echo Game.
Teacher shows a flashcard → students repeat like whispering elves.

Teacher: He’s an ELF! He has a gift.

Teacher: What color is the gift?

Students: It’s blue and red.

Slap the small Card
I spread the small cards on the carpet and called out a word. The students listened carefully and quickly slapped or touched the matching card. It’s a perfect way to review Christmas words and build listening skills.

Elf Delivery Relay-feed me box
I spread the elf cards on the floor and gave the students a challenge — choose a card, say the vocabulary word out loud, and “deliver” it to the Feed-Me Gift Box. The repetition helped reinforce new vocabulary naturally through play.

Elf Sentences – Simple Writing Practice for Young Learners

In this activity, students used the elf flashcards to build and write simple sentences using the frame “The elf has a ___.” Each child chose a card, identified the gift the elf was holding, and completed the sentence on their paper.

📝 Printables worksheets.

Read & Color – Christmas Elf Gifts Worksheet

It is perfect for practicing reading comprehension and color vocabulary in a fun Christmas theme. Students read each sentence, identify the colors, and then color the elf’s gift to match.

Christmas Gift Color Worksheet

Students color each gift according to the label, reinforcing word recognition. It’s a quick printable that works beautifully for centers, morning work, or a warm-up lesson during the holiday season!

What's Inside the Gift? Creative Writing & Coloring Activity

Inside the big Christmas present, students will draw gifts. Children then complete short sentences such as “The gift has a bike.” or “The gift has a game and a shirt.”

Number Word Gift Coloring Game – Turn, Read & Color!

Review number words 1 to 10 during Christmas lessons! Students turn over a gift card from the deck, read the number word, and then color the matching present on the sleigh. Each turn keeps students excited, because they never know which number they’ll get next!

It’s perfect for practicing number word recognition (one–ten), counting, and fine motor skills — plus it works beautifully as a center game, small-group rotation, or partner activity.

Number & Gift Match Game

In this Christmas math matching game, students turn over a card and find the gift pile with the same number. They can match number form, number word, or gift pictures depending on the card they draw. It’s a fun and hands-on way to practice numbers 1–20 while building memory, recognition, and counting skills. Perfect for centers, partner play, early finishers, or small groups during the holiday season!

Color Matching Christmas Gifts Game

For this activity, students match each color word card to the present with the same color bow and wrapping. They take turns choosing a card, reading the color, and placing it on the correct gift.

Christmas Numbers Board Game – Fun Math Practice for Young Learners

This festive board game is a wonderful way to practice number recognition, counting, and speaking skills. Children roll a die, move along the colorful path, and read each number they land on aloud. As they play, they record the numbers they land on using the matching worksheet. This adds a meaningful writing component.

The game works perfectly for pairs or small groups.

Birthday Unit and Face vocabulary ESL resource — printable flashcards, speaking & writing activities to teach face parts and birthday words for elementary learners is part of the complete pack. Go to the blog post: https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/11/birthday-monsters-activity-pack-esl.html

Birthday Unit for Kindergarten and Elementary ESL BUNDLE is available, just here:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Birthday-Unit-for-Kindergarten-and-Elementary-ESL-BUNDLE-5652069

I used Creative Fabrica for the alphabet. Here is my affliate link:   https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/christmas-alphabet-doodle-red-green-dot/ref/2670802/?sharedfrom=pdp

Follow me on Instagram for creative activities, freebies, classroom tips, and exclusive sneak peeks of my teaching resources! Find hands-on games and activities for young learners, here: https://www.instagram.com/rosamelia_eslteacher/