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/

Beach Numbers 1–20 Activity Pack | Counting, Number Words, Games & Centers

This resource (Beach Numbers 1–20 Activity Pack — Printable ESL Counting Games & Number Cards) is included in Beach Unit for Elementary at this link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Beach-Unit-for-Elementary-ESL-4075972

Young learners need repeated, hands-on practice to understand numbers beyond 10. Counting shells on a sandcastle gives students concrete, visual support as they learn to recognize quantities, compare numbers, and count accurately. This boosts students’ language comprehension while practicing math. All materials are ready to print — just cut & go!  

Flashcards are flexible and allow teachers to create many short, meaningful tasks without needing to prep more materials.

Number Recognition Drill. Match the Beach Numeral to the Sandcastle. Students work individually or in pairs to match the number flashcard to the sandcastle quantity card.

 

Ordering Activity. Use one set of printable number cards for ESL kids at a time: Students place numeral cards in order from 1–20.

Flashcard number beach theme Bingo. Give students bingo sheets with numerals or quantities. Flash the opposite card (sandcastle or number) as the calling card.

Fly Swatter Number Game. Place several of the sandcastle quantity flashcards and numeral cards on the board. Call out a number or show a flashcard, and students race to swat the matching card with a fly swatter. This game helps learners strengthen number recognition.

Flashlight Reveal. Cover each small flashcard with yellow paper. Students take turns shining a flashlight behind the covered card to reveal the hidden sandcastle or numeral. When they see the image appear, they say the number out loud. This adds a fun element of surprise that keeps students engaged!

Listen and Color – Beach Numbers Worksheets. Students listen to the teacher call out a shell number and its color, then find the matching shell in the sandcastle and color it correctly. The second page reinforces learning as students independently complete the color sentences for numbers 1–20.

Follow the Code – Write the Numeral. Students follow a simple color code to identify how many shells are in each sandcastle. After coloring the shells according to the instructions, students write the correct numeral beside each castle.

Match the Number Words. Students look at the number words in the center of the page and match each one to the correct numeral around the sandcastle border. They draw a line from each word to its corresponding number.

Numeral–Word–Quantity Matching Cards. Students use three types of cards: the numeral, the number word, and the sandcastle with the matching quantity of shells. They cut out the cards and work at the table to match the three pieces that belong together.

Students can work individually, with a partner, or in small groups to complete each matching set. Great for centers, early finishers, and hands-on number practice!

Spin and Cover worksheet. Students use the spinners to generate a random number, then look for the matching sandcastle on their worksheet. They cover the correct sandcastle with a counter, token, or small manipulative or color. Players continue spinning and covering until all the sandcastles are matched.

Beach Number Board Game.  Students roll the dice, move their game piece along the colorful path, and identify each number they land on. Perfect for math centers, small-group rotations, or partner games.

Number Word Building. Students use the letter tiles to complete number words. They look at each card, identify the missing beginning letter, and place the correct tile to spell the number correctly. This activity helps learners number vocabulary in a hands-on way!

Shell Number Match. Students choose a numbered shell and place it on top of the matching number word in the sandcastle. They continue selecting shells until the entire castle is covered. This hands-on activity helps learners connect numerals with number words.

Check the blog post of  the low-prep small cards for your “Beach” unit — perfect for games, grammar drills, writing prompts, or fast finishers, all in the full beach resource.  These Beach Unit Small Cards make it easy to bring beach vocabulary to life in elementary ELL classes — and save you time prepping. Go here:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/04/beach-unit-small-cards.html

Visit my blog for preschool teachers here: EFL Preschool Teachers Blog. You'll find practical activities, tips, and resources designed to make learning fun and effective for little ones!

Beach Prepositions Activities with Sandcastle and Crab | ESL ELL

 This resource (Beach Prepositions Activities with Sandcastle & Crab — Printable ESL Beach Unit Pack)  is included in Beach Unit for Elementary at this link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Beach-Unit-for-Elementary-ESL-4075972

This resource gives students a fun and meaningful way to practice prepositions in context to include in your lesson plan. Using a playful sandcastle and a red crab helps young learners visualize spatial relationships. The activities support comprehension, speaking, and sentence-building skills. Help elementary ESL/ELL learners practise spatial prepositions with fun beach-themed worksheets, flashcards, and games — sandcastle & crab included!

Teaching spatial relationships (in/on/under/next to / behind / in front of) can be challenging for young ESL learners — but using the flashcards can be helpful.

Copy Cat Writing and Drawing  Flashcard Activity. Use thin paper to place it over the top of the flash card and copy with markers and crayons. They can also copy out the prepositions.

Show your class any preposition flashcard and ask questions: Where is the crab?

Ask questions to your students, but fold the preposition word on the flash card, like I show here: 

Listen & Draw the Crab Worksheet. Students practice understanding prepositions in context. Then, show the flashcard for them to check.

Write a Sentence. Students draw a picture small card and a preposition card, then say or write a sentence (e.g., The crab is under the sandcastle.).

Roll and color the Prepositions Worksheet. A student rolls the preposition die. Depending on the preposition it lands on (e.g., on, under, next to, in front of, behind, in), they find the matching picture on the worksheet. As a speaking practice: After rolling, students say the sentence aloud (The crab is under the sandcastle.) before coloring.

Fill-in-the-blank worksheet with prepositions. Provide a word bank with prepositions (in, on, under, behind, next to, in front of) using the small cards or flashcrads from the resource.

Color-by-instruction printable worksheets for prepositions beach — very effective for ELLs because it combines reading comprehension, vocabulary, and coloring fun.

A Q&A worksheet helps students practice both forming and answering questions with prepositions. Then do a Pair Work Role-Play, where One student asks: “Where is the red crab?”The partner answers: “It is under the sandcastle.”

Read the sentence on the worksheet and draw + color the crab in the correct place on the sandcastle. It encourages careful reading and understanding of simple preposition sentences.

Sandcastle + Crab Cutouts. Teacher says: “Put the crab under the sandcastle.” Students move the crab cutout to the correct position. It builds listening comprehension and preposition vocabulary.

I also added a printable sentence puzzle set to the resource! Each puzzle piece has part of a sentence with the sandcastle and crab images. Students put the pieces together to form complete sentences, such as “The red crab is next to the sandcastle.” This activity helps learners practice reading, sentence structure, and preposition vocabulary in a hands-on way.

Students move along the path on the beach preposition board game, read the spaces, and practice prepositions in a playful way. It’s a great way to bring all the activities together and give students extra practice in a fun, cooperative format.

 

Check the ready-to-use Beach Unit Flashcards provide colourful, engaging visuals that help kids remember words — while giving you flexible materials for games, matching, speaking, writing and class activities. Perfect for beginners or young learners, these cards help with vocabulary recognition, production, spelling, and interactive use. All included in the full Beach Unit resource. Check the blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/04/beach-unit-flashcards.html

Check out my Pinterest board for printable materials and creative activities!

From flashcards to worksheets, you'll find tons of useful resources to make your lessons fun and interactive.
Visit the board here: https://www.pinterest.com/ei98srl/esl-beach-theme/