Calculated Risk for ESL Teachers

                 What is a  calculated risk? It's a noun defined as:  

1 : a hazard or chance of failure whose degree of probability has been reckoned or estimated before some undertaking is entered upon

2: an undertaking or the actual or possible product of an undertaking whose chance of failure has been previously estimated

              https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

For us teachers,a calculated risk is giving ourselves and our students a chance to try something different that is defined in the text book.

Find new activities to try. There is a lot of activities to search for on Pinterest, for example. I always find inspiration to create the resources. Instagram is also a great place to see what other teachers are doing, I am happy to find new ways to use the resources. In a personal level, I loved creating the booklet with my students. Now, I include a booklet in all the units, it's fun and creative. It's nice to have a personal collection of books to read over and over again in class or to send home. 

Innovate in your classroom. I know, sometimes it's hard to find innovation for our class. You might say, I have tried everything, but there's always more to give it a try. I love to bring in a new resource to the young learner's class. The feed me box are so cute and I am sure that your students will light up when they see it. It's easy to assemble and carry around with you. This one is made out of a cereal box.

Change practices. A little twist in our lesson planning works wonder with the little ones. I love to include crafts. Yes, it's messy but organization is key. Make the craft yourself and bring it in already done and you will notice the steps to make it easy to recreate with your students in an easy way. 

Try a new method. A new way to do things in class with your preschoolers,to move on to the next activity faster is important.Those extra 5 or 10 minutes are horrible if you don't have anything in hand. That's where games will help you. I have lots of printable  games for you to keep in a bag just for those extra minutes, students can play by themselves and speaking English. I have dominos, game boards, file folder games, Bingos, half card games, puzzles and more.

All my resources are here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Holistic-English-Resources-By-Rosa-Amelia

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Fruit and Vegetables Unit Game for English Language Learners

 I created a game inspired by a game on a book from this autor Shelley Vernon, named 176 English Language Games for Children. I found mine online years ago.

I have been adding a collection of units to my TPT store for Kindergarten Language Learners. This game is based on the 10^th  unit for the Fruit and Vegetable Unit.

LINK to the game resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fruit-and-Vegetables-Unit-Game-for-English-Language-Learners-6407555

This is how it goes: Print one set of cards with the words and flashcards per group.                                       

 Make a list of posible sentences or phrases and write them down on a paper.

Divide your students into groups and give them a set of cards.

Call out the phrase : white onion.
 Students in each group will go through the cards and put the phrase together and show it to the teacher or to any assigned student who will be the teacher’s helper.

Use simple phrases with colors and numbers for the early beginners. Why not, size!

          

It is a good practice to go for more complicated phrases with your older students.

The cards will make into a variety of sentences.

Students can write down the sentences or phrases they made on their notebooks.

This game will be fun in a face to face classroom. For online teaching, sending the students the cards would be good and I guess that more games will come to your mind, but please write them down on the comments section to benefit other teachers.

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Day 7 of the 31 days of Halloween 2020 New Resources for ESL or EFL Students

 LINK to the Halloween resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/31-days-of-Halloween-for-Kindergarten-and-Elementary-ESL-6087756

                                       

Day 7.  Tracing cards and feed me box!!  

The tracing cards are meant to be used with students that starting to write in their mother tongue and are ready to try to do it in English. There is a colored versión that can be used with a clear plastic sheet or laminated. With a dry erase marker all the words can be traced.

 

There is the black and white versión in which students can color the pictures and trace the words. Then cut into cards.

I made a feed me box, it has been a great activity for the little ones. I used a cereal box.

Students will feed the Jack-O-Lantern with the cards that has the ítem that you name or call.
Teacher: Feed the Jack-O-Lantern the pail.

The magnetic letters can be pulled out again for writing using the cards.

Make puzzles!

I am sure you can think of more games and activities, leave me your idea below. A printable book for the Halloween Unit!

https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2020/10/day-8-of-31-days-of-halloween-2020-new.html

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Day 3 of the 31 days of Halloween 2020 New Resources for ESL or EFL Students

 LINK to the Halloween resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/31-days-of-Halloween-for-Kindergarten-and-Elementary-ESL-6087756

Day 3. Halloween small cards!! 

Just 24 cards with the main vocabulary words used in Halloween. The cards are small enough for online teaching or small groups approach.

The cards can be used to teach or review the vocabulary. Video:

And now, the games! The most obvious, Memory Game. Just print double and you have Memory! A video:

I came across a game that I used to play with my students years ago. It’s called SNAP! You might have played,too. Print 2 sets of cards. Students mainly pay in groups of 4. Distribute all the cards, students place all the 6  cards face down on a pile in front of them. The first students turns over their top card of their pile and say the Word.  The next student turns over the top card say the Word again. And so on. When two cards are the same, the first player to say SNAP! And slap the two cards wins the two cards. The winner is the one with the most sets of cards. Take a look.

Using a recycled old CD case as a board. Students write the Word that is on each card.

Vocabulary can be written using magnetic letters.  

Sorting can happen using plastic plates. I wrote the words person and thing and had the students sort the cards.

A Grid can de done on a small board for online teaching or just for small groups. I placed a magnet behind each card. Make the grid as big as you want. I created an example here. You say a number letter combination and students will say what is there. Or you say the Word and the say the number-letter combination of its location.

Look at it.

Play Spelling Bingo. Students complete their spelling grid with the words from the cards. You call out the bingo using the cards.

I am sure you can think of more games and activities, leave me your idea below. Make sure to review the numbers!   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2020/10/day-4-of-31-days-of-halloween-2020-new.html

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Simple Present Tense and the Days of the Week

Find the Simple present tense and days of the week resource here:    https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Simple-Present-Tense-and-the-Days-of-the-Week-5573405 and save time by just printing and you are ready to go. This blog post provides suggestions to create effective learning of the unit.

Review the days of the week using the cards. They come in different size.

Use the Simple present tense flashcards to introduce and practice  Grammar .

Place the days of the week on the board. Introduce each verb flashcard and place it under a day of the week and say a sentence.                                   Teacher: Tom cooks on Monday.  Or  Teacher: Tom cooks on Mondays.

I want to state that checking on several book series there are both ways, use the one that suits your curriculum.

Write or circle the letter S of the verb. Write in a different color the word ON.  Have the students try to say a sentence for each day of the week.

VIDEO:

Introduce more grammar points using the cards.

I made a letter S on a stick. I cut the biggest “S” I found in an old magazine a glued it onto a craft stick. Use it to introduce or to remind students to use the 3^rd person singular S.

I am making the cards a little smaller for you to use for distance learning and on a small board. 

I glued a craft stick behind each one.

Here a video on how to use them to teach online.

Simple present and the days of the week Worksheets!

They will become handy for fast finishers.

  

 

A printable book for Simple present and the days of the week  

There is a small text on each page and there are  pictures and days of the week to glue on the correct page. Take a look at the video. 

Simple present tense Puzzle. Many students don’t even know how to relate with puzzle. This is an opportunity to create some puzzles. I added a blank puzzle for students to create their own puzzles to exchange with other students.

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