Halloween Witch Actions – Present Continuous Grammar for ELLs

 This resource is found here:   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Present-Continuous-for-Elementary-ESL-4403402

In this Halloween theme they see a witch flying, cooking, or dancing, which helps them understand what is happening right now — the core meaning of the present continuous.

TPR Activity with the flashcards: What Is the Witch Doing? Students respond physically and verbally to the witch flashcards to understand and use present continuous actions. Show a flashcard and say the sentence clearly: “The witch is walking.”
Mime the action as you say it. Have students repeat the sentence and copy your movement.

Students can easily describe what the witch is doing on the flashcards: “She is flying.”
The repetitive sentence pattern helps beginners gain fluency and confidence.

What Is the Witch Doing? – Present Continuous & Collocations. Students practice the present continuous tense while learning common collocations (verb + noun phrases) in context. Strengthens sentence building.

Put a flashcard and have the students give you more collocations for just one action.

Students learn to ask and answer questions in the present continuous tense using Halloween-themed actions. Show a flashcard and ask: “What is the witch doing?” Model the answer slowly, emphasizing She is + verb-ing + object.

The Witch Action Grid – Make and Write Sentences. Students practice forming and writing present continuous sentences by picking a flashcard in a grid.

Categorize the Verbs (Spelling Rules). Display your witch flashcards and the base form of each verb underneath (fly, call, carry…).
Have students observe and classify them according to the spelling change.

Small cards for talking about activities. Connect grammar to writing and creativity. Students choose a small card and write a sentence about it.

Write about what the witch is doing in affirmative, and in negative sentence based on any card.

Write Yes/no questions and suggestions with Let’s!

Students practice writing short descriptive sentences using clothing vocabulary and the present continuous tense.

Speaking Chain. Practice fluency in question-answer patterns. One student picks a card and asks: “What is the witch doing?”  The next student answers: “She is drinking.”
Then takes a new card and continues the chain.

Cut-and-match games build word recognition. Cut the words out the card and play match.

Worksheet 1. Match sentences to the correct witch picture by coloring the frame and sentence in the same color.

Worksheet 2. Answer the question: What are you doing?

Worksheet 3. draw a line from the word to the matching picture, after completing the verb with the missing vowel.

Worksheet 4. Match the verb to the picture.

Worksheet 5. Complete all the verbs and use it as pictionary.

Worksheet 6. Complete the Sentence with the verb.

Sentence Association Game: What Is the Witch Doing?

Students match the witch picture, and the sentence to practice the present continuous tense. Students can work in pairs to match all actions.

Flip Activity: What Is the Witch Doing? They’ll write sentences describing what the witch is doing, then lift the flap to write. Print the template, cut to glue the writing part under the witch images strip. Students lift the flap to check their sentences.

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Made the covers using Creative Fabrica, here is my affliate link:    https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/cute-witch-digital-paper-halloween/ref/2670802/?sharedfrom=pdp

Farm Unit – Present Continuous for Elementary ELLs

 This resource is included here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Farm-Unit-for-Elementary-EFL-3790548

This farm-themed resource reviews present-continuous. The variety of activities lets you adapt to your class. Grab the tips below.

Verbs in Action Flashcards Set with colorful pictures of farm animals doing a variety of actions (run, jump, eat, walk, sit, etc.). Have students speak by describing animal actions or answering questions.

Small cards are also present and ready to print. Play the question game. Students use a small card and ask question: Is the horse eating?

No, it isn’t.

Make an accordion with the small cards to make sentences, ask questions and more. 

Here is a video to check.

Write short sentences to describe the farm animal using any of small cards.

Fill-in-the-blank exercises in this farm worksheet.

Cut and paste the words in each sentence worksheet. Students glue them in correct order under the animal picture.

Reinforce this grammar point through simple games to help the learners grasp it more fully.  Print both quilts.  Cut any quilt into squares or use as a full board. Give students the sentence squares with the present continuous sentences.  Students match each sentence to the correct picture. For more practice: mix up the sentences and the pictures and play a memory/matching game.

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Routine Verbs Worksheets for ESL/EFL learners

This resource is included here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Routine-Verbs-for-Elementary-ELL-3088833

 

To support and extend learning, this resource also comes with a set of easy-to-use worksheets designed specifically for Primary English language learners.

 A worksheet to match routine verb words with pictures. Then, have the students write what is true for them in simple present tense.

 

Comple the verbs in the blank spaces worksheet and another one answering What do you do?

An activity worksheet to write the  negative sentence into an affirmative one. The other worksheet is to write sentences.

Use these for Literacy centers, send as Homework, for Review and assessment and finally for Sub plans.

More things are included in this resource, go to the blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/07/routine-verbs-flashcards-for-eslefl.html 

 

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Discover engaging, creative, and effective resources designed specifically for English Language Learners! Find ready-to-use lesson plans and activities. LINK: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Holistic-English-Resources-By-Rosa-Amelia

 

I created the cover using Creative Fabrica, check my affliate link:   https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/breakfast-and-coffee-digital-paper-set/ref/2670802/?sharedfrom=pdp

Routine Verbs Small Cards for ESL/EFL learners

 This resource is included here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Routine-Verbs-for-Elementary-ELL-3088833

 

Games make the lesson an engaging learning experience. Children will practice the verbs and you can listen how much they know. They might get creative as they make up their rules for the games. Teams will be formed and they will have to communicate in English.

Play Slap with the small cards. Spread out the cards on the floor or a table face up. One student can be the caller, give him /her the slap caller badge and the other players will be the slappers, who will slap the correct card. The one that does it first keeps the slapped card. Continue until all the cards have been called. The winner is the one with most cards.

For the game I made these slap caller necklace. I cut and glued them onto fun foam, punched a hole and thread yarn into the hoop. I use them to have the group respect the caller and be more organized at playing the game. You can play with any set of word and use the necklace but change the caller every time. You can even write on the back of the necklace the caller´s name so you choose a different child every time.

Cut-and-Paste Routine Verbs Activity. This activity includes two matching sets: One set with routine action words cards with the word on it, another set with pictures of each action.  Students cut out the pictures and paste them on top of the correct verb word.  Use it to recognize and read routine vocabulary.

Picture + Word Matching Activity. This version flips the challenge. Each card shows a picture of a routine action, and there’s correct verb word to match. This activity helps English language learners to focus on visual comprehension first. Have students write sentences on their notebooks using simple present tense: She brushes her hair.

Spelling Verb Bingo Game. Place all the verb small cards on the board. Have the children select only 6 and write them down on their paper. Call out a word and place a tick on the flashcard. Use the small cards for calling the verbs. Children cross the words as they have it on their spelling bingo grid.

Print the camera for any game in a bright construction paper. Have several more printed as well.

Students of all ages like the camera. Use the camera to have the children name each verb as you pass the picture, you can make the strip as long as you want.  

I also included the photo clip art, children either draw the verb, look them up in magazines and cut them or simply cut them from the small cards here. They can also write the verb or write complete sentences. 

They can make a photo album using their own pictures and write sentences under each photo.

 

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When creating the covers, I always start by choosing clipart. I found these on Creative Fabrica—they're easy to use and come with a commercial license! Click on my affliate link:   https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/morning-routine-planner-papers-clipart/ref/2670802/?sharedfrom=pdp