Present Continuous with School Actions –for Elementary ELLs

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

This resource was designed to help elementary English language learners practice action verbs and build sentences. The variety of materials also makes it easy for teachers to use them for whole-class lessons, centers, pair work, or review activities.

Teachers can use the flashcards for vocabulary introduction, quick review activities, classroom games, and speaking practice.

Action +  write a Sentence Strip with Flashcards. Fold the word from each flashcard if you want and have students write a sentence for each card in Present Continuous.

Wrong Sentence Flashcards. Print the sentence slips. Have a student show the flashcard and you read the sentence slip. If it doesn’t match, have the class say the correct sentence: “No! She is gluing!” Perfect for grammar correction practice.

 “Act It Fast!” Game. Show one flashcard secretly to one student. Student acts the verb. Class says: “He is reading!”

Action Hunt Around the Classroom. Hide flashcards around the room. Students find one and say: “He is writing!” and writes the sentence on a mini whiteboard.

Match Game. Place the flashcards on the board. Hand in the sentence strips for the students to match.

The small cards are perfect for a variety of classroom games and practice activities.

Build the Sentence.  Give students the word cards: Pronouns,Verb cards,Objects.

Students build sentences: He is swinging on the swing.

Listen and Point. Place the small cards on the table. Say a sentence and have the students point to that card and repeat the sentence. You can fold the word to make it more challenging.

ctivity, students practice the spelling rules used when changing verbs to the present continuous (-ing) form. Place the three rule pockets on the table or board. Students take turns choosing a small verb card and placing it in the correct pocket according to the spelling rule.

The pockets should be prepared before the activity. You can use the Envelope method – Glue the printed pocket label onto a small envelope.

These worksheets allow students to practice grammar in a clear and meaningful context.

Write the Number.  Each picture shows an action in the present continuous. Students find the matching picture and write the correct number on the line.

Write the Verb Ending Match. First, complete the verbs by writing the correct –ing ending.

Then, draw a line to match each verb with the correct picture.

Present Continuous Word Search. Students find the words that can be horizontal, or vertical. When found a word, highlight or circle it in the word search.

What Are You Doing? Worksheet. Students read the sentences and answer.

Write the Question.

Students practice forming sentences in the present continuous tense.

Spelling Sorting – Present Continuous form of the verb. Students practice the spelling rules used to form verbs in the present continuous tense. They write each verb in the correct pocket according to the spelling pattern.

Write the Verbs. Students write the correct action verb in the space below.

These games encourage students to read, speak, match, and build sentences while reinforcing the vocabulary and actions presented in the unit.

Spin and Cover Game

Students play in pairs. One student spins the spinner using a paper clip and a brass fastener placed at the center of the wheel. The spinner will land on a picture that shows an action.

The student says the verb aloud. The other student looks at the verb list and covers the correct word with a small piece of paper. Students continue spinning and covering the verbs until all the actions are covered.

Sentence Association Matching Game

Print the classroom scene mat and the sentence strips. Students place each sentence on the correct part of the mat to match the action in the picture.

Students can work individually, in pairs, or in small groups.

Flap Book – Present Continuous

To wrap up the unit, students complete a fun interactive flap book. After coloring and assembling the booklet, they lift each flap to reveal a sentence written by them in the present continuous tense that describes the picture.

There is a Halloween section in the complete pack of the resource. Here is the blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/10/halloween-witch-actions-present.html

If you’re looking for more creative ideas and engaging resources for teaching young learners, 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!

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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/

Sports Games for ESL | Vocabulary and Grammar Activities

 This Sports Vocabulary Games  for elementary ESL resource is included here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sports-for-ESL-Vocabulary-and-Grammar-Activities-14663481

Playing sports-themed games during the unit help learners practice sports vocabulary and grammar structures naturally. By moving, speaking, matching, and interacting with others, students develop stronger listening, speaking, reading, and thinking skills. Help your elementary ESL learners explore sports vocabulary and verbs through fun interactive games!

The games work on Listening comprehension and drills.  

Do–Go–Play Sports Games Sorting Activity
In this activity, students sort the sports cards into the correct column: do, go, or play. As they place each card on the mat, they practice using the correct verb for each sport, such as do karate, go swimming, or play soccer. This hands-on task helps learners understand verb–sport collocations while building vocabulary in an interactive way.

This version lets students cut and paste the sports vocabulary cards into the correct do, go, and play columns. The black-and-white format is perfect for saving ink and gives students the chance to color the cards themselves before sorting. They can also write phrases for each category.

Sports Puzzle Match Game
In this activity, students complete circle puzzles by matching each sport with its equipment and place. As they connect the pieces, they review vocabulary such as ball, court, pool, bike, and paddle while strengthening problem-solving skills. This is perfect for centers, pair work, or independent practice.

I Can / I Can’t Writing Activity
In this activity, students use the sports cards to write sentences about what they can and can’t do on the format. They choose cards and complete the worksheet using connectors like and and but to make longer sentences. For example: I can play soccer and tennis or I can’t play basketball, but I can play tennis. This activity helps students practice sentence structure, express abilities, and connect language with the sports vocabulary they have learned.

Spelling Bingo Game
In this activity, students write any sports words they choose into the blank Bingo boxes. Then the teacher (or a student leader) uses the small sports cards from the resource to call out each word. Students listen carefully and cross out the words on their Bingo boards. The first student to cross out all their words and shout Bingo! wins. This game is a fun way to review vocabulary, practice spelling, and build listening skills.

I Like Sports Board Game
In this fun board game, students move around the path by rolling a die and landing on different sports spaces. Each time they land on a sport, they say a sentence such as I like tennis or I don’t like tennis. This game encourages speaking, builds confidence, and helps students practice sports vocabulary and simple grammar in an interactive, engaging way.

Sports Facilities Interactive Activity

In this hands-on activity, students use a sports facilities template along with standing player pieces and sport name cards that you will assemble beforehand. They choose a player, read the sport, and place the figure in the correct facility—such as putting the swimmer in the pool or the tennis player on the court. This interactive task helps students connect sports with their proper locations, strengthens vocabulary, and encourages speaking as they describe what they are doing (e.g., She is playing tennis on the court).

Which game will your students choose first? Comment below!

Sports Flashcards for ESL Vocabulary — visual drills all in the sports pack. Go to the blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/10/sports-flashcards-for-esl-vocabulary.html

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