Given the right circumstances, children can learn English very quickly. Adults want to understand everything, but children can grasp the meaning of unknown words by using the context of the sentence.



A Children’s ESL class can be very rewarding in many ways if the ESL curriculum allows them to enjoy themselves in the classroom. The following article describes some of the activities that are lots of fun, and at the same time effective learning tools. These things should be included in an ESL curriculum.

Bingo Games
Bingo games are always popular. For the first couple of games with new cards, the students will find quite a few words that are new to them. They should be given clues by the teacher and they should be allowed to help each other. Their competitiveness will drive them on, and they will learn the words quickly, while having a good time.

Songs and Verse
Songs are always fun, and a good way to learn vocabulary, but many teachers would prefer not to lead the class in songs. If this is the case, try reciting verse with the class. Children love the rhythm of verse, and it can be just as effective as singing.

Puppets
Often shy children who are afraid to participate in oral work will do very well with puppets. We had good success with cardboard puppets mounted on a stick. The children like it if you make a moveable mouth that they can move up and down while they do their role play. The illustration shows an alien puppet that we used to go along with our ESL curriculum. The moveable mouth pattern is included. It fits in the slot cut below the mouth. If you make two or three puppets of each kind, the students feel more comfortable doing their role play in a group.

                                                  
Drawing
Drawing is something that comes easily to most children. If they are asked to make a drawing about some part of their story / lesson, they will have time to think about the lesson while they work. We found that it is very effective if the teacher moves around the group and asks the children individually what their drawing is about. The children like to talk about their picture and it gives the teacher a chance to interact individually with them.

AnESL Curriculum that includes these activities will be effective for the teacher and enjoyable for the children.