5 Easy Steps to Successfully Launching an Engaging English Course for Kids
By Peace Corps Volunteer Laura Layton, Chiriquí, Panamá
Summer English Course Teachers (2019): Ashley, Ingris, Brianys, Laura (me), Cristibelle, and Melanie |
In this article, I share resources and suggestions for how to organize your class to maximize student learning and engagement and lower your stress from planning.
Are you an English as a Second or Foreign Language teacher looking for ways to improve your class organization and increase student engagement? Do you find yourself overwhelmed with the task of lesson planning for your class? If so, you're in the right place. In this blog post, I'll provide you with valuable resources and practical suggestions to help you optimize your class organization for better student learning outcomes. By implementing these strategies, you'll not only reduce your stress levels but also attract more students to your class. So, let's dive in and discover how to take your English class to the next level!
Part of my job as a Peace Corps volunteer in the sector of teaching English, Leadership and Life Skills is to create English courses using fun and dynamic activities and lessons that encourage students to have fun while learning. It can be daunting and overwhelming to start from scratch but I hope that you find that this article offers many tips to give you direction for your course.
The key to a successful summer English course is to make it fun! Kids and adults alike are often in vacation-mode when we schedule courses, and although they have made the decision to learn English, they do not want to feel pressured or stressed. They want to be in a course where they can make new friends and feel accepted. Below are some tips for keeping your class fun and engaging for students of all ages.
First, you must select topics that are important to your students. The topics below are not only interesting but are also part of the curriculum being taught in public schools in Panama. With your summer course, the students will have a head start recognizing common vocabulary and grammar related to each theme. Interactive worksheets on the following topics can be found at www.Englishwsheets.com. In collaboration with Professor Rigoberto Morales and English students at CRUBA University, we printed worksheets for the topics we found to be most important and created bound booklets for each student. Once the students had completed the entire booklet by the end of the course, it became a great picture dictionary resource for them throughout the school year.
It is important not to rely on the booklet to teach the lessons, but rather to teach the lessons with dynamic games and activities, and then use the booklet to allow students to practice what they have learned in class. The booklet is also a great alternative to basic vocabulary-note-taking and translating. The worksheets save time and give students visuals so that Spanish (Language 1) is not needed at all. It is important to check the students’ work and help them to correct mistakes at the end of each class, or at the beginning of each class if a page was completed as homework.
It is important not to rely on the booklet to teach the lessons, but rather to teach the lessons with dynamic games and activities, and then use the booklet to allow students to practice what they have learned in class. The booklet is also a great alternative to basic vocabulary-note-taking and translating. The worksheets save time and give students visuals so that Spanish (Language 1) is not needed at all. It is important to check the students’ work and help them to correct mistakes at the end of each class, or at the beginning of each class if a page was completed as homework.
Each week, or every few days, should have a fun new theme. Once the theme is determined and vocabulary words have been selected, we as teachers must think of ways to support students in the four areas of language learning: speaking, listening, reading and writing. The worksheets are a great way for students to practice writing and spelling the words, as well as reading and matching the words to the images. However, what should we do with the rest of our time in class? And, how can we get students talking?
Components of a Dynamic Summer English Course
1) Daily Classroom Routines: In the classroom, I post the days of the week and the months of the year, as well as a large calendar. One of our daily routines is to sing the Days of the Week and Months of the Year songs, as well as practice answering questions about the calendar. I also ask “What did we learn yesterday?” or if it’s Monday, “What did we learn last week?” After the students have answered, I share what we will learn today, and if it’s Monday, I share the theme of the week.
Days of the Week Song
Months of the Year Song
Days of the Week Song
Months of the Year Song
Students playing "Mystery Cups" to practice new vocabulary words |
2) Vocabulary: The FREE worksheets from www.Englishwsheets.com have vocabulary words and images that can be printed, cut, and pasted to index cards to be used for classroom games and dynamic activities. I always introduce the vocabulary words of the day to the students before anything else. First, I show the image. Then I ask “What is this?” or “What are these?” It is a great opportunity to teach grammar for plural and singular nouns that can be practiced and revisited daily. Then, I state, “This is a/an________.” or “Theses are _______.” With the format being the same every day, students begin to see the pattern and use it accurately. I also keep the note “An before a/e/i/o/u” on the board so that students can identify when to use a and an.
Have students repeat your answer, and then ask again, “What is this?” or “What are these?” Students should be able to answer in a complete sentence with enough practice. Students may need a sentence starter written on the board for the first few lessons. Teachers should repeat the same format for each vocabulary word and correct pronunciation as needed.
Note: Typically students should only focus on mastering 10-15 vocabulary words per week. In a summer course, my goal is to expose students to many new words and practice, practice, practice, speaking and listening skills. The students will be exposed to many new words over the course and will take away a completed picture dictionary to practice at home and throughout the year. In order for students to master key vocabulary words, they should practice the same words over multiple days using different games and dynamic activities.
Have students repeat your answer, and then ask again, “What is this?” or “What are these?” Students should be able to answer in a complete sentence with enough practice. Students may need a sentence starter written on the board for the first few lessons. Teachers should repeat the same format for each vocabulary word and correct pronunciation as needed.
Note: Typically students should only focus on mastering 10-15 vocabulary words per week. In a summer course, my goal is to expose students to many new words and practice, practice, practice, speaking and listening skills. The students will be exposed to many new words over the course and will take away a completed picture dictionary to practice at home and throughout the year. In order for students to master key vocabulary words, they should practice the same words over multiple days using different games and dynamic activities.
3) Categories: Can the vocabulary words be broken up into categories? If so, this can be a great way to start natural conversation and dialogue. If the vocabulary words can be broken up into categories, write the categories on the board, pass out vocabulary cards (words and/or images), and ask each student to paste it in the correct category using a complete sentence (examples in the table below).
Students presenting their collaborative work on types of clothing for different weather |
4) Dialogue: The best way to get students to speak and listen, using English accurately, is to give them a written dialogue. It should not be a dialogue that they simply memorize and repeat, but a dialogue they can manipulate and that requires them to listen to their partner in order to respond correctly. Dialogues should include questions and answers and should require the use of vocabulary words. Examples below have underlines where students must select a vocabulary word to complete the sentence. Partners must answer using the same vocabulary word. Dialogues can be practiced multiple times using different vocabulary words, changing roles, and changing partners.
Note: When students complete dialogue activities they often choose to practice with a friend or someone nearby. I like to mix and match students so that they are meeting new people and getting out of their comfort zone. It will also push them to try their best, as sometimes students slack and joke around when they are with their closest friends. One way to mix up partners is to pass out index cards, some with vocabulary words and some with vocabulary images, and have students walk around the room to find their partner (the image that matches the word). Another great way to get students to practice speaking with different partners is by doing quiz-quiz-trade (see “Dinamica Explanations”).
5) Activities: Games and activities should give all students the opportunity to participate. The table below shows how games can be adapted for different themes and topics. “Dinamica Explanations” contains detailed explanations of how to facilitate many dynamic activities and games.
CRUBA Summer (January/February) English Course, 2019 |
Students matching images to vocabulary words |
Adding clothing items while the students play "Memory Lane" |
The university students in the school of English Education at CRUBA university From Left: Cristibelle, Ingris, Brianys, Laura (me), and Melanie |
Playing "Buzzer" with articles of clothing |
See the following link for an explanation of Dynamic Activities and Games for teaching English Dynamic Activities for Teaching English
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