ESL for Kids
*****This site is really huge. Right now it may not look like it but I recently had a huge spike in traffic and got shut down by most host provider. I am currently re-uploading all of the files to my new host provider and so this site should come back online within a few weeks. Sorry for the trouble –Bill*****
Hello, and thank you for visiting ESL for Kids at Naruhodo-eigo.com. Use the handy menu below to jump ahead to something specific or scroll down to learn more about this website.
ESL Games , ie, games for small groups – Board games and stuff like that.
ESL Classroom Games, – games that are a blast to play with large groups.
Stuff you can print, Fun worksheets, flashcards, paper puppets and other stuff to use in your English as a second language class. Note that while the printables page is down, I can recommend usborne books for a nice selection of elementary school English picture books.
ESL Skits for Kids! Quick skit ideas that your children will love.
ESL Lesson Plans in case you need help planning.
and much much more!
First off, ESL means English as a Second Language (a lot of people have asked me what it means) and if you like kids, teaching ESL/EFL (English as a Foreign Language) to elementary-school-aged children can be a real blast. I mean come on; what’s better than playing games all day? Ok, so maybe it’s not always that simple. You do have to figure out what to do and teach. That’s where this website, ESL for Kids, comes in.
Here, you’ll find ESL games to use in large and small groups. There are also ESL skits. These skits are quick, usually lasting only a minute or two and more importantly, they’re fun and enjoyable and they’ll give your ESL lessons context, something you can’t get from just singing and playing games. You’ll also find lots of things to print, aka ESL printables, from flash cards, and worksheets to board games and masks. The ESL Articles tab contains handy tips on getting the most out of your ESL classroom. Most importantly, there is an ESL Lesson Plan section, which shows you exactly how to combine the games, skits, printables, and everything else into a thematic, 45 to 50 minute lesson that is suitable not just for elementary school classrooms but private schools as well.
Finally, who is this website for? I’m an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Japan. I teach elementary-school children from first through sixth grade and I have 27 classes per week with 40 students in each class. I also have a private school for elementary school children. That’s what I know so that’s what I write about. I know about working with JTE’s (Japanese Teachers of English) and HRT’s (Home Room Teachers). Basically, I’m trying to help improve relationships between ALT’s and Japanese teachers, or anyone else teaching English in Japan, so children will have fun engaging English lessons. However, I don’t know about Jr. high school ESL or preschool ESL. If that’s what you teach, I can’t say whether this website can help you or not. The same goes for teachers outside of Japan. But if you’re in Japan, teaching English as a second language to children, go get a cup of coffee, sit back and relax as you browse ESL for Kids at Naruhodo-eigo.com.
And so with that in mind, I’ll leave you with a couple of my favorite Henry David Thoreau quotes:
Dreams are the touchstones of our character.
and
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.