teaching beginners

[f.v.]

I have been a classroom teacher for many years but this is my first year as an ESL teacher. Another new teacher and I would love some ideas to use with beginners. We teacher kindergarteners, first and second graders. Thanks so much.

[Lamya Al Kooheji]

Children at this age are more attracted by demonstrational material and being invited to take part in the demonstration, e.g. asking them to stick a letter, a picture, go round distributing papers, collecting them, write the word/letter under the picture, etc. Just prepare the "ingredients" and let them do the cooking! Engage them in it. Songs, but not too often, is freshening. Buy stickers (starts and so) and use them when correcting their work. You can't imagine how much they enjoy these little things and boast about them.

[f.v.]

Thank you for your reply. Where I am I think too much is expected too soon. I'd love to hear any more ideas out there.

[lolwhites]

When I taught kids that age I found Total Physical Response (TPR) a great way to teach vocab. Say you want to do colours, put a set of coloured cards on the floor and tell them to "Point to the green card", "Pick up the red card", "Give the blue card to Jaime" etc. You can expand on this by getting the kids to give instructions to each other.

Works for anything small enough to pick up, or pictures of whatever you're teaching (e.g. animals, food...)

[f.v.]

Thank you for your help. I have recently found that digital cameras work wonders. I have been taking pictures of the students and then printing them. I use the pictures for writing. For instance I migh take a picture of a child with a ball, another with a toy dog, another with a book. I'd write under them, "____has a ball, _____ has a dog, _____ has a book. The children have really enjoyed "reading" these sentences. (OK, so they are really practicing one to one correspondence but they are learning a lot ABOUT reading, learning vocabulary and recognizing names.
Please send more ideas. thanks