I like to start my English lessons with a familiar routine: Circle Time. It is a small moment, but it helps children settle down, switch into “English mode” and get ready for the lesson ahead. Repeated routines also give children plenty of opportunities to hear and use the same language in a natural way.
We usually begin with the day of the week. 📅
We sing our Days of the Week Song and, most importantly, we do the movements that go with it. 🎶🕺
I find this particularly important with younger learners. When children hear a word, say it, sing it and move at the same time, they create a stronger connection between the sound and its meaning.
Then we check the month. 🗓️
We sing our Months of the Year Song song and ask: “What month is it?”
Next comes the weather. ☀️🌧️🌈
We look outside, choose a weather flashcard and sing our Weather Song. Children can take turns saying:
“It’s sunny!”
“It’s cloudy!”
“It’s raining!”
Finally, we talk about our feelings. Of course we have a feeling song, too! We use it with flashcards and encouraging children to use facial expressions to show how they feel. Children can choose a feeling card and say:
“I’m happy.”
“I’m tired.”
“I’m excited.”
For younger children, pointing to the correct face is already a great way to participate, while older children can ask a partner: “How are you today?”
I love these routines because they are predictable without being boring. Children know what comes next, but there is always room for singing, movement, creativity and conversation.
Circle Time is also a great opportunity to practice some of the simple English classroom phrases that children hear and use every day. If you need more ideas, have a look at Simple English Classroom Phrases for Young Learners Part 1 and Part 2.
And before we know it, English has already started! 💛
Here are a few things you might find useful for your classroom: 🛒
📅 A colorful classroom calendar to hang on the wall and use every day with your students!
🌦️A Weather Chart
🧸 Puppets
Once our Circle Time is over, I like moving on to a short, focused activity. For children working on early phonics, you might also enjoy Read, Find, Colour & Count, a playful way to practice sounds, reading and vocabulary.
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🌟 ¡Learning English doesn’t simply mean filling in the blanks! 🇬🇧✨
Many English as a Second Language (ESL) activities rely solely on “fill-in-the-blank” exercises ✏️… but the real goal should be to help children speak, understand, and use English naturally. 🗣️💬
🎨 Learning by doing makes it much easier, more fun, and more motivating!
And you’ll be surprised at how quickly children can start achieving real results. 🌈🚀
📚 If you’re looking for creative and engaging activities to make English learning more dynamic, check out my online store! 🛍️💕
✨ Learn, play, speak, and grow! ❤️
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📍Do you struggle with a challenging class, where many of your students get distracted and their academic performance doesn’t reflect all the effort you put into preparing and teaching your lessons?
📍Does this situation frustrate you, and would you like your students to learn more while enjoying the process?
👉Something similar happened to me during my elementary teaching internship, and in my latest book, Pygmalion in the Classroom: A Real Experience—based on my senior thesis and my internship at a primary school in Madrid—I’ll tell you how we managed to turn things around and achieve resounding success!
Don’t miss it!
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