Butterfly and Bugs Unit for ESL Learners

Get the Bug and Butterfly resource here: 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Butterfly-and-Bugs-Unit-for-ESL-Learners-4328441

or here:https://www.bilingualmarketplace.com/products/butterfly-and-bugs-unit-for-esl-learners?variant=14382235189297

I always begin the lesson introducing the vocabulary with flashcards. These are half letter size.

Place them around the classroom and have the students run to bug that you mention.

Teacher: Run to the bee!

Make an accordion book.

Add Math to your ESL Lesson planning.  Experts agree that teaching Math improves the English language learning. I found these butterflies that I made out of fun foam many years ago.

And I thought that you could make some butterflies like mine. I am adding a template but you can get any other from google. The numbers are from a package that I found at a store years ago. I also included some numbers if you want to make them out of fun foam. So you are all set.

Make a number sequence or Number Line. Students are already familiar with the number sequence in their own language. Use the props or visuals. Do as much speaking as you go through the Number Line. Ask questions.

Teacher: One, two, three…!

Teacher: What color is number 3?

Students: red!

Teacher: green!

Students: Number 6!

Number sense or counting. Math is based on number sense and can be practiced through hands on experiences. Students can build their own strategy to come up to glue all the bugs to make a number. In case Number 10 and 10 bees that the students cut and paste on the butterfly.

Or Students cut the printable bugs and glue them to add up to the number on each butterfly.

Teacher: Look at Butterfly number 6! How many snails are there?

Students: two!

How many butterflies are there?

Students: two!

How many flies are there?

Students: two! 

Match butterflies with colors either do it with a pocket chart or on the desk. Pocket charts are a supplement to your getting your students involved in the lesson.

Or it can be a whole sentence.

I traced the butterfly on paper and had the students glue all piece and write the word a or an. Have the students to color the butterfly and trace the word butterfly. I cut all the butterflies and made a ring book.

Match bug words to the picture. This can be done as independent working time. Students cut out the pictures and glue them under each bug on the butterfly previously traced and cut.

You can also have the students write phrases on their notebooks.

I also added worksheets! Check on Pinterest all the ideas that I came up with for the worksheets. LINK: https://www.pinterest.com/ei98srl/esl-animals/esl-insects-unit/

And a printable book!

Take a look! 

A file folder game is included as well.

Take a look!

This resource is part of the Insects Bundle resource. Check it out to expand the language syllabus:   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Insects-or-Bugs-Unit-for-ESL-BUNDLE-6571592

Follow me! I would love to hear from you and see how your activities turned out. 

Numbers teaching resources for the Preschool ELL

Link to the resources: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Numbers-Teaching-Resources-for-Preschool-ELL-3006812

The resource is also available here:https://www.bilingualmarketplace.com/products/numbers-unit-for-kindergarten-ell?variant=37344475611300

Very young learners need to understand math vocabulary and have the opportunity to use it with every theme. Math is linked to language. I make resources keeping in mind to bring math to the theme or unit.

Number Flashcards:  Here are the numbers 1 to 10 in a different color each. Have the children identify the number and the color.

Teacher: What number is this?
Students: Two!
Teacher: What color is number two?
Students: Orange!
Then say a color and students say the number.
Teacher: purple!
Students: five!
Do it all the way around.
Teacher: nine!
Students: Black!

I included black and white flashcards just in case you want to use only black ink or you can color each number in 10 different colors and have a wider variety to play Bingo ! .  And I included a number only flashcard for more activities, such as writing the number or drawing objects.

Many manipulatives can be used to review counting. I used pompoms, mini erasers, yogurt bottle caps, clothespins, magnetic numbers and fun foam pieces. If you use anything else please leave a comment for other teachers.

This is a body and number game that I found in an old book and that changed a little bit and added more features. My children said it looked like Twister, it might be. Place all the numbers in order or random order on the floor.

Teacher: Hand on number 4!  (You can use right hand or left hand) Show the hand flashcard.

Teacher: Arm on number one!

For many teachers a worksheet doesn´t mean that hands on learning can occur, but if you use a different strategy, a worksheet can be a way of a student taking control over learning. 

Model and show how the worksheet has to be done. It will make students motivated to do it. I always make mine beforehand, just to make sure that the worksheet is right and many ideas can come up on how to use it effectively.

Worksheet 1.  Assign a color to each number for the children to color.

Teacher: Number 1 is red.

After cut them out and use as flashcards. Play Show me!

Teacher: Show me number 3.

Students: Three.

Teacher: What color is number 3?

Students: Blue.

Use the worksheet to make 10 flashcards. Just cut them. Have the children make a number line on the floor.

And also make a book. I made mine using fun foam pieces. But it´s your call, use anything you want.

WS 2. Color by number. But after the worksheet is done, draw some lines and cut it. Children will have to put it back together and can even glue it on a piece of paper.

Ws 3. Domino means numbers…There are two ways of doing it. One is that children fill in the dots and make up the number. The other is that children cut the dominos pieces and glue them where it corresponds.

Ws 4. Puzzle. I found the puzzle pieces clip art and created this worksheet.

Teacher: Glue Number 3, Number 8 and Number 4.

Invent more!

A very old blog entry about numbers with some ideas.

http://eflpreschoolteachers.blogspot.com/2010/04/math-numbers-1-to-10.html

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Transportation Review Unit for ELL

   Link to resource:    https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Transportation-Review-Unit-for-ELL-2438426

This resource is also available here:   https://www.bilingualmarketplace.com/products/transportation-unit-for-kindergarten-ell?variant=37012418068644

I read about Teacher Talking Time that can lower the quality of learning. Try to reduce your excessive talking time and give students more time to practice the language in class. Think about how many times you do all the talking. Just  meditate on that.

Have the students cut the cards and make puppets by gluing them to toilet paper tubes. Use them as puppets. Puppets can be used with students of all ages. Children are less inhibited to speak English using them.

Worksheet pocket sorting: Word sorting increases vocabulary and for older kids, spelling. It also helps with critical thinking. The students can do the sorting individually or in groups of two or four. For handling purpose I turned each vehicle into a puppet by gluing a craft stick, but the cutouts can be put inside the pockets as they are.

 I made two kinds of sorting, one is a vocabulary sort and the other is sorting the vehicles by characteristics: old, new, big, small, long, short.

 

It is a good practice to recycle the language and enlarge what is known with new vocabulary.

Encourage the students to use the adjectives orally. 

Place all the cutouts on the board in random order. Write 4 big headings on the board. Long, short, new, old. Point to all the headings and read them one by one.

Read the first heading: long. Pick a long item and place it under the heading. Continue with all the headings. Students can help organize all the cutouts under each category.

Adjectives worksheets.  After students have finished the worksheets, have them cut all the vehicles.

Give each table group a big construction paper. Make  4 columns: new, old, long, short. Either write the word or use the words on the top of the big cardboard.  Students glue the vehicles in the corresponding column.

Go to each table and check their work.

Teacher: new! What color are they ?

Students: blue, green, pink.

Car road. Make roads out of black construction paper, make the lines with white crayon. Cut the car cutouts. Have the students sort the long cars and the short cars or the new cars and the old cars from the worksheets. Have the students glue the cars in a pattern. When done, they come to the front and explain their pattern. This can be done with cars cut out from magazines.

Now with the cutouts. Display all the car cutouts on the board.

Point to a car cutout and show it to the class.

Teacher: What is it ?

Students: It´s a car.

Teacher: What color is the car ?

Students: It´s yellow.

 

Display the big and small cutouts on the board.

  Place all the cutouts one next to the other making a big/small pattern.

Teacher: Big car, small car, big train, small train, big bike, small bike
Introduce long and short using the cutouts.
Point to the long car cutout.
Teacher: What´s this ?
Students: It´s a car.
Teacher: Look ! It´s a long car. ( stretch your arms to mime long)
Point to the short car cutout
Teacher: What´s this ?
Students: It´s a car.
Teacher: Look ! It´s a short car. ( put your hands almost together  to mime short)
Point to the next cutouts, the trains.
Teacher: Is it long or short ?
Students: It´s long. ( Have the students mime long)
Continue with all the other cutouts.
Say the color and students say long or short.
Teacher: red!
Students: Long train!

Make two columns on the board. Have two students come up and match the vehicles and place them together on the board.
Student 1: old car.
Student 2: new car.

Place several cutouts together.
Teacher: How many cars ?
Students: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Seven cars!

 

Flashcards are wonderful for visual students. Play games instead of flapping the cards. Show a flashcard and have the students mime the vehicles.

 

Two students come to the front with the thumb up for Yes/ Correct Puppet and the thumb down for No/incorrect Puppet. Point to a transportation flashcard on the board.

Teacher:  It´s a pink car.

Class: NO!!! (Student shows the thumbs down  puppet.)  All the students puts their thumbs down.

 

Class:  It´s a yellow car. (Student shows the thumbs up  puppet.) All the students puts their thumbs up.

Transportation bag. Decorate a bag. Place all the cutouts in the bag. Have a student come to the front and pull out a cutout.
Teacher: What´s this ?
Student: It´s a car.
Teacher: Is it long or short ?
Student and class: It´s long.
 Teacher: Is it new or old ?
Student and class: It´s old.
Teacher: What color is it ?
Student and class: It´s yellow.        

Make necklaces with the cutouts and have each student wear the one they wish. Display the map signs around the classroom. Have the students go to their destinations.
Teacher: Airplanes, fly to the airport.
Teacher: Buses, drive to the bus stop.
Teacher: cars, drive to the parking.
Teacher: Trains, stop at the train station.
Teacher: bikes, go to the bike symbol.
Teacher: Boats, sails to symbol.
Then count how many students are at each map sign. 

Three books for the theme.
Have children make each page of their book to take home to read to their parents. First have the students read the book in class in groups and then individually. Make your own version  by enlarging it in a copier. I punched a hole in the middle and placed a butterfly binder.

 

And another book. Children can find a great audience at home to read the book. They will practice reading the new language.  

            

As always a read aloud picture book .First, read the book several times in class. Encourage students to mime big, small, long, short as you read.

Include a math activity in your lesson planning. Math involves language.

Reinforce the letters through an art and craft project.

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