Using posters to display WH question words is a great grammar reference to keep on your classroom walls. Students can reference the visuals to improve making and answering questions with WH words and as a result they’ll improve: comprehension of a spoken question comprehension of question about a text writing skills – answering questions Functional classroom decor is an amazing addition to the learning process. When I think back to my elementary school days, I can actually remember with detail what my classrooms looked like. The ESL classroom is a great place to use functional decor since students can constantly…
Author: Brooke Hamler
Brooke Hamler
Brooke is a curriculum designer, educational publisher, and former ESL and ELA teacher with 15+ years of classroom experience. She is the founder of Hot Chocolate Teachables, where she creates engaging resources that help teachers save time while improving student learning outcomes. Her materials are used by educators worldwide and focus on ESL, ELL, EFL, grammar, speaking, vocabulary, literacy, phonics, and critical thinking instruction. Browse more teaching resources at Hot Chocolate Teachables or explore classroom ideas and teaching strategies on the blog.
Sight word checklists can be a great way to keep track of student progress and also as a self-evaluation tool. I’ve found that adding sight words to my curriculum in ESL/EFL classrooms has been a great addition. They provide clues to the context of the text, improve reading comprehension and boost self-esteem. Children can be intimidated by an entire paragraph of text in front of them. When they are able to visually identify many of the words on the page, they immediately feel more capable, at ease and less intimidated. This sets the stage for confidence in reading, speaking and…
Looking for something that will keep your students engaged all Valentine’s week? This holiday toolkit has everything grammar and vocabulary related that you need to survive this sugar-filled holiday. Students always love Valentine’s Day so it’s great to have an entire toolkit full of resources that target language, vocabulary and grammar to use all week/month! To purchase this HOLIDAY TOOLKIT, click HERE. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with our exclusive grammar and vocabulary games bundle! This specially curated collection offers a diverse range of interactive activities designed to captivate and educate your students throughout the entire month of February. Emphasizing speaking and listening…
Not quite sure what Boom Cards are and how to use them? I’ll be answering all the burning questions and explaining how I use Boom Cards and how you can integrate them into your classroom! Whether you are teaching in-person, hybrid or distance learning, Boom Cards are so versatile that once you start using them, you’ll be hooked! But first, Why should you be using Boom Cards™? There are a few simple reasons why teachers LOVE using them. Students get automatic feedback about their work. In ELL/ELL/ELD classrooms this is really important. It’s similar to having a teacher by your…
Bingo has always been a go-to vocabulary building tool that I use with my students. It is a great focused listening and visual identification activity. I know when some people think of Bingo, they are just thinking of covering numbers with a token. When you talk to teachers it’s a whole different story. This type of game (along with other games) are vital to student vocabulary retention. My students have always loved playing this game as an addition to our lesson. I started noticing a pattern. My students seemed to remember the wordlists associated with our BINGO boards more than…
Not quite sure what Boom Cards are and how to use them? I’ll be answering all the burning questions and explaining how I use Boom Cards and how you can integrate them into your classroom! Whether you are teaching in-person, hybrid or distance learning, Boom Cards are so versatile that once you start using them, you’ll be hooked! But first, Why should you be using Boom Cards™? There are a few simple reasons why teachers LOVE using them.Students get automatic feedback about their work. In ELL/ELL/ELD classrooms this is really important. It’s similar to having a teacher by your side…
A great holiday themed game that kids love is Christmas Charades. Not only is it fun – your students will practice some important grammar points while using Christmas vocabulary at the same time. Playing charades is the best way to practice the present progressive verb tense in young learners classrooms. This Christmas version is a great way to practice and celebrate the holiday while learning new verbs! Kids love acting out these Christmas action verbs while their classmates guess which verbs they are miming. These colorful cards were designed for use in ESL and EFL classrooms, but they are also an ideal activity for primary…
All the hype about BOOM CARDS™ is 100% true. They are an amazing resource for English language learners. From vocabulary to grammar and listening to reading, you’ll find something that will work for your needs at BOOM LEARNING. I find that you can practice multiple skills using Boom Cards including: Grammar Vocabulary Sentence Building Spelling Below is my PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE (Pirate theme Boom Card deck) What are BOOM CARDS™? The are digital task cards hosted on an online website that students can access. Each cards is self checking and you can assign and monitor your students progress…