As Mister Rogers would say, "It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood," especially when youngsters know all about community helpers and their role in the community. These two units, one designed for ages two to three and the other...

Help, there's an emergency! Adult English language learners need to know how to express concern and call for help in an emergency. Provide them with this comprehensive list of vocabulary and lead them through the exercises given....

Begin each day with a warm-up that has ELLs focusing their minds on a skill that will be taught that day. Focusing on verbs, each daily lesson reinforces study and self-management skills, helps learners become proficient in working with...

If you want an ice-breaker type activity, you should look at this resource. It introduces the idea and purpose of a press conference and then uses that concept for pupils to learn about one another. The teacher models the activity by...

Writer's workshop is an idea that's been around for years. Students write, read, and comment on each others writing in an authentic and thoughtful way. Here is a 21st century twist, 6th graders will use the class blog to create a...

Explore the letter h using these strategies combining pronunciation, recognition, letter sound, and word examples. Scholars examine the letter shape and listen to you pronounce the /h/ sound. As you explain how this sound is...

Give youngsters a better grasp of the letter d by combining letter sounds, pronunciation, recognition, and word examples. Scholars examine the letter shape then listen to you make the /d/ sound and try it on their own....

Get to know the ins and outs of the letter w using these strategies combining pronunciation, recognition, letter sound, and word examples. Scholars examine the letter shape and listen to you pronounce the /w/ sound. Use these tips...

Learn the ins and outs of the letter j using these strategies combining pronunciation, recognition, letter sound, and word examples. Scholars examine the letter shape and listen to you pronounce the /j/ sound. Use these tips to...

What are the qualities of a good leader? Of a good follower? A reading of Leo Lionni’s Swimmy launches a discussion of leadership and cooperation. Class members brainstorm how they can be leaders at home and how they can encourage others...

That it is better to give than receive can be a difficult concept for little ones, especially during the Christmas holiday season. A reading of Jan Brett’s, Christmas Trolls, helps children focus their attention away from what they want...

Take an amphibious journey with budding readers as you explore vocabulary in Wendy Pfeffer's informative book From Tadpole to Frog. This text is the backdrop of a vocabulary exercise based on six words: fertilize,...

Navigate the letter p without leaving anything out: combine pronunciation, recognition, letter sound, and word examples. Scholars examine the letter shape and listen to you pronounce the /p/ sound. As you explain how this sound is made,...

Create a language mosaic to reveal the linguistic diversity in your community. Pupils interview a person with a home language other than English and contribute to a bulletin board display representing the variety of languages spoken. The...

Start by drawing a large letter m on the board for scholars to see. Do they know what letter this is? Once you've demonstrated the sound it makes, use these tips to help them make the same sound. There is even an audio...

Hook your scholars by drawing a large f on the board; do they know what letter this is? Once you've demonstrated the sound it makes, use these tips to help them make the same sound. Although the audio function is neat, it may not be...

What letter is this? As you introduce pre-readers to letter sounds, keep them entertained with this fun game. Start by drawing the letter s on the board, large enough for all to see. Once you've demonstrated the sound it makes, use...

As your scholars begin learning letters of the alphabet, help them connect sound, pronunciation, word examples, and letter recognition using these strategies. Focusing on the letter i, begin by drawing it on the board. Can scholars...

The /r/ sound can be a difficult one, but scholars use some helpful tips to get it right. After examining the letter shape they listen to you pronounce this phoneme and describe what you are doing to create the sound. They try on their...

There are many words that begin with the /o/ sound; scholars study this letter in multiple contexts including intial phoneme examples, pronunciation, and letter recognition. Write the letter on the board to see if learners can identify...

Do your scholars know that the letter g sometimes steals the j phoneme? Explore the letter g using these strategies combining pronunciation, recognition, letter sound, and word examples. Scholars examine the letter...

What is this letter? Once your class is ready to explore the letter n, use these strategies to combine word examples, pronunciation, and letter recognition. First, can they identify the letter? Make the /n/ sound, explaining...

Combine letter recognition, sound, and pronunciation using this strategy for pre-readers. Use these letter cards or write the letter v on the board, asking scholars to identify it. Then, model the /v/ sound as you explain how...

These inventive strategies help emerging readers focus on the letter e, forming sound associations along with letter recognition. Explain the mouth movement in making the /eee/ sound, asking learners to try it. Can they think of words...