Summer break offers a wonderful opportunity for ESL elementary students to continue practicing their language skills in a fun and engaging way. To support their language development, I have curated a list of enjoyable and educational activities that can be seamlessly integrated into their daily routines. These activities encompass reading, writing, listening, and speaking exercises, ensuring a well-rounded language-learning experience. Additionally, I give recommendations on online resources, apps, and websites that provide interactive language-learning activities for children.
Reading Adventures for Summer ESL Students:
Encourage a love for reading by suggesting captivating books, both in English and students’ native language. Libraries often organize summer reading programs that motivate children to explore different genres and earn incentives. Create a reading challenge where students can keep a log of the books they read over the break and discuss their favorite stories when school resumes.
Online Resource Recommendation:
- Epic! (www.getepic.com): This digital library offers a vast collection of books for children of all ages. It features a range of genres and reading levels, making it ideal for ESL students.
Journaling Journey
Promote writing skills and self-expression through journaling. Encourage students to maintain a summer journal where they can record their experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Encourage them to write in English while allowing room for creativity. They can document their summer adventures, write stories, or even create their own comic strips.
Online Resource Recommendation:
- Journalate (www.journalate.com): This interactive platform provides a safe space for students to write online journals. It offers various prompts and customizable options, making it an exciting tool for young writers.
Summer ESL Students – Listening and Speaking Excursions:
Engage students in listening and speaking exercises by incorporating language learning into their everyday activities. Encourage them to listen to podcasts or audiobooks in English during car rides or while enjoying outdoor activities. Encourage conversation with family members or friends through games and activities that require verbal communication.
Online Resource Recommendation:
- Chatterbug (www.chatterbug.com): This online language-learning platform offers interactive lessons and encourages conversation practice with native English speakers through video calls. It provides an immersive language experience for students during the summer break.
- Virtual Language Learning:
Explore online resources that provide interactive language-learning activities specifically designed for children. Many websites and apps offer games, quizzes, and exercises that reinforce vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation skills in a fun and engaging way.
- Duolingo (www.duolingo.com): Duolingo offers language courses for children, including English as a second language (ESL). With its gamified approach, students can enjoy interactive exercises that reinforce language skills while earning rewards.
Summer break can be an exciting time for ESL elementary students to continue developing their language skills. By incorporating these engaging and educational activities into their daily routines, students can improve their reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities while having fun. Additionally, utilizing online resources, apps, and websites provides access to interactive language-learning activities that make the learning process enjoyable and accessible. Let’s make this summer a time for language exploration and growth!
