5 Sample ESL Lesson Plans to Explore with Young Students (Ages 4 – 10)

Illustration of Kids In Classroom Sitting on Their Desks and Not Paying Attention to their Teacher

As English continues to be one of the most spoken language worldwide, the demand for learning English as a second language (ESL) continuously grows. For children, learning English at a young age is beneficial in many ways, including developing better communication skills, improving cognitive abilities, and providing more opportunities for future academic and career growth. When it comes to teaching ESL to children aged 4 through 10, creative and interactive methods are needed to keep them engaged and motivated. In this article, we will provide five sample ESL lesson plans designed for young learners that are fun, engaging, and effective in teaching English language basics. These lessons are designed to help children develop a strong foundation in English language skills.

Here are five sample ESL lesson plans that you can use to explore with young students.

3d bubble shaped alphabet set

1. Alphabet Lesson Plan

  • Objective: Students will learn the English alphabet and its sounds.
  • Warm-up: Sing the “Alphabet Song” and have students repeat after you.
  • Presentation: Introduce each letter of the alphabet using flashcards and explain their sounds.
  • Practice: Play a game where you say a letter and students must think of a word that starts with that letter.
  • Production: Ask students to write the alphabet on their own and practice pronouncing each letter.
Clipart Image of a Collection of Children Representing the Four Seasons

2. Seasons Lesson Plan

  • Objective: Students will learn the names of the four seasons in English.
  • Warm-up: Play a game where you show pictures of different weather conditions and students must guess which season it is.
  • Presentation: Introduce the four seasons using flashcards and show pictures of each season’s weather and activities.
  • Practice: Students will draw a picture of their favorite season and label it in English.
  • Production: Play a game where you describe a weather condition and students must guess which season it belongs to.
illustration of happy kids jumping in front of various shapes

3. Shapes Lesson Plan

  • Objective: Students will learn the names of basic shapes in English.
  • Warm-up: Ask students to draw shapes they know and label them in English.
  • Presentation: Introduce new shapes by showing pictures and using flashcards with shape names written on them.
  • Practice: Students will draw pictures using different shapes and say the shape names out loud.
  • Production: Play a game where you describe a shape and students must draw it on the board.
illustration of Kids Holding Flash Cards with Numbers

4. Numbers Lesson Plan

  • Objective: Students will learn numbers 1-20 in English.
  • Warm-up: Sing “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” and have students repeat after you.
  • Presentation: Introduce each number using flashcards and explain how to pronounce them.
  • Practice: Play a game where you hold up a certain number of fingers and students must say the number out loud.
  • Production: Ask students to count from 1-20 on their own and practice pronouncing each number.
Set of warm winter clothes design. Scarf and winter fashion, winter hat, winter coat, cloth and hat, jacket and glove, coat and boot, outerwear seasonal illustration

5. Clothing Lesson Plan

  • Objective: Students will learn the names of basic clothing items in English.
  • Warm-up: Play a game of dress-up where students must put on different clothing items and say the names in English.
  • Presentation: Introduce new clothing items by showing pictures and using flashcards with clothing names written on them.
  • Practice: Students will dress up a paper doll using different clothing items and say the clothing names out loud.
  • Production: Play a game where you describe a clothing item and students must draw it on the board.

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