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November 7, 2018 VG Teaching Resources Vocab & ELA Res , Vocab Gal , ELA K-5 , ELA Seasonal Back to School , ELA 6-8 , ELA Resources - Activities , ELA 9-12 , ELA PD - Classroom Management , ELA PD - Vocabulary , ELA Focus - Writing with Vocabulary , ELA Focus - Vocabulary

11 vocabulary homework ideas and how to motivate students to do it, by: vocab gal.

Homework is such a valuable formative assessment for both teachers and students, and yet students are motivated* by many different factors when it comes to their desire to actually complete the work. In this article, I'm sharing how to motivate students to do their homework and 11 vocabulary homework ideas and worksheets that work in grades 1–12. Plus, preview and grab my 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework Kit .

Keep scrolling to find vocabulary homework ideas! 

How to motivate students to do their homework.

As a teacher, I try to concentrate students’ learning on activities done in class, because asking some students to complete work at home can be daunting. Many times in my career I have been discouraged when more than half the class does not return to class with their homework assignment complete.

Yet we only have so many minutes with our students, and we need them to practice the concepts and skills they are learning until the knowledge becomes ingrained. Most students have a homeroom, study hall, or other downtime during the day in which they could complete activities, they just have to be motivated to do it.

Many studies cite “student choice” as one of the most important factors in inspiring students to learn. When students have the opportunity to select what questions to answer, what activity to complete or what role to play, they tend to feel more comfortable and confident about performing.

Additionally, research shows that when students are dedicated to a task important to them, like improving their video game scores, or optimizing their success on a playing field, they will go to great lengths to improve. While probably not as meaningful as their video game level, students will be more excited to answer questions about themselves than a generic worksheet.

By providing students with both choice and a topic that is personally meaningful, homework can be a great learning exercise as well as an important formative assessment.

Steps to Ensure Students Complete Homework

There are a few other motivating factors that can help establish homework as a meaningful part of a student’s educational experience. Here are suggested steps a school, parish, department, or teacher might take to ensure successful homework completion.

Step One First, confirm that students have a strong rapport with their teacher(s). While it is difficult to cultivate a deep relationship with each student, teachers should strive to show students that they value their students and are committed to helping them learn and grow to their fullest potential. I would encourage teachers not to assign homework for the first few weeks of school until they develop a classroom community of respect and appreciation for learning.

Step Two Second, once the classroom community has been established, teachers should specifically explain the importance of homework as a way of deeply ingraining knowledge. Teachers should also make it clear that homework is a meaningful formative assessment where both they and their students can understand what students know and where there are knowledge gaps.

Step Three Third, some students may be quite unhappy when being mandated to do specific work. Therefore, teachers should stress the choices a student gets when completing their homework and that students get to complete the work that best reflects their own sense of self.

Step Four Finally, the teacher should praise students individually, as well as praise the class when homework is turned in on time. Many students thrive on positive reinforcement and also many may feel guilt if they let their classmates or teacher down. Additionally, as many teachers know, a word of encouragement or a small sticker can make the difference to many.

How to Respond When Homework is Not Completed

When at last it comes time for homework collection, there will be students who did not complete the assignment, no matter how well it was set up. Teachers can again encourage students who did not complete the homework in time to think about what may motivate them to complete it. If a student seems to dislike direct mandates, providing support such as, “I know that you value your learning and will find a way to demonstrate your abilities,” might be more effective than, “Turn in your paper by Thursday or it’s a zero!”

For others who seem driven by the need to please or help others, teachers might encourage students by stating, “I’m disappointed that you weren’t able to complete your work on time, and I know you will submit your work in order to show us both what you know and understand,” might work better than, “Don’t you want the credit for this assignment?”

Vocabulary Homework Ideas for Students

For this post, I have a few homework assignments that model these ideas. Both in my new It's All About Me vocabulary practice page, and my tried-and true,  7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle, students are motivated to continue their learning because they have both choice and a focus on themselves, a topic in which they are already invested.

My new It's All About Me Vocabulary Activity tasks students with answering a series of questions about themselves using vocabulary words in context. On the first page of this download students will list their vocabulary words and write their own brief definitions. On the second page student will answer eight prompts. Each response should include at least one of the vocabulary words from their list in context . In each of their answers students must underline the context clues that would help someone unfamiliar with the word understand what it means.

With the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle, students can choose from a variety of fun and engaging activities for learning or reviewing vocabulary words. In addition to the homework selection sheet, the bundle includes worksheets for vocabulary homework ideas number five and six. The other vocabulary homework options can be completed on a plain piece of paper or in student workbooks.

Here are the vocabulary activities listed on the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework handout:

#1 Say Your Words

Do you love the sound of your own voice? Do you tend to learn information by teaching others? Then try saying each of the vocabulary words, out loud and in context, to friends, family, strangers, etc. Use either your flashcards or your list of words, and make sure to get initials from someone who heard you say your vocabulary sentence. If you can’t get a signature, just explain when and how you said the sentences and we will invoke the HONOR SYSTEM! Create two sentences per word.

Do you love to write? Do you copy your notes to help you remember information? Then try writing two sentences for each vocabulary word. These can either be two individual sentences for each word or you can put all of your words together in a story. (If you write a story, you only have to use each word once). Have fun and get creative – amuse me and impress me, but make sure you use your vocabulary words in context!

#3 Write Your Words in Other Classes

As an alternative to the above “Write your Words,” use your vocabulary in your assignments for other classes – social studies essays, science notes, art descriptions, etc. Write down the vocabulary you used for this assignment (For example: On my science test I said “Newton was meritorious,” etc.). You can abbreviate your explanations slightly, as long as I understand you know the word’s meaning; remember to use each word twice.

#4 Become Your Words

Do you gesture when you talk? Is it hard for you to sit still? Then consider creating motions to go along with your words. Cry for lament , raise your arms in praise for approbation , etc. See me during class to “perform” your motions, or write them down, making sure that the connection between word, meaning, and gesture makes sense.

#5 Draw Your Words

Are you an artist? Do you constantly doodle? Then create cartoons or drawings that illustrate each word’s meaning. Create one drawing or cartoon per word and make them neat, using clean white paper (consider using recycled paper that has printing on the other side). Paperclip all your drawings together for the end of the week.

#6 Sing Your Words

Do you love to sing? Are you constantly creating your own raps? Try rewriting the lyrics to a song to incorporate each of your vocabulary words or write your own song, rap, etc. You can also write poetry; regardless of the form you choose, the words should be used in the correct context.

#7 Test Your Words

Do you want to play teacher and write the test as well as take it? Now you can! Create a vocabulary test using all the words in a variety of different types of questions. Make sure to create the answer key to the test as well.

Download the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle and have students keep the selection sheet in their binders. Now they have seven weeks of vocabulary homework assignments!

Additional Vocabulary Homework Ideas

Ultimately, establishing a culture of community and trust in the classroom, explaining the reasoning behind and the benefits of homework, and providing choice and meaningful topics can make a significant difference in completion rates. Even if homework is not completed on time, teachers can still work to connect with each student to provide motivation to complete the assignments.

As educators, we all strive to make learning exciting and applicable to our students. By setting up clear expectations and providing interesting options, we can make any homework, including vocabulary homework, meaningful and valuable to students.

 *I have recently completed Gretchen Rubin’s audiobook The Four Tendencies about what motivates different groups of people. Many of the ideas about motivating students come loosely from her book as well as my own observations. I highly recommend the book to anyone wanting to learn how to better motivate themselves and others.

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10 ELA Lesson Plans that Engage Students Any Time of Year

Looking for meaningful ELA lesson plans that will engage students? Read on.

Any and Every Teacher:  What are you doing today?!? I don’t have anything planned!

It’s happened to every single one of us. We have the best intentions and try to prepare in advance, but sometimes things – life, testing, clothing malfunctions, sickness, you name it – foil our lesson plans. It’s a good idea to have a folder or binder of back up plans for this exact reason.

Today, I chatted with my friend Lauralee who teaches high school language arts, and we came up with a list of ten activities that will engage students any time of year. Whether it’s the last month of school or the first, these ELA lesson plans won’t take long, but students will learn. Best of all, they don’t take much prep.

Meaningful ELA Lesson Plans in a Pinch

1. play games.

Play an ELA game ! Games that ask students to interact with figurative language, grammatical terms, poetry forms, vocabulary words, and writing concepts are the perfect way to actively engage all learners. Most students have played Truth or Dare, but they’ve probably never had the honor of playing Truth or Dare Classroom style!

2. Media Literacy

Students love to eat, so bring in snacks for a meaningful activity. Before students dig in, ask them to analyze the colors, language, and fonts with this media literacy activity . Enlighten students with the marketing behind food products and packaging.

3. Creative Writing

Ask students to read a text of their choice. Any high-interest nonfiction article will work! Then, have them create an original response to the article. Everything you need to teach your students how to combine nonfiction and poetry can be found in this creative writing assignment . Give students voice and choice!

4. Public Speaking

This freebie gets students talking the entire class period. Students will analyze how tone changes the meaning of phrases. This public speaking activity is great for partner or group work.

5. Use Podcasts

Podcasts are perfect for one-day lessons. They help to build students’ listening comprehension, and they are also great practice for analysis. Try this chilling, high-interest podcast lesson on body farms .

6. Commercial Analysis

Watch commercials! What? Yes – show students that these highly curated and specialized advertisements target certain audiences. Teaching audience analysis with commercials is unexpected and fun.

7. Oxford Comma

Take time to teach students about the ever-so-controversial punctuation mark: The Oxford Comma . The examples in this free print and go lesson allow for plenty of discussion (and laughter).

8. Brainy Vocabulary

Get brainy with some brain-based vocabulary practice . Use your existing word list, or (if students do not have a current word list) use previous vocabulary lists to review. These activities will help students retain new word meanings. Here’s a digital friendly version .

9. Paired Text Analysis

Pair poetry with short films to make for an engaging paired-text analysis lesson. Check out this post for a handful of ideas regarding which poems and short films might pair well together. These graphic organizers help with scaffolding analysis of any fiction or nonfiction text.

10. Use Play-Doh

There are so many ways you can use Play-Doh! Have students create molds that represent important symbols in literature. Or, ask them to play “pictionary” with Play-Doh for vocabulary words. They could also practice punctuating practice sentences by making end marks and commas out of the dough. If your students could use an introduction to or review of the writing process, try this kinesthetic Play-Doh activity for teens . Don’t have Play-Doh? No worries! You can try all of these activities with aluminum foil, pipe cleaners, or cardstock. Teaching remotely? Here’s the digital writing process lesson I use to decrease frustration and maximize learning!

After Lauralee and I sat down to brainstorm this list, we realized we had way more than ten ideas to help teachers who are in a bind. If you want more, check out her post for ten more language arts lesson plans to keep students engaged – in May or any time of year!

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A Full Year’s Worth of ELA Ideas for Every Classroom

Last week, I wrote about how one of my greatest passions is collaborating and learning with other educators. It is truly the best way to discover new ideas, experiment in my own classroom, and adjust to make it just right for my students. 

Last year, I had the opportunity to collaborate with 11 other educators on a range of valuable ELA topics, from classroom management to reading and writing strategies. This collaboration resulted in a list of 144 creative and valuable ideas that you adapt to your classroom. 

Today, I wanted to share a list of these resources in one place so you can use it as a guide whenever you’re looking for inspiration!

12 Podcast Episodes that Will Make You a Better ELA Teacher  

Hosted by Ashley Bible of Building Book Love

Every English teacher should listen to these podcast episodes. Ranging from inspirational stories to important issues, these episodes will improve your teaching.

12 Activities To Encourage Your High School Students To Love Reading  

Hosted by me!

We all have reluctant readers, but it only takes a little creativity and the right reading activity for a love of reading to bloom. Check out this post for 12 reading activities that your high school and middle school students are sure to love. You’ll find ideas, lessons, projects, and assignments to help struggling readers and engage strong readers.

12 Ideas to Freshen Up Your Approach to Poetry  

Hosted by Amanda Cardenas of Mud and Ink Teaching

Teaching poetry can be intimidating for secondary English teachers. However, these tips will help you rethink what poetry instruction in the classroom can look like. Lesson plans, inspiration, and new ideas are all featured here for new teachers all the way up to veteran teachers.

12 Creative Ways to Connect with Your Students Online  

Hosted by Emily Aierstok of Read It, Write It, Learn It

Together, I worked with 12 other Secondary English educators to gather the best ideas for keeping the magic alive in our online classrooms. We hope that these ideas will refresh your online teaching and help to bring joy to you and your students. Along with each idea, we provide ways to differentiate for students with limited access to resources.

12 Essay Alternatives That Will Make Your Students Think Outside The Box  

Hosted by Staci Yamanishi of Donut Lovin’ Teacher

We all know wrapping up a novel or unit doesn’t mean your students have to write formal essays every single time. So, how can I asses student learning in meaningful ways that push them to think deeply? It’s easy to get stuck figuring out how to break the monotony of a traditional essay format, and engage students in fun and creative opportunities to write, speak, or innovate. That’s why I’m excited that I got to collaborate with some of my absolute favorite ELA teachers to share these twelve essay alternatives your students will love as much as you, even during distance learning! 

12 Classroom Routines to Try in the Secondary ELA Classroom  

Hosted by Christina Schneider of The Daring English Teacher

One of the first things teachers learn in their pre-service teaching classes is the importance of establishing effective classroom routines and procedures for the middle school and high school classroom. Here is a look at 12 effective daily classroom routines to consider for your middle school ELA or high school English classroom.

12 Ways to Build Literacy in the Secondary Classroom  

Hosted by Lauralee Moss of Language Arts Classroom

Among lesson plans, meetings, modifications, and other parts of the job, showcasing literacy may have fallen. Teaching literacy in high school is important, though. How can we promote literacy in high school? What works for older students will not be what works for younger students. We secondary teachers need new approaches for promoting literacy in high school.

12 Free Back-to-School ELA Ideas  

Hosted by Staci Lamb of The Engaging Station

Twelve English educators got together to compile this blog post featuring 12 free back-to-school ELA ideas in hopes that you might find some value in them and be able to incorporate them into your classrooms.

12 Powerful Discussion Strategies To Engage Students  

Hosted by Melissa Kruse of Reading and Writing Haven

 Looking for collaborative class discussion strategies that work across settings? This post is full of a variety of engaging technology and formatting options for blended learning, online teaching, and face-to-face instruction.

12 Teacher Organization Hacks for the Virtual and Hybrid Classroom  

Hosted by Shana Ramin of Hello Teacher Lady

I’ve collaborated with some of my favorite tech-savvy English teachers to bring you 12 organization tips to help you organize your digital classroom routines, streamline your feedback system, rock your digital lesson plans and more.

12 Ideas for Engaging Readers in Social Justice Themes

Hosted by Tanesha B. Forman of love.tanesha

I’ve long held that social and racial justice is not a side-dish, it’s the entrée. Heightened critical consciousness positions students to question and challenge everything. As educators, we have to be intentional about holding space for this. 

12 Engaging Strategies to Teach Persuasion, Argument, & Debate  

Hosted by Abby Gross of Write on with Miss G

Ready to ditch the 5-paragraph persuasive essay and engage your students in meaningful persuasion? Here are a dozen different strategies for your ELA classroom.

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12 Free Back-to-School ELA Ideas

August 15, 2020

Many of us are returning to school under unprecedented circumstances. Some of us are returning virtually, some hybrid, and some in-person with many new limitations. Regardless of how we return, I’m sure we can all relate on the apprehension, confusion, and stress that is involved in every part of our daily decision-making.

Twelve English educators got together to compile this blog post featuring 12 free back-to-school ELA ideas in hopes that you might found some value in them and be able to incorporate them into your classrooms.

While there is much uncertainty, one thing we can continue to do is uplift and help one another as we navigate these many unknowns. Below, you’ll find some great ideas from English educators with free resources included and linked for each.

If you haven’t seen my last blog post, I discussed five short stories that you can start your year with .

You can grab the free reflection activities here. These can be used on a weekly basis or on an as-needed or unit-based approach as well.

Ashley Bible at Building Book Love uses a literary themed student survey sheet to get to know her ELA students in a creative way. For example, one of the prompts on the sheet is “The Imagery of You” where students fill in their sensory language favorites. You can get this FREE back-to-school resource here: Free ELA Profile Sheet and learn how to convert it to a digital resource here for at home learning: How to make your worksheets editable online.

Another fun back-to-school idea is to have students fill out a form with 3-5 “fun facts” about them. These facts can be used throughout the year as a quick “Who’s Who?” game when you have a few extra minutes at the end of class to spare. Shana Ramin from Hello, Teacher Lady wrote about how she uses this idea on her blog , and it can easily be adapted to a digital or hybrid environment. Simply take a fact or two and turn them into a descriptive statement — “This person is a vegetarian who loves windsurfing” — and have students try to guess which person is being described. Shana says it’s super fun and a great community builder!

Emily Aierstok, from  Read it. Write it. Learn it. , works to build a classroom community with her students from day one. The key, Emily says, is making sure students feel ownership. The classroom is THEIRS, not the teacher’s. The very first activity Emily does with her students is share the following paragraph from a 1972 schema study by Bransford and Johnson:

The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange things into different groups. Of course one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step; otherwise you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will just become another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one can never tell. After the procedure is completed one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more, and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is a part of life. After reading, Emily hides the paragraph and asks her students to recall what they just read. The kids nervously laugh and discover the paragraph is very hard to remember. Then, Emily tells her students that the paragraph is about doing laundry. Lightbulbs go off around the room. Emily shows her students the paragraph again, gives them 60 seconds to read, then hides it. She asks her students to recall what they just read. The students can all remember specific details.

This whole “experiment” is not only fun, but it also shows kids that they are all learning and growing and that with basic strategies (tapping into prior knowledge, the power of context, reading a text more than once), they can understand some of the most challenging texts.

After the experiment, Emily’s class has a discussion about their individual learning goals, their individual strengths, weaknesses, and failures they’ve learned from, and how they will work to empower each other as learners. By the end of day two, students feel more connected. You can read more details about Emily’s first days here .

A fishbowl discussion is a great way to encourage students to practice sharing and listening. Jenna Copper ( @drjennacopper ) loves using a fishbowl discussion format at the beginning of the school year to practice these valuable skills.

Here’s how it works: Choose four to five students to sit in the “fishbowl” circle and discuss a given topic. For the beginning of the year, icebreaker topics are a great way to build classroom community. As they discuss, the outer circle must be silent as they listen to the discussion. Rotate students in and out of the fishbowl so they get practice in each role.

To add an extra layer of accountability, download Jenna’s free fishbowl discussion accountable talk guide. This graphic organizer will encourage student participation and make giving a participation grade more manageable.

With the uncertainty of this upcoming school year, Abby from Write on With Miss G is planning flexible back-to-school lessons that will work in any setting, whether that’s virtual, hybrid, or in-person. To do this, she is using Google slides to create activities that can be completed anywhere.

For example, she is planning on facilitating “back to school” learning stations on the second day of class. You can easily create these and adapt them to fit your needs, but here are her stations:

• Station 1: Students review the syllabus and answer some essential questions.
• Station 2: Students set goals with learning objectives written in student-friendly language.
• Station 3: Students design a slide to creatively represent their “one word” that will represent the 20-21 school year.
• Station 4: Students complete a practical Google forms student survey that gathers essential information.
• Station 5: Students complete a “get-to-know-you” Padlet selfie activity.

To learn more about Abby’s adaptable back-to-school plans, check out this blog post. For help on structuring virtual learning stations, head to this post.

Amanda from Mud and Ink Teaching tries to focus on activities during the first week of school that “double dip” between fun and practicing crucial classroom routines. In this blog post, Amanda outlines the way that she structures her first ten days of school in a way that hits all three of her focal points for the year: relationships, routines, and rigor. Two of her favorite activities include a letter to the teacher and some time of small group team-building challenge.

Letter to the Teacher: this is a simple exercise that Amanda assigns students after providing a brief introduction of her own life with students. The activity “double-dips” as a relationship builder (getting to know her students) and serves as a preliminary writing sample.

Small Group Challenges: One common classroom routine in Amanda’s classroom is moving from large group instruction to small group instruction and back to large group again quickly and efficiently. For a first practice with this routine, Amanda sets up some kind of challenge (in-person she does this really cool thing with marshmallows and virtually she does a breakout room survival challenge ). The kids are getting to know each other (building relationships) and also practicing the logistics of an important classroom routine.

For more ideas that will help you “double-dip” your lesson planning for the first week or so, check out Amanda’s podcast Brave New Teaching and listen to this episode all about going back to school!

Lauralee from Language Arts Classroom gets to know her students through the power of literature. No matter the age of your students, they will love read-alouds. With First Chapter Friday , you can introduce students to new authors, genres, and subject matter.

Here’s how it works: Earlier in the week, “advertise” your book to students. If the book has a trailer or if the author has done an interview, show students an interesting snippet. Then on Friday, read the first chapter to them. (Spend approximately ten minutes reading.) Then encourage students to check out the book or a similar read.

As a lifelong reader, Tanesha, of Love Tanesha , enjoys experiencing the fluidity of her reading and writing habits. Reflecting on how her reading and writing identities have grown over time is an experience she has brought to her classroom to refute the binary belief that you are either a reader or not. Tanesha teaches students how to reflect on their reading interests by noting what they have read, topics they enjoy reading, and books they want to read.

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to capture student perspectives on reading and writing. It’s very simple! Teachers assign the profiles and allow them to complete it based on their experiences. As a best practice, teachers should share their reading profiles with students. The goal is to discuss the critical concept that our orientation with reading is an evolving process. We have high and lows. We read books we love and dislike, and these experiences shape us as readers. Here are templates to get you started. The model intentionally uses pictures because Tanesha believes in the power of allowing students to use different formats. Additionally, opening the range of what’s acceptable increases the likelihood of students being honest. Some students might want to write, while others might want to use bullets. This activity should be revisited and updated throughout the year.

As much as we want to know about our students, building a classroom community means that teachers also need to share their interests, experiences, and goals with students. Staci over at Donut Lovin’ Teacher remembers that the teachers she felt the most connected to were the ones that told stories about their lives outside of the classroom. She loves getting to know her students through Back to School activities but always remembers to reflect and share about herself as well.

One way teachers can introduce themselves is by writing a letter of introduction to their students and then asking students to write one too. Plus, it is a great informal assessment of their writing! Try starting the first or second day with a K-W-L-H chart to find out student perceptions (and prior knowledge) about you, as well as what they are curious about. Then give students the letters you wrote to them (folded in an envelope with their names on it is a nice touch, but not necessary). Revisit the K-W-L-H to show how learning happens and potentially talk about credible sources. Finally, discuss the focus, style, content, or organization of the letter (whatever you want to tackle) so students have a sense of what is expected of them in their letter of introduction.

Provide students a couple days to write these letters, as you want them to ease into the school year and really think about what it is they want to share with you, but keep in mind that how much you share with them may impact how much they share with you in return. This free Top 3 Activity will also give you a glimpse of how Staci shares who she is with her students to build relationships in a digital classroom.

It’s important that we work hard to create a classroom culture in which students feel SEEN, APPRECIATED, AND UNDERSTOOD. This is challenging, especially for middle and high school teachers, because of the large numbers of students we work with on a regular basis. Add to that the element of distance learning, and we really need to get creative!

Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven wrote about 12 practical ways to build a virtual classroom community on her blog. One of the easiest ways to get started is to invite parents to partner with us. Whether we are…

• opening our synchronous meetings for guardians to sit with their students
• asking parents to share how they are using reading and writing in life
• or creating asynchronous situations in which adults and their teens can celebrate learning together,

we can build a relationship that enhances the classroom community.

Melissa created this FREE parent interview you can use to give parents a voice at the beginning of a new school year. Survey guardians about their children. They will be able to provide valuable insights you can use to connect with students which you might not otherwise be aware of in the physical or virtual classroom.

*This parent interview is in Google Form survey format to make it convenient for distance learning!

One way that Christina, The Daring English Teacher , likes to start the new school year is by getting to know her new students. In order to do this, she has her students fill out an informational, back-to-school student survey.

Christina created this free student survey with purpose and intention. This student survey includes important information that helps teachers get to know their new students, including questions about preferred names, birthday, and pronouns. And now with starting the school year remotely or in a socially-distanced setting, it is even more important to take time to build a classroom community. As a way to start this school year remotely, The Daring English Teacher used this free About Me Student Presentation activity in her classroom on the first day of school.

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21 Creative ELA Lessons you can use Immediately

• June 7, 2022

Dear Chapter Comprehension Questions, As Taylor Swift would say, “We are NEVER EVER EVER… getting back together.”

You with me?

It’s so fun rolling out something new in class. You can feel the spring in your step on the way from the parking lot when you know you’ve got lesson planning gold penciled into your planner. There’s a relief in moving into a day where your kids are going to be excited and engaged, and the pressure can lift off you. The day becomes more about guiding and celebrating, less about trying to hold everyone’s attention away from their phones.

In today’s podcast, I’m sharing twenty-one ways to make this happen. Whether you’re a new teacher or an experienced teacher trying to shake off the strain and exhaustion of the pandemic, I hope you can bookmark this post as a go-to for when you just need a great day in class. A day that’s different.

For almost every activity, there’s either a ready-to-go resource you can grab or a blog post or podcast to walk you through it with more depth if you’d like that. Sometimes both!

You can listen in below, click here to tune in on any podcast player, or read on for the full post.

OK. Let’s do it.

Experiment with Hexagonal Thinking

If you’re hearing way too many crickets when you ask questions in class, try approaching your next discussion with hexagonal thinking. Your students will make creative connections between characters, themes, style elements, and the world today as they debate how to move their hexagons around to best demonstrate their thinking.

Learn how to create your first deck in Episode 127: How to Create a Hexagonal Thinking Deck .

Sign up for the free editable toolkit full of templates here.

Download the dry erase rainbow set featured in the photo here.

Try a Silent Discussion

Another reliable option for helping kids get more actively involved in discussion is to try a silent one. Whether you use digital templates (as shown above) or butcher paper on the walls, silent discussions can help more students into the conversation. It gives everyone more time to think through their responses, hear from more people, and avoid the ruts and patterns a class can develop in discussions (oh hello, same student who answered the last five questions. I see your hand is up – thank you!)

Make your copy of the slides here .

Try a One-Pager

If you’re looking for a new way for students to show you their understanding of a book, poem, Ted talk, film, podcast, play, etc. , a one-pager is a powerful option. Students can combine images, words, and quotations to capture their key takeaways. I like to use templates so even the art-haters have a clear path towards a compelling final product.

Read more about how to set up a successful one-pager activity and grab my free templates with directions over in this post.

Give Blackout Poetry a Spin

If you’re diving into a poetry unit and feeling stressed that kids aren’t going to like it, you’re not alone. Luckily, there are so many wonderful ways to help guide kids gently into writing poetry so they can enjoy it! Blackout poetry is a consistent, easy win for most teachers I work with.

Get the step-by-step right here.

Run a First Chapter Friday

First chapter Friday is a fabulous way to ignite your choice reading program. You can bring in so many wonderful authors your students might never meet otherwise, and I can almost guarantee they’ll groan when you close the book and ask you to read more! (Especially if you grab anything by Jason Reynolds.

Read more in the post, “ Tips for Successful First Chapter Fridays. ”

Choose authors as guest readers from this roundup: 11 First Chapter Friday Videos

Make your copy of the sketchnotes templates here.

Watch Performance Poetry

Performance poetry is a MUST ADD for your poetry unit. It’s a hook like no other, and you won’t be sorry that you included it!

Check out this slideshow with my favorite clips to play for students – each one is linked to the video so just click play to preview them and then play them for your students.

Introduce Podcasts as Texts

Podcasts provide an extensive library of free digital texts on just about any topic you can imagine! Including them as complementary texts in any unit provides depth and modern perspective. Plus, they’re a fabulous foundation for starting your own student podcasting project.

Get ideas for podcasting projects in this post, 5 Class Podcast Projects for ELA .

Find out how to build them in as texts with a unique spin in “ How to Get Started with Podcast Clubs .”

Try Literature Circles

Literature circles, book clubs, whatever you call ’em – they provide a strong path to student choice. Get a few copies of a lot of great books, then let students decide which one to read and guide them to work through the book in small groups.

Find out how in this post, Literature Circles for Big Kids.

Try Digital Poetry Tiles

Since I learned how to create these digital poetry tile sets, I’ve been a bit obsessed. I’ve repeatedly heard from teachers that these are a consistent win. The pressure of writing poetry is erased when kids can just drag and drop the words around the screen, so it’s an ideal early workshop in a poetry unit (though it also makes a great sub plan or in between day).

Learn how to make your own kits (and sign up for the one featured above) in Episode 109: How to Make Digital Magnetic Poetry Activities .

Try I Am From Poems

And speaking of fabulous poetry workshops, I’ve never known the I am From workshop to fail! There’s something about this template that guides kids to write powerful personal work.

Get the step-by-step in this post, “How to Use ‘I am from’ Poems in Class.”

Host a Literary Food Truck Festival

The Literary Food Truck Project is a creative way to wrap up a choice reading, book club, or even whole class novel unit. Students design food trucks themed to their books, and it’s so much fun!

Get all the details in this post, “ How to Host a Literary Food Truck Festival. ”

See how one high school brought this project to life in Episode 120: Collegiate High School’s Literary Food Truck Festival .

You can sign up for the complete curriculum for this project below. You’ll also get my weekly idea emails.

Try Six Word Memoir

The concept is so simple, the results so amazing! Let students write six word memoirs for themselves or for literary characters. This is a great activity to bring into a personal memoir unit or a short stories unit.

Get ideas for how and when to use this project in this post, “ 6 Word Memoirs for ELA .”

Want to try them as an icebreaker in the first week of school? Check out this post.

Make a copy of the templates pictured above right here.

Try a Small Genius Hour Project

Have you heard of genius hour? The concept is pretty simple – students get to spend some of their time pursuing a passion. They’re also called passion projects, in fact. Maybe a student wants to learn to make chocolate sculptures, code robots, or start an Etsy business. Whatever it is, during genius hour, they get to research and try the thing they love, then document it for class.

Listen in to Episode 122: The Ultimate Guide to Genius Hour in EL A.

Have Students create a Research Carousel

If you could use a creative (and shorter) twist on the traditional research project, try a research carousel! For this project, students boil down their research into a learning post as if they were creating for Instagram. Through a series of square images, they need to teach in a way their audience will understand and appreciate, using both graphics and text.

Learn more in Episode 136: Creative Real-World Research Projects .

Hold a Book Tasting

A book tasting will help your students explore your choice reading library or the book club options you’re rolling out. It makes for a memorable day in class as well as an ideal segue into a new unit.

Get the play by play and a helpful companion resource in this post, “ How to Host a Book Tasting in Class .”

Experiment with Sketchnotes

How do I love thee, sketchnotes, let me count the ways!

Yeah, I’m really into these. Taking notes in this way makes it much easier for me to concentrate, and studies show this method also makes it easier to remember information. Sketchnotes elevate note taking from what can feel like a chore to a creative critical thinking activity. I find it especially useful as an option when kids are listening to read alouds, Ted Talks, or podcasts.

Tune in to Episode 140: Every Student can Sketchnote , with Sylvia Duckworth, to learn more!

Explore the Writing Makerspace

The writing makerspace gives you sooo many creative options in class. When you build loose parts and art supplies into your classroom, you can dip into them to have students create characters, settings, conflicts, and even argument structures. I’ve learned everything I know about the writing makerspace from its creator, Angela Stockman, and you can too!

Check out this post, “ How to Start a Writing Makerspace. ”

Then listen in to this episode with Angela, “ The Power of the Writing Makerspace. ”

Teach through Stations

Stations provide movement and variety in any lesson. And it’s often quite simple to break your activities down into stations so students can rotate through them. It provides you with the opportunity to work with a small group or move around and help kids who really need it, all in the context of a busy day of getting good work done.

Get ideas for how to use stations in this post, “ 8 Station Ideas for ELA .”

Try Discussion Role Cards

It can be easy for student to fall into discussion ruts. There are kids who think of themselves as the leaders and kids who stay quiet, kids who bring the jokes and kids who interrupt. Discussion role cards can help. Cut them out, tape them under the students desks or pass them out secretly, and then see how the dynamics of your classroom change. Give the kids time to reflect afterwards, and realize that they don’t have to stick to the roles they’ve accidentally taken on over the years.

Grab the free cards here.

Try a Choice Reading Unit

Are you looking to break into choice reading but you’re not sure how? A choice reading unit can help students make friends with your choice reading library, and it quickly gives you a lot of student knowledge of your books. Once every kid in the class has read something from your shelf, you can tap kids to do book talks on their favorites and hope that some buzz will build around favorites. It’s a great launching point for building a culture of choice reading in your classroom.

Learn more in Episode 142, Choice Reading: Building a Reading Culture .

I’ll help you find the creative ELA strategies that will light up your classroom. Get ready for joyful teaching!

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Betsy, the ideas and resources you’ve shared here are awesome (as always)! Seriously–I will be coming back to many of the ideas in this post throughout the coming school year, I know! Your templates are always so nice, and I’m so appreciative that you’ve shared them with us! I love the “Where I’m From” poem and have used it around Mother’s Day along with another mentor poem. The students make them their own, and then most choose one of them to give as gifts. I print them off on pretty paper, and we roll them up with a doily and tie a pretty bow. Some of the poems my 7th graders have come up with from “Where I’m From” as a mentor have been so sweet and insightful–and parents have appreciated them. I think I’ll start the year with it this year and just encourage the kids to take a second look at it around Mother’s Day and consider it (or revisions of it) as a gift at that point. It’s such a good way to get to know them. I always think, “I wish I would have known this about you before!” I write one of my own, so the kids get to guess what the significant details in mine are all about, and they get to know me better too! Perfect for starting the year–I was toying with it–you convinced me!

Oh wow, Geri, this is so nice! What a lovely idea to share the poems as gifts, and it sounds like you make it really special. I hope you’ll also love it for the start of the year – maybe you can find a twist on it for Mother’s Day so you can revisit the pieces from a slightly new angle. All the best, Betsy

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10 Free ELA Resources That Every Middle and High School Teacher Needs

Is there anything better than free resources for middle and high school ELA teachers? When feeling tight on time to plan, or curious about trying something new in the classroom, I love to lean on my bank of freebies, tricks, and tips. These include free reading and writing activities, as well as ready-to-print resources for grammar, poetry, or ELA skill-building lessons.

If you’d like to expand your library of free resources for middle and high school ELA teachers, I’ve rounded up ten of my all-time favorites for you! Here are some of my top picks:

1. Grammar Challenge: 

I find grammar is a trouble spot for many students. If you experience this too, an engaging resource can really help! In the Commas in a Series Grammar Challenge , students hone their comma skills by identifying how words, phrases, and clauses can be separated in a sentence. The activity is presented in the form of an escape room (which is always a winner in the classroom!). 

I like to begin by explaining the backstory of the fictional scenario. For this task, students take on the role of an anthropologist who has inadvertently stumbled upon a promising clue. It just so happens that this clue was discovered while hunting for treasure in ancient Mayan ruins. Next, in small groups, students examine task cards, identifying the numbers of commas missing in each example (remembering the Oxford comma, of course!). If they complete the task correctly, they can use the provided floor plan of the Mayan temple to track their way to the hidden treasure. If they don’t, they will need to start again!

Similar activities can be found in the year-long Grammar Challenge bundle. It contains 40 weeks’ worth of engaging lessons, stories, escape rooms, assessments, and other activities to help middle and high school ELA students brush up on their grammar skills.

2. Comma Posters

Eye-catching posters are a great way to breathe life into your classroom decor. They’re especially helpful when they help to reinforce concepts from middle and high school ELA class! Grammar posters are a high-impact resource to support students during every stage of the writing process.

This free resource for middle and high school ELA teachers covers the eight different ways that commas can be used, including:

• To introduce items in a list
• Before co-ordinating conjunctions
• After introductory elements
• To set off appositives
• And many more!

High-impact, easy-to-download posters can be printed in color or black and white, and look great in the classroom all year long.

3. Four Free Weeks of Bell-Ringers

Bell-ringers are such a game-changer for classroom routine. As the class works on short tasks that focus on essential ELA skills, it buys you time to complete attendance, collect forms, meet one-on-one with individual students, and start the day with a calm and relaxed outlook! 

The free download contains four one-week samples of a variety of bell-ringer activities for middle and high school ELA classrooms. They include high-interest tasks such as:

• Figurative language practice
• Critical thinking activities
• Grammar and spelling skill-building tasks
• Brainstorming prompts
• Quotation analysis
• Writing prompts

Interested in even more bell-ringers? Check out a variety of bell-ringer tasks for middle and high school ELA teachers here ! (Don’t worry, elementary ELA teachers – there’s a bundle for you, too !)

4. Nonfiction Article of the Week: 

Nonfiction articles can be a great way to boost middle and high school ELA students’ close reading, comprehension, inferencing, and critical thinking skills. I love incorporating nonfiction reading into students’ weekly schedule. One of my favorite passages is about hot dog eating contests (students love it, too)!

I begin the lesson by activating my students’ prior knowledge – I ask what they already know about hot dog eating contests. Then we read about the famous Coney Island hot dog eating contest together. Using a graphic organizer, students track their responses to questions about the reading, citing evidence from the text when needed.

For even more nonfiction reading instruction resources, check out the Nonfiction Article of the Week Program . This 40-week bundle for middle and high school ELA teachers includes high-interest articles, instruction slides, standards-based reading responses, videos, and creative assignments.

5. Figurative Language:

If you’ve always wanted to test out an escape room-inspired activity in your middle or high school ELA classroom, this free resource is a great choice.

In the Figurative Language Escape Challenge , students practice skills related to close reading, critical thinking, and figurative language. Working alone or in groups, they begin by reading a brief passage that contains a variety of different examples of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, and onomatopoeia). As they identify the different types of figurative language using a color code, a key is revealed that allows students to “escape” the room!

Looking for even more escape room activities for middle and high school ELA? Shop the complete collection here .

6. Poetry Discussion:

Poetry can be a tricky topic for middle and high school students, especially if you want them to dive more deeply into the analysis and interpretation of a poem. This is why poetry discussion task cards are one of my all-time favorite resources for guiding think-pair-share routines or small group work.

This printable free poetry discussion resource for middle and high school ELA teachers is easy to use with minimal prep! To get started, print the cards and cut them out, then distribute a few of them to different groups or pairs of students. Together, they can select the question they want to respond to, and move the discussion forward from there! Best of all, the questions are flexible enough to be used with almost any poetry you are already studying in your learning space.

I like to begin this activity by laying out the ground rules for respectful, productive, and on-task discussions. During this introduction, I also like to clarify expectations for how long the students should spend on this task, and what they should do when they are done (select another card and keep discussing poetry, of course!).

If you’re looking for even more ideas to make your poetry lessons more engaging and collaborative, check out my blog post on 3 Collaborative Poetry Challenges Your Students Will Love .

7. Reading Challenge:

Reading challenges are an amazing for helping to build essential ELA skills in a fun and engaging way. In this interactive escape room-style activity , students will put their vocabulary skills to the test as they work collaboratively to solve a series of riddles and clues to reveal a secret code!

Students begin by imagining they are visiting the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on a once-in-a-lifetime school trip to Egypt. While exploring, they lose track of time and find they are locked in the famous library! Using vocabulary, teamwork and logical reasoning skills, students need to examine a bank of words and identify synonyms in context. Once they have solved the puzzles, they take the first letter of each new word used to spell a secret message that allows them to leave the library!

If you want to make reading mysteries part of your regular literacy program, check out the full-year Reading Mysteries Program . It contains a collection of highly engaging resources to help improve comprehension, close reading, and inference skills.

8. English 5-4-3-2-1

For a different take on bell-ringers in middle and high school ELA, why not try a free week of English 5-4-3-2-1 ?

This resource includes everything you need to support five days of ELA skill-building, including student handouts, instructional slides to clarify each task, and a teacher key. Here’s how it works:

• 5 – On the first day, students read a short passage and identify five capitalization errors. 
• 4 – To kick off the next day, students make inferences about the meaning of four vocabulary words, using context clues.
• 3 – On the third day, students examine three underlined terms in a short paragraph, and offer suggestions for more interesting word choices.
• 2 – As students move into the fourth activity, they identify and describe two different figures of speech from a brief passage of text.
• 1 – Wrapping up the week, students reference a writing prompt to draft a well-crafted paragraph. Of course, it should contain a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

Looking for even more bell-ringers, or a full year of English 5-4-3-2-1 ? Click here to check out the full range of 40-week skill-building programs for middle and high school ELA!

9. Literary Terms Bookmarks:

For a quick and easy reference tool, nothing beats a printable bookmark! I love using Literary Terms Bookmarks in a variety of different ways, from independent reading to structured novel studies.

These handy free resources for middle and high school ELA can be printed on regular paper or on cardstock for greater durability. Conveniently, they are available in high-color, light-color, and black and white versions, depending on your resources.

Most importantly, each bookmark contains a reminder for students about the literary terms they will likely encounter while reading fiction. Terms included on the bookmarks include:

• Foreshadowing

10. Inference Mystery:

Generally, I find students need a bit of additional support to make inferences while reading. This is why this Inference Mystery Challenge is one of my favorite free resources for middle and high school ELA teachers!

In this engaging task, students need to take on the role of detective. The principal is missing and possibly kidnapped)! With this in mind, they need to examine the crime scene, and look through evidence, including emails, notes, and a resume. As they pore over the clues, they need to make inferences about who kidnapped the principal!

What I really love about this task is that students can work alone or in small groups. Best of all, the Inference Mystery Challenge is available in a fully digital version. This is great for remote learning and paperless classrooms!

Similar activities are available in the Inference Activities Bundle . It includes a variety of tasks to help middle and high school ELA students brush up on their inferencing skills.

Whether you use them right away or save them for later, I hope these ten free resources for middle and high school ELA teachers support you in your classroom!

Looking for even more teaching inspiration? Join the Presto Plans: The English Teachers’ Lounge closed discussion group on Facebook !

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• Divide decimals by powers of 10 (2)
• Divide decimals by whole numbers (4)
• Geometry (29)
• Parallel lines (5)
• Angles (15)
• 2d Shapes (3)
• Partition 2D Shapes (3)
• Partition into equal parts (3)
• Coordinate Planes (1)
• Plot on the Coordinate Plane (1)
• Measurement (61)
• Capacity (12)
• Length (14)
• Area of Shapes (13)
• Area of 2D Shapes (5)
• Area as Additive (5)
• Perimeter (13)
• Perimeter of Shapes (13)
• Counting Money (11)
• Operations With Money (11)
• Add and Subtract Money (8)
• Multiply and Divide Money (3)
• Algebra (85)
• Patterns (14)
• Number Patterns (14)
• Extend Number Patterns (1)
• Generate Number Patterns (1)
• Factors and Multiples (51)
• Factors (30)
• Multiples (14)
• Prime and Composite Numbers (11)
• Word Problems (243)
• Addition and Subtraction Word Problems (58)
• Addition Word Problems (30)
• Subtraction Word Problems (15)
• Decimal Subtraction Word Problems (9)
• Multiplication and Division Word Problems (104)
• Multiplication Word Problems (66)
• Division Word Problems (35)
• Fraction Word Problems (34)
• Multi-step Word Problems (27)
• Money Word Problems (10)
• Reading (105)
• Reading Skills (105)
• Cause and Effect (12)
• Inference (10)
• Identify the Main Idea (22)
• Categorize Pictures into Groups (4)
• Choose a Suitable Heading (5)
• Prediction (6)
• Sequencing (17)
• Arrange Pictures in Order (3)
• Arrange Sentences in Order (4)
• Story Elements (4)
• Compare and Contrast (3)
• Point of View (3)
• Comprehension (8)
• Character Analysis (6)
• Text Structure (4)
• Fact or Opinion (1)
• Using Illustrations (3)
• Context Clues (3)
• Evaluating Authors Argument and Evidence (3)
• Grammar (73)
• Adverbs and Adjectives (13)
• Nouns and Pronouns (17)
• Pronouns (6)
• Parts of Speech (6)
• Prepositions and Conjunctions (9)
• Conjunctions (5)
• Prepositions (4)
• Punctuation (7)
• Sentences (13)
• Verbs and Tenses (9)
• Article A An The (1)
• Spelling (9)
• Common Misspellings (4)
• Unscramble (5)
• Vocabulary (34)
• Affixes (5)
• Commonly Confused Words (6)
• Compound Words (6)
• Figures of Speech (3)
• Similes and Metaphors (3)
• Synonyms and Antonyms (8)
• Word Puzzles (6)

• What's the cause? - Part 1 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 1).

What's the effect? - Part 1 Game

Determine the answer to 'What's the effect' (Part 1) by playing this game.

Analyzing Cause and Effect Worksheet

Enhance critical thinking skills with our cause-and-effect analysis worksheet. Identify relationships between events to understand causes and effects.

Cause and Effect: Exploring Actions and Consequences Worksheet

Discover the power of the cause-and-effect relationships with our worksheet. Learn how actions lead to consequences and enhance your critical thinking.

All ELA Resources

Writing Words With Diphthongs

Dive into the world of diphthongs! Enhance language skills by writing words with diphthongs in this fun phonics worksheet.

What's the cause? - Part 2 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 2).

What's the effect? - Part 2 Game

Utilise your english language skils to determine the effect (Part 2).

Cause and Effect Matching Worksheet

Strengthen your analytical skills with our cause-and-effect matching worksheet. Practice matching causes with effects to improve understanding.

What's the cause? - Part 3 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 3).

What's the effect? - Part 3 Game

Play this game to determine 'what's the effect' (Part 3).

Find Cause and Effect with Pictures Worksheet

Enhance comprehension with our picture-based cause and effect worksheet. Explore the relationship between events through visual cues for improved understanding.

Pick Out the Cause Worksheet

Strengthen comprehension skills with our engaging worksheet. Explore cause and effect relationships for enhanced critical thinking and analytical abilities.

Decode the image! - Part 1 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 1).

Decode the image! - Part 2 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 2).

Unraveling the Cause and Effect Relationship Worksheet

Unleash your analytical abilities with our engaging cause-and-effect worksheet. Explore the connections between events and their outcomes.

Image Inference: Enhance Critical Thinking Skills Worksheet

Enhance inferencing skills through engaging picture-based activities. Develop the ability to draw conclusions and make inferences based on visual clues.

Decode the image! - Part 3 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 3).

What do you mean? - Part 1 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 1).

Is it Inferred or Explicit? Worksheet

Deepen reading comprehension by identifying inferred and explicit information. Uncover hidden meanings with our thought-provoking worksheet.

Select the Suitable Inference Worksheet

Boost your child's inferencing skills. In this engaging worksheet, they will select suitable inferences based on key details in the given passages.

What do you mean? - Part 2 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 2).

What do you mean? - Part 3 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 3).

Sort the Inferred and Explicit Information Worksheet

Uncover the hidden meaning with our thought-provoking worksheet. Enhance reading comprehension skills by identifying inferred and explicit information.

Discovering the Core: Unveiling Main Ideas Worksheet

Improve reading comprehension with our main idea worksheet. Enhance understanding and extract key information from texts.

What's the main idea? - Part 1 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 1) to practice your english language skills.

What's the main idea? - Part 2 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 2) to practice your english language skills.

Eli and His Ideas Worksheet

Join Eli and his mom, as they navigate waiting in line by imagining themselves as pirates and sheriffs, adding excitement to mundane errands. Sharpen your reading comprehension skills with this fun worksheet.

• Find the Main Idea Worksheet

In this fun worksheet, children will read an exciting story and practice identifying the main idea and key details.

What's the main idea? - Part 3 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 3) to practice your english language skills.

What's the main idea? - Part 4 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 4) to practice your english language skills.

Find the Main Idea and Summarise Worksheet

Strengthen comprehension and summarization skills with our worksheet. Identify main ideas and key details for better understanding.

Spot the Main Idea and Summarize Worksheet

Strengthen your grasp of main ideas with our interactive worksheet. Practice identifying central idea and improve overall comprehension skills.

Pick out the theme! - Part 1 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 1) to develop your english skills!

Pick out the theme! - Part 2 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 2) to develop your english skills!

Using Key Details to Decode Meaning Worksheet

Uncover the secret place! Guess the place being described based on the clues provided in these statements. Can you infer using the key details?

Whats the Idea in Camping in the Rain? Worksheet

What's the main idea of the story? Read about Seth's camping adventures and practice finding out the main idea of the story and the key details that support it.

Pick out the theme! - Part 3 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 3) to develop your english skills!

Pick out the theme! - Part 4 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 4) to develop your english skills!

Whats the Idea in The Snowshoeing Day? Worksheet

What's your favorite winter activity? Well, if you like snowshoeing, then you'll definitely enjoy this reading worksheet!

Whats the Main Idea? Worksheet

Develop strong reading skills with our main idea and key details worksheet. Learn to identify the main idea for better comprehension and analysis.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 1 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 1) in order to enhance your skills.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 2 Game

Choose the appropriat heading (Part 2) in order to enhance your skills.

Order it Right Worksheet

With a vivid imagination, Eli transforms the mundane task of waiting in line into a thrilling journey filled with swashbuckling pirates, courageous cowboys, and intergalactic adventures. Practice sequencing skills with this fun worksheet.

Sequence It Right Worksheet

Readers will practice sequencing the events from a fictional story in this interesting worksheet.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 3 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 3) in order to enhance your skills.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 4 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 4) in order to enhance your skills.

Sequence the Events in Camping in the Rain Worksheet

Seth is excited about going camping. What happens next and what happens at the end? Read on to find out and practice your sequencing skills.

Sequence the Events in The Snowshoeing Day Worksheet

Let's find out what's the order of events in a story. Sharpen your reading comprehension skills with this fun worksheet.

Browse Our Fun Collection of 4th Grade ELA Learning Resources!

Explore SplashLearn's 4th grade ELA resources, crafted for 9-10 year old kids, featuring interactive games , enjoyable worksheets , fun lesson plans , and more, all aligned to the 4th grade language arts curriculum.

These resources cover key concepts from the grade 4 common core ELA curriculum, such as reading comprehension (cause and effect, identifying the main idea, drawing inference, story elements), vocabulary building (commonly confused words, synonyms, antonyms, etc.) grammar (nouns, adverbs, adjectives, etc.), spelling, writing skills, literary analysis, and more! 

Your search for the perfect CCSS-aligned 4th grade ELA resources ends here! Our resources are tailored to challenge and engage students, promising a comprehensive and fun exploration of the 4th grade English curriculum and its objectives.

Types of Engaging 4th Grade ELA Learning Resources

Explore our wide range of 4th grade learning resources designed to make language arts for 4th graders fun and interactive.

Key Features of 4th Grade ELA Resources

Here are key features of our 4th grade ELA resources:

• Curriculum-Focused Learning : Regularly updated educational content aligned with 4th grade common core ELA standards.
• Fun & Colorful Activities : Engaging exercises, interactive games, vibrant visuals, and exciting themes to make ELA enjoyable for kids.
• Multi-Device Compatibility : Games accessible on various platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebooks. Worksheets easily accessible through a PC or laptop.
• Flexible for All Users : Convenient and suitable for 4th-grade students, parents, and teachers.

Best Tips for Teaching ELA to 4th Graders

• Book Discussions and Storytelling Sessions : Encourage students to read storybooks and participate in lively discussions, promoting comprehension, communication, and critical thinking. Organize regular storytelling sessions in classrooms and at home, allowing students to share their narratives and perspectives.
• Creative Writing Challenges : Spark creativity through writing challenges, inspiring students to explore various genres and express themselves. Our blog 100 Fun Writing Prompts for 4th Graders gives the best ideas encouraging students to think creatively.
• Vocabulary Games: Make learning new words enjoyable with interactive vocabulary games, enhancing language skills in a fun way. 

What Are the Best 5 Fourth Grade Learning Resources for Kids?

Here are 5 fun and engaging 4th grade ELA resources for kids:

• Guess the book title! - Part 1 Game
• Write A Wintery Story Worksheet
• ELA Lesson Plan — Balancing Nouns & Verbs

Your one stop solution for all grade learning needs.

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Mrs. Beers Language Arts Classroom

A middle school ELA teacher blog featuring language arts activities, classroom ideas, and teacher resources for grades 4-8.

25 Must-Haves for Your ELA Classroom

As a teacher, I am always on the hunt for the perfect tools at the cheapest prices for my ELA classroom. Taking care of our students and keeping our learning centers stocked and ready is just ingrained in our brain.

Whether you are beginning your school year or wanting to refresh for a seamless return to school after a break, here are the free tools, easy ideas, and inexpensive items I use from my toolbox every year to add fun and engagement to student learning…

1. You Tube : I utilize You Tube in some capacity EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!  While there are always video clips and read alouds, two of my favorite things are music and classroom environment enhancers ie. a roaring fireplace , waves crashing on a sandy beach , or a snowy landscape .   I LOVE having these playing on my SMART board while students are engaged in their learning.  What is better than reading a novel and welcoming that setting into your classroom?  If you are looking for a quick and easy way to add some environmental elements to your classroom, this is a free and easy way!

2. Classroom Music : I play music for the majority of my day.  I have it quietly playing when students arrive and during student work times.  Music calms them and tends to help with their concentration while keeping talking at bay.  I try to play mostly instrumental music, but I like to surprise them at appropriate times with some of their edited versions.  A current instrumental favorite of mine and my students is this big playlist of Instrumental Pop Hits. We also like Babies Go Taylor Swift and Babies Go Beyonce’. (You’re welcome!) While they are all instrumental, I struggle not to break it down to Single Ladies!  Hopefully, you have more self-control!

3. A STOCKED classroom library with high-interest novels, picture books, and magazines While Amazon always has what I am looking for, it is not always the best deal.  Be sure to sign up for an educator account on Scholastic- from Dollar Deals to multi-book packs, you will stock up your classroom library without breaking your budget. Half-Price Books and Goodwill are two other amazing spots to find the best deals on books.  At Half-Price Books, they are always rotating their inventory, so you can find books that are in “like-new” condition for 50 cents to $1.  Book studies, literature circles, and read alouds are easier to plan and prepare for with the help of these discount book stores.

4. Student Work on Display : I make a big deal of student work going on display.  Displayed work is our best thoughts and ideas, written responses, reading reflections, and projects.  While I am nothing but encouraging about posting student work, I share with my students that it is important to take pride in the work they are doing so that others can observe their true capabilities as learners.  I will not hang up any old anything, instead, I encourage my students to put forth their very best effort in order to have these best efforts showcased for others to observe and appreciate.  Student work displayed around the classroom and in hallways gives students the opportunity to reflect on what they can contribute and accomplish.

5. Photos of Students : I LOVE to snap pictures of my students’ learning in action and display them around the classroom.  Capturing them working thoughtfully in small groups, giving a presentation, or curled up with a good book can make for awesome bulletin board displays or classroom photo walls.  I buy $1 IKEA frames and display these pictures on book shelves around the classroom.  I send the pics straight from my phone to the Walgreens app where pictures are typically about 10 cents each.  Super cheap, but inspiring for my student learners to see themselves “featured” around the classroom.

6. Focus Wall : You do not have to create any sort of fancy spot in your classroom, but a space where you make students aware of their learning is ideal.  Whether you teach standards, “I Can” statements, or learning targets, making these visible to students is important for them to better understand what they are learning.  While we have come a long way since implementing state standards, I will never forget my fourth year of teaching, when we were expected to make sure our students knew the learning standards verbatim.  The expectation was that if an administrator came in for a walk-through, any student could be pulled out to recite the learning standard.  I remember thinking, “I can either teach my students or teach them to memorize the standard I am teaching them.”  Thankfully, times have changed…

7. Daily Agenda : No matter which grade you teach, students want to know what they are “in” for during their instructional time.  As educators,  when we attend a meeting or professional development we want to know time frames and what our time spent on task consists of.  Create a visual for your students, so they are able to manage their time and meet your class expectations as needed.  This can be created in a variety of ways, but create a daily agenda that allows students to visualize their learning during the course of the time they are in your classroom.

8. Sticky Notes in every size : I use sticky notes/post-its for EVERYTHING!  A few uses we have for them in my classroom are: bookmarks, annotating texts, motivational notes for students, task card answers, exit tickets, KWL charts, class votes, peer feedback, reminders…my list could go on for days.  I find the best deals for generic sticky notes at dollar stores.  Different sizes, different colors, lined/unlined, they are my go-to tool on a daily basis.  Have them available and accessible because both you and your students will use the heck out of them while saving giant sheets of paper and tape in the process.

9.Sharpened Pencils : Nothing is more annoying during instructional time than the churning of an electric or non-electric pencil sharpener.  While it can be hard to spend the money, Ticonderoga truly are the best brand.  They do come in pre-sharpened packs, but the point is not sharp enough for my kiddos, and I find them needing that sharpest point at all times.  Do yourself a favor and make it a class job for a student to sharpen pencils and have them stocked and ready to go in your classroom.  I keep two small buckets marked “SHARP” and “NOT SHARP.”  When a pencil is dull or broken, students place it in the “NOT SHARP” bucket and grab one that is ready to go from the “SHARP” bucket.  Teach your students the system, and you will no longer be competing with a grumbling pencil sharpener.

10. Pencil Sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies . There are few things in my classroom that need to be a specific brand.  My focus is usually just finding the BEST deal.  However, I have two of these pencil sharpeners!  They are the absolute best because they sharpen #2 pencils and colored pencils to a point that will blow your students’ minds.  They are QUIET, easy to use, and able to be mounted or can stand alone.  You will never need or want to use another pencil sharpener.

11. File Folders : So much of our teacher workload is digital these days, but I am always in need of a few boxes of file folders each year.  File folders are essential for organizing everything from student data (DRAs, Dibels, F&Ps, IEPs, etc.), student-led conference materials, novel studies , and group work.  Also, if you have tables in your classroom and multiple students are seated at each table, they can even be utilized as “offices” and students can use them as dividers to work without distraction.

12. Student Work/Daily Copies File Trays : I love a few file trays on my desk to keep turned in student work organized before I evaluate it or to keep any assignments needing completed by students organized.  I also have trays for work that is graded that can be sent home for parents to observe.  By having a system for copies, completed student work, and work that has been evaluated, I am never needing to climb out from piles of disorganized paperwork.  Have a system so you don’t make yourself crazy.

13. Supply Caddies : I currently have tables, so supply caddies are perfect for my student seating scenario, but when I have had desks, I liked to group them together and use stocked supply caddies.  On each table is a Dollar Store caddy with pencils, erasers, markers, glue sticks, and scissors.  My students always have what they need, so instructional time is not compromised looking for supplies.  There are many ways to organize and use supplies that work in different classrooms, but this is the way I have found it easiest for my students to have the tools they need at all times.  I bought 6 of the $3 Target Spot caddies, labeled them by table, and have loved their durability for my students’ needs.

14. Paper Cutter : I was lucky enough to be gifted with my classroom paper cutter TWENTY years ago at the end of my student teaching assignment.  It was the BEST.TEACHING.GIFT.EVER!  It has been through many classroom moves, a flood, and 6-different schools, but it still works perfectly.  I am eternally cutting task cards, flip books, and other assorted assignments and activities my students are completing, so having it in my classroom is essential.  If you are on the fence, grab one here .  It will be the greatest convenience you could have for $25.

15. Colored Pencils : My students always have access to colored pencils for assignments and other assorted learning activities.  Book projects and other novel activities look so much more thorough and thoughtfully done with some colored pencil pizzazz.  While students may have their preferences about brand, stock up on Roseart and Crayola at super discounts at the beginning of the school year.

16. Dry Erase Boards and Dry Erase Markers : I love dry erase boards for word work and other whole class and small group activities.  While we are 1:1 and have Chromebooks, notebooks, folders, etc. for our instructional needs- dry erase boards are a quick, transportable tool to have on hand to coincide with any mini-lesson.

17. Clipboards : Clipboards are multi-faceted in my classroom.  I use them on a display wall to showcase student work.  Students to be able to utilize them as “portable desks” on the floor for group work, independent work, or whole for class meeting .  I bought them bulk from Walmart and there is not a day that goes by that they are not utilized.  Shove them in a basket or storage container for students to grab whenever they are needed.

18. Scissors : If you teach BIG kids, have a bin of BIG scissors for projects and other activities.  If you teach littler kids, have a bin of littler scissors to accommodate those cutting needs.  Don’t be afraid to label them with your name because items like this can disappear.  Having bins of student scissors on hand will save you from losing your only pair of scissors on a daily basis.

19. Sharpies/Flair Pens : In my classroom we use Sharpies and Flair pens for writer’s workshop and outlining.  While we publish much of our work using Chromebooks, with handwritten projects and assignments, nothing makes a finished product look more thoughtful and detailed than a black outline.

20. A Roll of White Paper : Anchor chart paper is insanely expensive, especially the self-stick kind.  I buy a few rolls of white paper from IKEA at the beginning of the school year and it is perfect for making anchor charts, KWL charts, and other assorted organizers to support my students’ instruction. For $4.95 per roll, it is a steal.

21. Copy Paper : Drawings, flipbooks, minibooks, graphic organizers, etc.  so much of our work is still copied and completed.  Having extra copy paper on hand in case of an emergency paper outage in the copy room is essential.  I buy an extra ream each year at Staples when it is buy one/get one free.  I keep it in my classroom closet for those rare times when copier paper is no where to be found (perhaps on a weekend), but I have essential copies to make for my instruction.  I truly believe that a classroom teacher can never have too much paper!

22. Glue Sticks : I do not use bottles of glue in my classroom.  I am sure they serve a purpose in other classroom environments, but in mine, it is glue sticks for life! #GSFL Glue sticks allow for just the right amount of adhesive for our classroom work without a sticky, gloppy, wet mess.  I always stock up on glue sticks at the beginning of the school year for use with interactive notebooks , so that I have more than enough to carry my students through their entire school year.

23. Tape : I use masking tape to hang anchor charts, word wall words, student work, and other displays that I need to hang on concrete walls.  Masking tape is the only kind of tape that keeps these items in place.  I also find that student papers and books can get ripped and need repair.  Having some rolls of tape on hand for these mini-emergencies will save your sanity.

24. Timer : I use a variety of different timers during the course of my school day to display increments of time for my students to keep them on track with their learning.  I use an on-line timer and display a designated amount of time for student work time on the SMART board, I use a free standing digital timer for independent and small group work, and I use my phone timer when I am timing kids with fluency practice .

25. Emergency Sub Plans : Coming in sick is awful, but preparing to be out can seem even more daunting, some days.  Rather than be unprepared for these unfortunate circumstances, I always make sure to have an EMERGENCY SUB BINDER at the ready…Prior to the first day of the year, many school districts are asking to have an emergency lesson plan file on hand in the office, while other districts expect teachers to have a file folder or binder on hand that has everything a sub or guest teacher would need to teach in their absence. Here are the 10 items I make sure to have on hand in my Emergency Sub Plan file:

• the daily schedule
• current class lists for each class
• current seating charts of each class
• duties and responsibilities
• a welcome note
• the office # and helpful teammates names and #s
• clear lesson plans for each class for the day
• emergency procedures for fire drills, tornadoes, or lock downs
• resources that are easy to implement for the sub/guest teacher and engaging for students
• quick notes about students requiring services or accommodations

To make your life easier, grab my Emergency Sub Plan Bundle .

I would love to hear about any MUST-HAVES you can’t live without in your classroom!  Time is always of the essence, so anything I can utilize to make my classroom more efficient or positively impact student learning-count me in!

2nd Grade English Language Arts Worksheets and Study Guides

The big ideas in Second Grade ELA include demonstrating an awareness of sounds that are made by different letters, and practicing decoding words by using phonics while they learn new concepts, such as prefixes and suffixes, that help them understand the meaning of new vocabulary.

English Language Arts Worksheets and Study Guides Second Grade

Language - conventions of standard english, abbreviations, beginning digraphs, beginning, middle, and end, continuous action (-ing), contractions, ending digraphs, long/short vowels, oo vowel sound, past tense (-ed), plural ending -es, plural nouns, predicting endings, r controlled vowels, words with /k/, words with ending blends, words with initial blends, language - vocabulary acquisition, challenge words, compound words, mathematics vocabulary, science vocabulary, social studies vocabulary, word families, reading informational text, finding information, unnecessary information, reading literature, literary genres, parts of a book, rhyming words, story elements, reading: foundational skills, high frequency words i, high frequency words ii, long and short vowel discrimination, vowel digraphs, speaking & listening, context clues, sight words i, sight words ii, sight words iii, sight words iv, writing: ela literacy, complete & incomplete sentences, frequently misspelled words, proper nouns, newpath learning resources are fully aligned to us education standards. select a standard below to view aligned activities for your selected subject and grade:.

• Download and Print thousands of standards-based ELA, Social Study, Science and Math Worksheets and Study Guides!
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No Prep ELA Activity Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

It is a truth universally acknowledged (at least in the education world) that teachers don't have enough time for planning.  Quality no prep ELA activities are essential for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers.

Sure, the hands on oobleck experiment is fun and engaging.  But it's not just impractical - it's impossible to plan lessons like that for every hour of every day.

Below, find 14 no prep literacy activity ideas to add to your upper elementary teacher toolkit.  Take advantage of these ideas those weeks that you are trying to survive and barely hanging on.

There are no prep activities for writing, speaking and listening, and reading.

Or, save even more time with this No Prep Reading and Writing Bundle.   It includes 100+ pages and 10 activities that you can pull out any time during the school year for an engaging but no prep activity.

No Prep Writing Activity Ideas

1. squiggle stories.

If you haven't tried squiggle stories out in your classroom yet, make this the school year that you try!

The concept is simple.  Provide a students with a page that has a squiggle on it.  Students draw an image that creatively integrates that squiggle - and then write a story about the picture they drew!

This is a simple, repeatable activity that your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will love!

This is easy enough to do yourself, but you might like this No Prep Squiggle Story Resource that contains additional writing "prompts" to go along with the squiggles.

2. Descriptive Writing Draw and Exchange Activity

This is a favorite for upper elementary students.  Tell students to secretly draw a picture of something that will get their creative juices flowing - for example, an alien.

After completing their picture, have students write a detailed description of it.  Put all the drawings on display while students read their descriptions to the class.  If students have included plenty of descriptive details in their writing, then their classmates should be able to figure out which drawing is theirs!

All you really need for this activity is pencil and paper.  If you want to add a descriptive writing mini lesson and scaffolding that helps students be more descriptive and organize their writing, then check out one of these Descriptive Writing Activities:

• Monster Descriptive Writing
• Alien Descriptive Writing
• Snowman Descriptive Writing

3. Thank You Letter

Taking time to write thank you letters is a great way to have students complete a real world writing activity while also creating a culture of kindness in your classroom.  

You can have students write a thank you letter to a person of their choice, or you can provide a little more direction and tell them who to thank.  Have them write thank you letters for:

• school librarians
• school cafeteria workers
• school janitors
• school nurses
• Veteran's Day
• Mother's Day/Father's Day/Grandparent's Day
• classroom volunteers
• policeman/firefighters
• other students in the classroom

All you need for this is pencil and paper.  However, if you want your students' writing to be more meaningful and organized, then check out this Thank You Letter Template.   It provides scaffolding and walks students through the entire writing process - brainstorming, rough draft, revising/editing, and a final draft.  And best of all, it can be used on a variety of occasions throughout the school year!

4. Compare and Contrast Writing

You can never go wrong with comparing and contrasting!  This is an essential, foundational skill that helps promote critical thinking.

As teachers, we often fall back on the trusty Venn Diagram, but consider having students do some compare and contrast writing.  These tips on using compare and contrasting paragraph frames and sentence starters can help.

You could have students compare and contrast:

• 2 historical figures
• ...the possibilities are endless

Engaging activities without all the prep.  This No Prep Reading and Writing Bundle includes 10 activities that you can pull out anytime during the school year when you need a meaningful lesson but don't have time to prep one.

No Prep Speaking and Listening Ideas

5. interview a friend.

Partner students up and have them interview each other.  Not only does this allow for speaking and listening practice, but it also helps build a positive classroom community.

Check out these tips for setting up this interview a friend activity, as well as possible interview questions.  

6. Answer Questions with a Partner or Small Group

Students spend a lot of time sitting quietly and listening to their teacher, but they often don't get the opportunity to listen to each other - at least not in a structured, educational setting.

This is easily adaptable to any subject area.  Instead of asking questions to the whole class, partner students up  and have them explain answers to each other.

You could also use these 33 fun discussion questions throughout the school year to help students get to know each other better and build community.  

Wanting to have more structured and meaningful small group discussions in your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade class?  Check out this Tower of Talk Activity Idea.   It requires a little prep up front, but you can use it throughout the school year and your students will love it!

No Prep Reading Activity Ideas

7. reading response activities.

3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students spend a lot of of their school year reading.  Having some no prep reading response activities on hand that help students think more carefully about what they have read will make your life a lot easier.

This Reading Response Bundle has no prep activities that can be used repeatedly throughout the school year for any fiction or nonfiction text.  It's a great way to minimize your prep time while maximizing student learning.

For the DIY teachers out there, check our these fiction reading response activities and nonfiction reading response activities.  

8. No Prep Vocabulary Practice

You'll be introducing and practicing new vocabulary all year long, so having some no prep vocabulary activities on hand is essential.

Check out these 7 no prep vocabulary ideas. 

9. Partner Reading

Looking for an easy way to keep upper elementary students engaged, interacting with each other, and reading?  Partner reading is a great strategy that can easily incorporated into your everyday reading routines.

Not convinced?  Check out these tips for making partner reading work for your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classroom. 

10. Utilizing No Prep Reading Freebies

There is no need to reinvent the wheel.  Take advantage of no prep freebies from other teachers.

I will admit, this is easier said than done.  Sometimes it takes a lot of time to find freebies with good content that will work for your classroom.  It's not really "no prep" if you have to spend a lot of time googling.

To save you a little time, here are some no prep freebies designed for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms:

• A Cut and Paste Resource for Teaching Theme
• Activities and Reading Passages to Practice the Problem and Solution Text Structure
• A Cut and Paste Resource for Teaching POV
• A Reading Passage and Activity for Teaching Comparing and Contrasting
• A Cut and Paste Activity for Practicing Inferencing

11. Find the Fib

If you have spent any time on my blog, you've probably already come across this idea.  That's because it's awesome, and can be used in so many different ways.

Teachers often use Find the Fib as a back to school ice breaker - but it is even more valuable as a reading activity.

It's simple.  After reading a text, have students write 2 true statements and 1 false statement about the text.  Then, see if a partner can find the fib!

Check out these other tips and ideas for using Find the Fib across all subjects. 

12. Word Scavenger Hunts

Classrooms have words all over them.  There are word walls, anchor charts, posters, rules, and lots and lots of books.  Use the words around your room to have students go on a word scavenger hunt.

You can tie this in with a word study lesson - like by having students find words around the room that have prefixes or suffixes - or have your students look for a variety of different types of words.

These no prep word scavenger hunts are fun to have on hand.  Or check out these ideas for coming up with your own word scavenger hunts in the upper elementary classroom.  

13. Reading Passages with Questions

This isn't a creative idea, but it is a practical one.  Reading passages with questions make for a great no prep activity.

This freebie includes 2 reading passages with questions - one on Benjamin Franklin and one on Thomas Edison.  There is also a fun low prep activity to go along with the questions if you want to go the extra mile.

You might also like these other reading passages with questions:

• Natural Disasters: Reading Passages with Scaffolded Questions
• Biomes: Reading Passages with Scaffolded Questions
• Nonfiction Paired Passages and Questions
• Aesop's Fables with Comprehension Activities

14. No Prep Reading Fluency Activity

You might also like some of these freebies for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms!

Never Stress Over Sub Plans Again!

Make copies, find a fiction book, and you'll be ready for any emergency that comes your way!

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10 entertaining homework ideas for online English Language Learners

Did hearing the words, “do your homework,” when you were a child excite you? 

For most of us, the word homework doesn’t conjure up exciting or fun memories. 

Homework was likely one of the last things you wanted to do as a student!

However, what if you could make homework fun for students? What if homework was entertaining? 

In this article, we share some entertaining homework ideas for English language learners to help them improve their English while having fun!

You might be familiar with lots of ESL games and activities for your students , but assigning the right homework can feel overwhelming. 

This is particularly true if you don’t want to burden your students with a tremendous amount of information. 

Have you ever thought about combining games with homework? 

There are many alternative ways to create memorable lessons, such as incorporating karaoke songs to learn English. 

Here are 10 fun and entertaining homework ideas for your ESL students:

• Cafe hopper
• Tiktok star
• Let’s go to the movies
• Hello Mr. Teacher
• Interview a stranger
• Shine like a Karaoke star
• Expert on the loose
• 24 hour challenge
• It’s a wrap!
• Masterchef in the making

1. Cafe hopper

Most people love checking out cafes and this is an easy homework task to assign to your students.  

Have your students visit a variety of cafes as part of their homework. 

Then, consider what they could do for homework in a cafe of their choice.

Here are some fun ideas for turning cafe-hopping into homework:

• Practice ordering in English off of the menu.
• Take a photo of the cafe’s and share the differences and similarities with you in class.
• Speak to a stranger in each cafe in English and ask them some interesting questions about their life.
• Interview the barista about their favorite kind of coffee or beverage.

This is a stress-free homework idea that your students will love, especially if they are coffee or tea lovers!

2. TikTok star

Tiktok is a fun social media application where you can watch videos and songs from creators. You can also watch creators lip-synching to catchy tunes.

Show some fun examples in your class of some famous TikTok songs being lip-synched to by others and practice doing one together.

• For homework, have them choose their favorite song on TikTok.
• They can lip-synch to the song and download the song to their camera album without having to actually post it to TikTok.
• Have them share their creation with you in the next class!

Depending on the age and location of your student, TikTok might not be an option for them. If you are teaching older students or adults , then it might be easier for them to use social media for this homework assignment rather than young children.

If they are too young to use the app, have them find an online video of their favorite song and ask a parent to record them singing!

3. Let’s go to the movies

Going to the movies doesn’t sound like homework, does it? Well, as you might already be discovering, homework doesn’t have to be conventional!

Find some interesting movies that are playing in your students’ area or ask them to watch a movie of their choice in English. 

Tell them that their homework is going to be based on the movie they watch.

Here are some ideas for making going to the movies part of their homework:

• Have them write a summary of the movie or their favorite part.
• Tell them that they have to give you a movie review in your next class.
• Have them act out their favorite part of the movie with a sibling or family member and record it (in English of course!).
• Ask them to make a poster advertising the movie with captions, titles and text to accompany any drawings.

If you are struggling to find movies they can go and watch in the cinema, you can always use these ESL movies and TV shows as a resource. 

Students can also watch movies from the comforts of their homes. 

4. Hello Mr. Teacher!

Students love playing the role of the teacher! 

This can work for in-person or online ESL classes.  

Tell them that as part of the next classroom activity, the first 5 – 10 minutes will be their time to shine as the teacher!

For homework, ask them to:

• Think of one topic that they know a lot about (This could be a sport, musical instrument, game, topic, etc…).
• Have them prepare 5 important things that someone needs to know about their topic.
• Tell them that in their next class they will be the teacher and share their knowledge! (They can even give you homework!).

Have fun with this homework idea and role-play the student where you ask them questions after they finish. 

Your students will love this one!

5. Interview a stranger

This one might need some parent support and guidance if you are teaching children, but having them interview someone is an entertaining homework idea for English language learners.

• It encourages their own voice as they come up with ideas.
• It helps with writing skills as they write out their questions.
• Interviewing encourages conversation and role playing which is a fun way to learn English.

You could have your younger students interview a family member and ask questions related to that family member’s childhood. 

Here are some sample questions you could help your students form:

• What kind of things did you like to do when you were my age?
• What was your favorite thing about school?
• What types of sports did you play when you were young?
• Tell me about what life was like when you were a child.

Have them choose and write out 5-10 questions and come back to class to report on their findings!

6. Shine like a Karaoke star

Who doesn’t like a bit of karaoke? Imagine….singing your heart out to “I love rock n roll” in the privacy of your own home!

You don’t need to go to a karaoke place to actually sing karaoke songs. There are lots of great karaoke songs available online to learn English with your students.

YouTube is a great place to start, just by searching for your favorite song + “karaoke lyrics” in the search bar.

In class, help your student(s) choose a song and task them with finding the online karaoke lyrics to sing along.

Have them sing this for homework! You could even ask a parent to help them record it if they are comfortable with that.

Here are some fun and popular karaoke songs online to learn English:

• “I Will Survive” with Gloria Gaynor
• “Livin’ on a Prayer” with Bon Jovi
• “Summer Nights” with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John
• “Don’t Stop Believin’” with Journey

7. Expert on the loose

There is an expert in all of us, including your students!

In this fun and entertaining homework idea, have your student share their expertise on something!

To add a different dimension to the homework idea, “Hello Mr. Teacher,” task your students to dress up as the expert and make a short speech on their topic of choice.

Here are some examples:

• Harry Potter
• Michael Jordan (to talk about basketball)
• Favorite sports athlete
• Insect scientist
• Astronaut (if your student knows a lot about space)
• Presidential candidate
• Pilot (for students who know a lot about countries)

Even if they are not an expert on the topic, part of the homework assignment could be to do some research and learn more about their chosen field.

You could even ask them to dress up and come to class in the role, ready to share their knowledge with you! 

8. 24 hour English challenge

This one is self-explanatory and incredibly fun!

Set a challenge for your student to only speak in English for 24 hours. 

This means that you might need to get parents involved with the homework assignment, so that they can help out.

The idea is that they have to speak only in English (as much as is possible given their situation) when interacting with family, friends and at school.

Your students might already be immersed in English environments, but, oftentimes, they are speaking their native language at home with family and friends.

Having your students force themselves to only speak in English is challenging and a great way to encourage English outside the classroom.

9. It’s a wrap!

Lots of students love to rap! Rap music is poetic and encourages a lot of ESL language skills that we want to build in our students.

This is an activity that you can model with your students in class and assign it for homework for them to create their own rap.

Again, they can come back to class and rap their new song to you! It might, however, work better with older students who have a good base level of English, to begin with.

Here are some fun homework assignments incorporating rap:

• Create their own rap if they are the creative type
• Find a well known rap online and practice it to present in class
• Assign your students to find a rap online that they sing and record with their friends

10. Masterchef extraordinaire

For the food lovers, creating a homework assignment that includes cooking can be really fun.

Most kids love the idea of cooking, especially if it centers around cooking their favorite food!

When considering this as a homework idea, consider these possible assignments:

• Create and write out a recipe for a unique culinary dish.
• Make a video about the cooking experience.
• Record a tutorial of how to cook something.
• Turn it into a competition if you have multiple students.

Plus, this works with physical and online classrooms. 

Of course, if you have a physical classroom with multiple students, this could be a really fun in-class experience with some homework assignments to accompany it.

Who doesn’t love a food-related assignment? 

If you choose Masterchef extraordinaire, allow your students to share the food they make with the class and encourage lots of conversations in English.

Homework doesn’t have to be boring!

As you can see, homework doesn’t have to be boring! 

Most of your ESL students have a lot to do even outside class, and that’s why assigning homework that doesn’t feel like homework is ideal!

This is an opportunity to get creative, creating excitement for your students to learn English.

If you use some of the homework ideas mentioned here, make sure you document the experience and continue to discover new activities that bring laughter and joy to the classroom. 

And when you are applying to online teaching jobs , be sure to share how you plan to creatively incorporate class assignments and homework for your students!

Enjoy the process and make learning an enjoyable experience for everyone. 

Enjoyed this article? Don't forget to share.

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13 Entertaining ESL Homework Ideas to Keep Your Students Engaged

Homework may not be many students’ favorite thing, but research says it’s truly an effective learning tool that teachers should use .

The trick is assigning great homework.

To help you do this with ease, we’ve compiled an awesome list of 13 homework assignments that will have your ESL students begging for more.

1. Read a Short Story

2. share a passion, 3. start a chat group, 4. listen to a podcast, 5. write a letter, 6. write an amazon review, 7. do a wikipedia edit, 8. write a short story or poem, 9. share their culture, 10. catch a movie, 11. meet new people, 12. analyze a song, 13. go on a photo scavenger hunt, what makes homework effective.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Have students read a short story for homework and then ask them to tell the class about the story in the next session.

I would recommend giving students some suggestions on what short stories to read, depending on the level of your students.

Here are some suggestions of short story collections for each level of ESL learner:

• “The Very First Americans” by Cara Ashrose: This collection of short stories features Native American culture and history, written in simple language.
• “Oxford Bookworms Library: Starter Level” This series offers simplified versions of classic stories, such as fairy tales, adventure stories and more.
• “Classic Tales for ESL Students” by L.A. Hill: This collection of classic stories from literature is retold with easier vocabulary and sentence structure.

Intermediate

• “The Best American Short Stories” This series features contemporary short stories from a wide range of American writers, so there’s something for everyone here.
• “Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners” by Olly Richards: This collection of engaging stories is designed specifically for intermediate ESL students.
• “Roald Dahl: The Collected Short Stories” This delightful collection of quirky and imaginative tales has become a favorite of many of my students.
• “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri: This Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories explores the immigrant experience, something which many ESL students can relate to.
• “Dubliners” by James Joyce: This classic collection of interconnected stories captures the essence of Dublin in 1914. But it still feels modern to many students.
• “Nine Stories” by J.D. Salinger: This classic collection of short stories is a class favorite when I’ve used it.

What do your students really care about? Give them a chance to talk about it in front of the class. 

Have each person choose something they’re passionate about, something they might consider themselves an expert on.

Challenge students to think of a creative way to present five must-know facts about that subject. They might make a movie, create a poster or brochure, write a song or even put on a skit.

Have each person present their creative project to the class, and then give the class five minutes to ask questions of the presenter.

Set certain parameters like students must speak in complete sentences or require that every student ask at least two questions at some point during the presentations.

Students will love sharing about their passions, and they’ll get some great speaking, listening and discourse information in the process, as well as teach the rest of the class some interesting vocabulary.

Ask for class for a volunteer to start a class WhatsApp chat group. They can also decide to use another messaging app like Telegram, Viber, Voxer or any other app that has a group chat function. 

Encourage them to send at least one message and to respond to a couple others for their homework. 

This text group has the added advantage of students being able to make friends with one another, and a place to ask about missed homework assignments on days when they can’t make it to class.

Note that if a student doesn’t want to be included in the chat group, you should have a back up assignment prepared for them.

Listening is one of the ESL student’s most difficult skills to acquire, so listening to a short podcast episode is ideal homework.

You can ask students to write a little about the podcast to turn in to you, or you can ask them to briefly summarize what they heard for the class in the next session.

Here are some suggestions for well done podcasts:

The English We Speak : Produced by the BBC, this podcast focuses on teaching commonly used phrases and idioms in conversational English.

The Moth : A storytelling podcast where real people share their personal experiences and anecdotes in English.

Stuff You Should Know : Though not specifically designed for ESL students, this podcast covers a vast array of interesting topics, providing exposure to diverse vocabulary and subject matters.

Ask your students to write a letter . The letter can be written to a friend or family member (which they could then actually mail or email), or it could be a fan letter to a favorite musician or actor. They could even write a letter to Santa Claus or a historical figure. 

For example, a student might choose to write a letter to Marie Antoinette, asking her what it was like to be the queen of France at such a young age. 

You can also choose to have students write letters to one another. Then the next homework can be writing that letter writer back.

Ask you students to review a product on Amazon (or any other shopping website that has reviews). Ask them to select a product they have really used, so they have a genuine opinion on the quality of the product and whether it lived up to their expectations.

Then, in the next session, show the reviews on the overhead projector to the class and ask a student to read the review.

You can then go over any errors in vocabulary, grammar or sentence structure and revise the review together as a class.

Since anyone can edit a Wikipedia article, it’s a great place for ESL students to hone their writing and editing skills, and they’ll have a built-in readership, too!

Ask students to select a person that they know a lot about—a well-known figure from history, pop culture, music or film would all work. Then ask them to read the Wikipedia entry to see if they can add anything else to the article.

Perhaps the article on Ryan Gosling is missing a key detail about his recent Ken performance. If so, the student will revise and edit the article. They should take notes on what they changed, so they can explain it to you or the class the next day.

Ask your students to get creative. Have them write a short story or a poem . This can get them to use descriptive language that they don’t always have a chance to use.

One good activity to do before you assign this homework is an adjective bubble chart. For this, you start with one adjective. For example, write “moist” on the board, circle it and then draw 4-5 lines coming off of the”moist” bubble.

Ask your students to come up with other adjectives that are related to “moist” and so on. They may come up with “wet,” “watery,” “soaked” or “damp.” Then draw lines from each of those. This can lead to words that you never expected to come up.

Have your students select 3-4 adjectives from this introduction activity that they’ll use in their story or poem.

Ask your students to prepare a short presentation on an aspect of their home culture to tell the class about in the next session. 

For example, a student from China may explain the Lunar New Year, a student from Vietnam may explain Tet or a student from El Salvador may tell the class about their quinceañera .

They can use photos, art, a PowerPoint presentation or they can just explain in their own words.

Then open the class up for questions.

Can you legitimately send students to the movies for homework? You can when you’re teaching ESL.

Your students don’t have to commit to a full-length movie. Instead, you can use the videos on FluentU to screen mini-lessons using clips from TV shows and movies, movie trailers, news segments, vlogs or music videos.

Use these videos in the classroom or assign homework to watch a few and complete the subsequent quizzes. You can also ask students to complete flashcard quizzes based on vocabulary words you want them to pay special attention to. These quizzes are adaptable so every student will have a unique experience catered to his learning level.

There are plenty of ways to use a movie for language development. And whether students watch a new release or catch an old Elvis flick on TV, they can do any of the following activities as homework:

• Summarize the plot.
• Describe a main character.
• Note new or interesting vocabulary (particularly slang) they hear while watching.
• Write an interview with one of the characters in the movie.

I’m sure you also have your favorite movie-related language activities and many work as homework assignments. So get creative with how you have students share about what they watched.

For the most part, people are willing to help someone in need, and that is doubly true for someone who needs to complete an assignment for school.

That’s why sending students out to interview native speakers on campus is such a fun homework assignment.

Start by helping your students write a list of questions they’ll use for their interviews. Students can choose a topic or you can assign one, like leisure activities or celebrity news.

Tell students to list five to ten questions they might ask on that topic that will elicit specific answers. 

As a class, discuss how students might introduce themselves to a potential interviewee. 

Then send students out to their interviews after class. They can share the answers they got in the next session.

Music is great for English learners since it stresses many aspects of language that can otherwise be hard to isolate, like the emotion of language, intonation and stress.

Have students choose their favorite English language song to listen to for homework and then ask them to do the following:

• Practice the lyrics to learn intonation and rhythm.
• Note slang and cultural references in the songs.
• Summarize the theme of the song, or just what it’s about.
• Have students share their favorite lyrics and what a particular song means to them.

Give individual students or groups of up to three students a list of items to find on their homework scavenger hunt. But instead of being specific in your list (for example, including items such as cat), be descriptive in your list.

You might include items such as something frightening, something beautiful, something quiet, something cool.

Students find items they think fit the description. For example, someone who is claustrophobic might choose an elevator for something frightening. They then take a picture of it.

The next day, have each person get with a partner and show them the pictures they took for each item on the list.

If the connection is not obvious, students should ask their partner to explain why they chose a particular item, such as the elevator.

Assigning homework that works isn’t as hard as you might think, especially if you focus on the following points.

• Put your homework in writing. It can be tempting to just announce homework assignments to students at the end of class, but language learners benefit when you reinforce what you say with what they can see. So take a minute to write any homework assignment on the board so students can read it as well as listen to it.
• Let students know what goals you have for a particular assignment. Is it practicing a certain grammar point ? Improving their listening skills ? Pronunciation practice ? When students know why they’re doing something, they’ll be able to tell on their own when they’ve successfully completed their homework assignment.
• Keep your homework practical . Your students may not find themselves planning out a menu for Thanksgiving when they leave your ESL classroom, but odds are they’ll have to order food at a restaurant at some point. Think about realistic ways students will have to use English in the real world and try to make your homework practical.
• Let your students be creative . Give your students choices on how they express themselves or present information. It’s okay for students to make a home movie, put on a one-man play or paint a picture to present to the class. Just because you prefer a particular type of creative expression doesn’t mean your students do, so give them choices and let them express themselves.
• Make homework fun! Every class has its own personality, so what’s fun for one might not be fun for another. Tailor your assignments to the personality of your class. Think about what they would think is fun, and go with that.

No matter what you believed in your student days, homework doesn’t have to be boring. With a little creativity when assigning homework, you might find that the activities you assign for outside of class become the highlights of your students’ days.

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