Wrap-up activity tips
for ESL kids teachers
Wrap-up activity tips to use in your ESL kids classes
Tips and ideas for ending your kids English lessons!
Younger students (ages 3-9) wrap-up activities:
- Resources: homework worksheet
- Supplies: cushions (one for each student), glove puppet in a cloth bag.
- Songs: ‘The goodbye song‘ or a song the students know well.
These activities can be done in the following order at the end of your lesson:
1. Assign homework
Each week give out a homework worksheet for your students to take home. Hold up the homework worksheet and model how to do it. Give out the worksheets and say, “Put your homework in your bags” and help them to do so – this is important as they will probably want to start coloring them right away.
Note: If possible, encourage the parents to help out as much as possible with their child’s homework – it is a great way to have you students practice the target language outside of class.
2. Say goodbye to glove puppet
Take out the bag again and get everyone to wake up the glove puppet by shouting its name into the bag (e.g. “Cookie Monster!”). Bring out the puppet and go through the same routine as the warm-up – go to each student and say hello, ask their name and the say goodbye / see you. Then put the puppet back in the bag (back to sleep).
3. Sing “The goodbye song” or a review song
The “Goodbye song” is a good way to sign off the class. Sit together in a circle and sing and clap along. You can also use a different song, especially if your students love a particular song.
4. Do “Quick check”
Time to leave the class. Make sure everything is put away and the students have gathered their belongings. Have them line up at the door and place yourself between the door and the students. For each student, check one of the new words they learned in today’s lesson (e.g. hold up a color or fruit and ask, “What’s this?”). For very young kids you can hold up one of the worksheets you did and ask them to touch an object (e.g. “Touch the melon”).
When they give you an answer say goodbye and let them leave. If their answer is wrong, have them go back to the end of the line – they will have to try again once they reach the front!
Older students (ages 9+) wrap-up activities:
These activities can be done in the following order at the end of your lesson:
1. Assign homework
Each week give out a homework worksheet for your students to take home. Hold up the homework worksheet and model how to do it – it’s important to show how to do part or even all of the homework exercises so students are in no doubt whatsoever how to complete their homework sheets. Give out the worksheets and say, “Put your homework in your bags”.
Note: If possible, encourage the parents to help out as much as possible with their child’s homework – it is a great way to have you students practice the target language outside of class.
2. Do “Quick check” and say goodbye
Time to leave the class. Make sure everything is put away and the students have gathered their belongings. Have them line up at the door and place yourself between the door and the students. For each student check one new / structure / question word from today’s lesson – you can hold up flashcards, objects, a worksheet or simply ask a question (e.g. What is your favorite color?, What time do you usually wake up?, etc.).
When they give you the correct answer say goodbye and let them leave. If their answer is wrong, have them go back to the end of the line – they will have to try again once they reach the front!
