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English: Age 5–6 (Year 1)
In their English lessons in Year 1, your child will learn the spelling, grammar and punctuation rules they need to write clearly. They will start to write their own simple stories and non-fiction texts and learn how to hold a pencil. They will be introduced to a wide range of texts that will develop their vocabulary.
How to help at home
There are lots of simple things you can do at home to support your child’s English skills:
1. Practising phonics with your child as much as possible – all your child’s English skills are underpinned by their reading skills. Make sure you pronounce the sounds correctly.
2. Read to your child as often as you can, or listen to books read aloud. This will increase their vocabulary and comprehension skills, particularly if you talk about the book. Get your child to follow a story you are reading with their eyes – this will help them to absorb grammar, punctuation and spelling rules without realising it.
Take a look at our free eBook library .
3. Practise spellings. Play games with your child to help them learn their weekly spelling words. You could play hangman, make up silly sentences for your child to write, ‘hide’ the spelling words in a string of letters, play pairs using two word cards for each word, or make a set of bingo cards for the words.
See our Twelve tips for weekly spellings page for more ideas.
4. Create writing opportunities , such as writing notes or lists. Tell stories together and draw some of them with captions. Make mini-books with pictures and labels on a topic (for example superheroes) that your child loves. Support your child to tell simple stories out loud.
For more ideas on writing stories, look at our Creative writing page.
5. Use interesting vocabulary when talking to your child. Try to use precise nouns and descriptive adjectives .
6. Encourage your child to talk as much as possible. Gently correct their grammar as they talk.
7. Make time for handwriting practise – create lots of opportunity to get those good habits in place – including forming letters and holding the pencil.
What your child will learn
Follow the links below to find out more about how English is taught in Year 1:
Grammar & punctuation in Year 1 (age 5–6)
In year 1, your child will learn to:.
- Leave spaces between words
- Put words together to make sentences
- Join words and clauses using and
- Use capital letters, full stops , question marks , and exclamation marks
- Use capital letters for names and use I properly
- Turn words into plurals using -s or -es
- Adding suffixes to verbs without changing the root word , for example helping , helped , helper
- Using the prefix un- to change the meaning of verbs and adjectives , for example unkind and unclear
- Putting sentences together to write short stories or anecdotes
Practise activities:
- Punctuation
Grammar books for age 5-6:
- Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Age 5–6
Oxford First Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary
My Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Kit
Spelling in Year 1 (age 5–6)
In year 1, your child will learn:.
- to spell simple words that can be spelled using the phonics they have learnt so far
- to spell the days of the week
- how to spell words with simple prefixes and suffixes like un- and -ing
- how to spell compound words , for example, football , playground
- the names of the letters of the alphabet
- to spell the Year 1 common exception words (see our list of Common exception words for Year 1 )
Books to develop spelling skills:
Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary
Spelling practise activities:
- Phonics: Which spelling?
Phonics: Which spelling? (Super challenge)
At Home with Spelling 1 (age 5–7)
Writing in Year 1 (age 5–6)
- to write simple sentences
- to say a sentence out loud before writing it down
- to put sentences into the right order to tell a short story
- to re-read what they have written to check that it makes sense
- to talk about their writing with their teacher or classmates
- to read their writing out loud to their teacher or the class.
More information and writing activity ideas for Year 1
Handwriting in Year 1 (age 5–6)
- sit correctly and use the right pencil grip
- form lowercase letters in the correct way: starting in the right place, moving the pencil in the correct direction and finishing in the right place
- form capital letters in the correct way
- forming the digits 0–9
- understand which letters are formed in similar ways
- leave a space between words.
Handwriting practise activities:
- Tripod grip for left-handers
- Tripod grip for right-handers
- Practise tramlines
- Words to practise in Year 1
- At home with Handwriting 1
- At Home with Handwriting 2
- Handwriting: Capital Letters
- Handwriting Monsters
Handwriting acitivity books:
- Handwriting Ages 5-6
- My Reading and Writing Kit: More sounds and blending
- My Reading and Writing Kit: Becoming a reader
- Starting to Write Letters Age 4-5
For more information on skills taught throughout Primary School, check out our phonics and vocabulary pages.
- Age 5–6 (Year 1)
- Age 6–7 (Year 2)
- Age 7–8 (Year 3)
- Age 8–9 (Year 4)
- Age 9–10 (Year 5)
- Age 10–11 (Year 6)
- Year 1 (age 5–6)
- Year 2 (age 6–7)
- Year 3 (age 7–8)
- Year 4 (age 8–9)
- Year 5 (age 9–10)
- Year 6 (age 10–11)
- Grammar glossary
- Grammar books
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Deanesfield Primary School
- Year 1 - Printable Resources
- Year Group Pages
- Class Pages Archive: 2019 - 2020
- Year 1 Exceptional Home Learning
If you have access to a printer, please find below a home learning pack and other activities that you can download and print at home for your children to independently work through, at their own pace to allow opportunities for a screen break:
- Please click here to access activity workbooks and fun activity sheets that can be downloaded and printed for your child to work through.
Week Beginning 13th July 2020
- KS1- Home Learning Pack (week commencing 13th July 2020)
- KS1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 13th July 2020)
- English - Handwriting Template for Books
- Maths - Lesson 1 - Find a Half (Part 1)
- Maths - Lesson 2 - Find a Half (Part 2)
- Maths - Lesson 3 - Find a Quarter (Part 1)
- Maths - Lesson 4 - Find a Quarter (Part 2)
- Maths - Daily Challenges
- Maths - 'One More and One Less' Card Game
- Maths - The Place Value Mystery in the Palace Game
- Topic - PSHE - Memories
- Topic - Geography - Clothes sorting Weather Activity
- Topic - Science - Animal Fact File Templates
Week Beginning 6th July 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 6th July 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 6th July 2020)
- English - Postcard
- English - Wordsearch
- Topic - PSHE - Eat Well Plate
- Topic - Science - Habitat Exploration Log
- Maths - Lesson 1 - Ordering Numbers
- Maths - Lesson 2 - Recognising Coins
- Maths - Lesson 3 - Recognising Notes
- Maths - Lesson 4 - Counting in Coins
- Phonics Grid (week commencing 6th July 2020)
- Phonics - Roll and Read 'IE'
Week Beginning 29th June 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 29th June 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 29th June 2020)
- English - Popping Punctuation
- English - Design a New Front Cover
- English - Handwriting Practise
- Topic - Science - Animal Groups
- Maths - Lesson 1 - Counting to 100
- Maths - Lesson 2 - Partitioning Numbers
- Maths - Lesson 3 - Comparing Numbers (1)
- Maths - Lesson 4 - Comparing Numbers (2)
- Maths - Diving into Mastery - Activity Cards
- Maths - Diving into Mastery - Answer Sheet
- Phonics Grid (week commencing 29th June 2020)
- Phonics - 'ph' Real or Nonsense Words
- Phonics - Hard and Soft 'g' Sound Sorting Game
Week Beginning 22nd June 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 22nd June 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 22nd June 2020)
- Phonics Grid (week commencing 22nd June 2020)
- Phonics - 'ee' Phoneme Spotter
- Phonics - 'ee' Sorting Grid
- Phonics - 'ee' Alternative Pronunciation Sorting Game
- Phonics - 'i' Alternative Pronunciation Sorting Game
- Phonics - 'o' Alternative Pronunication Sorting Game
- Maths - Lesson 1 Make arrays 2020
- Maths - Lesson 2 Make doubles 2020
- Maths - Lesson 3 Make equal groups - sharing 2020
- Maths - Lesson 4 Make equal groups - grouping 2020
- Maths Reasoning Challenge
- English - Helping Others
- English - 'Doing Chores' Worksheet
- English - Reading comprehension
- Topic - PHSE - Emotions Board Game
- Topic - PE - Fitness Challenge Cards
- Topic - Science - Identifying Trees
Week Beginning 15th June 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 15th June 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 15th June 2020)
- Phonics Grid (week commencing 15th June 2020)
- Phonics - 'ai' Matching Cards
- Phonics - 'u-e' Magic Wand
- Maths - Lesson 1 'Count in 2s'
- Maths - Lesson 2 'Count in 5s'
- Maths - Lesson 3 'Count in 10s'
- Maths - Lesson 4 'Add Equal Groups'
- Maths - Reasoning Challenge
- English - Handwriting Sheet
- English - Ocean Animals Fact Files
- English - Under the Sea Wordsearch
- English - 'The Runaway Iceberg' Comprehension
- Topic - History 'Gandhi' Comprehension
- Topic - Science 'Nature Walk Diary'
Week Beginning 8th June 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 8th June 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 8th June 2020)
- Phonics Grid (week commencing 8th June 2020)
- Phonics - 'u-e' Words
- Phonics - Phase 5 - Spot the 'i-e' Words
- Phonics - 'i-e' Four in a Row
- Maths - Lesson 1 - Measure Mass
- Maths - Lesson 2 - Compare Mass
- Maths - Lesson 3 - Introduce Capacity and Volume
- Maths - Lesson 4 - Measure Capacity
- Maths - Addition & Subtraction Challenge
- Maths - Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s
- English - Describe the Monster
- English - Story Boards
- English - Comic Book
- English - Rainbow Simile Poem
- Topic - PSHE - Friendship Wordsearch
- Toipc - History - Queen Victoria Fact File
- Topic - History - Queen Victoria Comprehension Sheet
- Topic - Science - Plant Life Cycle
- Twinkle Twinkle
Week Beginning 1st June 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 1st June 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 1st June 2020)
- Phonics Grid (week commencing 1st June 2020)
- Phonics - Tuesday's ' a-e' Recap Activity
- Phonics - Thursday's Alternative 'ee' Activity
- Maths - Daily Maths Challenges
- Maths - Lesson 1 - Compare Lengths and Heights
- Maths - Lesson 2 - Measure Length (1)
- Maths - Lesson 3 - Measure Length (2)
- Maths - Lesson 4 - Introduce Weight and Mass
- Maths - Number Bonds to 20 Challenge
- Topic - Gross motor skills
- Topic - Geography - Australia
- Topic - Leaf Activity
- Topic - Plants and Flower Hunt
Week Beginning 18th May 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 18th May 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 18th May 2020)
- Phonics Grid - Week Commencing 18th May 2020
- Phonics - My 'a_e' Workbook
- Maths - Add by Making 10 (Lesson 1)
- Maths - Subtraction - Crossing 10 (Lesson 2)
- Maths - Subtraction - Crossing 10 (Lesson 3)
- Maths - Compare Number Sentences (Lesson 4)
- Maths - 'A Challenge a Day' Booklet
- English - Book Review
- English - The Bear Who Came to Babysit
- Topic - Observe Draw Imagine Worksheet
- Topic - Science 'Investigation Flowers'
Week Beginning 11th May 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 11th May 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 11th May 2020)
- Phonics Grid - Week Beginning 11th May 2020
- Phonics - 'ew' Sounds
- Maths - Addition Recap
- Maths - Adding by Counting On
- Maths - Number Bonds
- Maths - Find a Part
- Maths - Related Facts
- Science - Naming Flowers
Week Beginning 4th May 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 4th May 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Guidance and Answers (week commencing 4th May 2020)
- Phonics Activites - week beginning 4th May 2020.pdf
- Phonics - My 'OY' Workbook
- Phonics - 'UE' Roll and Read Activity
- Phonics - 'IR' Real and Nonsense Words Activity
- English - 'Nouns' Activity.pdf
- Maths - 'White Rose' Find a Quarter
- Maths - 'White Rose' - Find a Quarter (2)
- Maths - 'White Rose' - Finding Half
- Maths - 'White Rose'Problem Solving challenge
- Maths - Place Value Recap Activity
- Growth Mindset Statements
- Topic - NHS Collage Rainbow
- Topic - Make your own Hero Mask
- Topic - Pyjamarama Wordsearch
- Topic - Pyjamarama 'Create a Comic Strip'
- Topic - Parts of a Plant Worksheet
Week Beginning 27th April 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 27th April 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack Guidance and Answers (week commencing 27th April 2020)
- 'Pippety Skycap - A Tale of Mischief' - Talk for Writing Home-School Booklet (supporting GOSH)
- Phonics Activities (week commencing 27th April 2020)
- Maths - Learning Grid
- Maths Activities
- Float or Sink Activity
- Weather Diary
- Four Seasons Tree Drawing
- Design an Outfit
- Five Ways I Can Help the Earth
Week Beginning 20th April 2020
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack (week commencing 20th April 2020)
- Year 1 - Home Learning Pack - Parent Guidance and Answers (week commencing 20th April 2020)
- Maths - Homework Grid
- Maths - 'Measuring' Activity
- English - 'Question Mark or Full Stop' Activity
Unfortunately not the ones with chocolate chips.
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Year 1 English
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Find out about the topics your child will learn in their Year 1 English lessons and discover Year 1 English worksheets that will help your support learning at home in all the core areas, such as writing sentences using correct punctuation , forming letters correctly and simple spelling .
You’ll also find lots of information and resources to help your child prepare for the Year 1 Phonics Check that takes place in the Summer term of Year 1.
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Year 1 phonics screening check.
The Phonics screening check is used to test children's reading and phonics skills and what they've learnt in their first two years at school. Find out what you need to know about the Phonics screening check and get an idea of what your child will be asked to do in the June test by looking through the Phonics Screening Check official past papers . Then check out all the Phonics Screening practice checks we have created.
Year 1 English Booster pack
Reading, writing and spelling practice for KS1 children means wordsearches, matching games, writing missing posters and more! Our Year 1 English booster pack covers all the main literacy topics your child will learn in the first year of KS1. Just one worksheet a day will offer a fun revision session to help them with their handwriting, phonics and punctuation – and why not let your child organise a little party to make the 'writing for purpose' activity even more exciting?
Year 1 English Learning Journey
The Year 1 English Learning Journey programme contains 40 worksheets that roughly match the order that your child is being taught topics at school during the year. Work through them in order to be sure your child keeps up with all the core areas of learning they need to have mastered by the end of Year 1 or, if you are a subscriber, we'll send you an email every Wednesday with recommendations for a worksheet to complete that week. There are also 24 fun worksheets that we'll send you during the school holidays!
Year 1 English Progress checks
Want to know if your child's Year 1 learning is on track? Get your child to work through the Year 1 English Progress Check and you'll be instantly be able to see where there are gaps in their knowledge.
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Year 1 Free worksheets
Welcome to The Mum Educates . Here you will find lots of Year 1 Free Worksheets.
![english homework ideas year 1 Year 1 Mental Maths](https://themumeducates.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Year-1-Mental-Maths-9-1024x512.png)
Our free one worksheet a day for year 1 focuses on teaching skills like spellings, arithmetic, reasoning and literacy all in just one sheet. Start progress and attainment straight away. Once your child will finish all of the worksheets your child will get a much better grasp on year 1 curriculum.
1 worksheet a day
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Have a look at One worksheet a day for Year 2 SATS
Related: One worksheet a day for YEAR 3
Morning Work for Year 1:
Are you looking for some amazing early morning work for your year 3 students. The mum educates are proud to bring you some amazing Year 1 Free Worksheets and early morning work completely free. Our superb morning work PowerPoints are great resource for anyone looking to support young children’s learning and development in the early morning hours.
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Homework Activities Matrix - Year 1
Updated: 14 Mar 2020
An editable matrix of literacy and numeracy homework activities linked to the Australian Curriculum.
Editable: Word
Pages: 1 Page
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This homework activities matrix includes 40 activities which directly address the Australian Curriculum content descriptions for English and Mathematics.
Homework requirements vary significantly from class to class and from school to school. We completely understand this! In light of this fact, this resource has been designed specifically for flexibility, enabling you to select as many or as few activities from the matrix as you wish each week. Once you have chosen the desired activities, simply copy and paste them into a text box on the homework grid of your choice and distribute to your students. In the interests of flexibility, two different grid versions are available (4 x text boxes and 6 x text boxes).
Before working with this document, ensure you ‘Enable Editing’ when opening the file. You may also wish to highlight or change the font colour on the activities as you use them – you don’t want to double up as the year progresses!
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13 ESL Homework Ideas
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.
![english homework ideas year 1](https://www.fluentu.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/site//1/brooklyn-nine-nine-fluentu.png)
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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10 entertaining homework ideas for online English Language Learners
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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
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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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Open ended Year 1 homework tasks
Subject: English
Age range: 5-7
Resource type: Worksheet/Activity
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Last updated
5 June 2014
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20+ creative alternative homework ideas for teachers
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When giving homework, it must always be based on learning goals your students have to reach, just like in your lessons. But it’s sad to see that lots of teachers are using homework as extra lesson time. Of course, as a teacher, you’re on a clock. But that doesn’t mean your students have to suffer from it and keep working on those boring textbooks and worksheets at home.
Consider goals like attitudes, real-life experiences, and practice, physical exercise, social encounters, creative solutions, and philanthropy as crucial as your lesson goals. These are things students don’t just pick up in your classroom. These are things they pick up in life.
In this blog post, I’ll give you some innovative homework ideas that will engage your students more. These alternatives to traditional homework will thereby also teach your students new things that can’t be taught in the classroom. You will find a variety of homework ideas: online and offline.
I will mention homework alternatives for primary school and high school. Some of these ideas can be changed a little bit, so they are the perfect fit for the right audience.
20 Creative homework ideas
You can divide homework tasks into the following themes or categories:
- Crafts & arts
- Outdoor activities & outings
- Games and activities
- Physical activities
- Digital or computer activities
- Philanthropy & social work
💡 Good to know : all the ready-to-use homework activities are created with BookWidgets . You can easily create activities like these yourself or duplicate an activity below for free, edit it if needed, and share it with your students. You can do so in the examples separately, or you can find all the homework examples in the BookWidgets Blog group folder .
Crafts and arts homework
1. prepare a dish from a recipe book.
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/51/58b48541711dafff6c7ce19a493fda.png)
2. Make a board game
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/b3/20c704eccc826859eadb281434ccc2.png)
3. Create a birdhouse
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/4a/858a712bc766a8f11074b0c770ff2d.png)
4. Transform a fictional book character into a hand puppet
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/b6/07f025b1d2de218cfd60cffe66a043.png)
Outdoor homework activities and outings
5. coupon game.
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/28/76db33a9c2dad89544dd08f519944c.png)
Students can also go grocery shopping with their parents. Here, they have to read the ingredients of the products and help their parents choose the healthiest products for the best prices, figure out the best deal between the sizes of items, …
6. Visit the zoo
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/d7/a01d3dcba852172e94010e7fd4f1ce.png)
7. Visit the local dumping ground or container park
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/14/8dfc0d9cac17fd7fd95d55a1349820.png)
8. Build a tree house
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/c8/5c0b939f8154e8687dc5014e4dd70a.png)
Games and activities as homework
9. bookwidgets games.
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/b2/551b5f0801c883ca245b27accbddab.png)
10. Minecraft
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/cf/ab12bd56049f17cb687462ff773414.png)
11. Play Cards
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/64/fc887d4b6e6e22d4d31f6dfd4cd0a1.png)
12. Play Zoo Tycoon or Rollercoaster Tycoon
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/1e/e6253af273c81a520f6ec1b4c61ac2.png)
Physical homework activities
13. rope skipping.
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/ef/1fca799aec1903b21fc294f9c11868.png)
Many rope-skipping songs let your students do different tricks while rope-skipping. This is an excellent opportunity for homework as well. Ask your students to transform a rope skipping song into a song with lesson content. Let them count or spell or even sum up the different states or capitals. To engage their lifestyles even harder, you can additionally give them the assignment to create a TikTok in which they are jumping and singing.
Click here to see how you can get Tiktok more involved in the classroom.
14. Walking quest
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/44/f049a9d1addd00770b7e3919003df8.png)
If there aren’t any walking quests in the neighborhood, you could ask your students to create a walking quest like this for their fellow students. What a fun day it will be!
15. Obstacle Quiz
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/d5/2536656bdf57327803297603f874cb.png)
In order for students to answer the questions, they have to run and pass a challenging parkour. This is a fun homework exercise, and in the end, it’s a great lesson starter or lesson end.
16. Swimming games
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/14/0f97e907c981fac1dd2ff042b32979.png)
After the activity, they can fill out an Exit Slip:
![english homework ideas year 1 Swimming games](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/58/63536991d59e222e9c4497fc9c265e.png)
Digital or computer homework activities
17. create a picture album.
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/94/4d190a346a46233c511b61cb8a8f8a.png)
This teaches them to handle the online software, add pictures and write without spelling mistakes. And of course, creating memories is so much fun!
18. Video job application
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/90/07887f8a2f3c3ce65d2974613971ec.png)
19. Your life in 10 minutes - video
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/d2/ee9b732d3f0102a8fb6220774e1ae7.png)
20. Email pen-pals
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/1e/115fe3c48bf84c24e4cd86d6736103.png)
Is it still too complicated? Read the messages from your students, before they send them, and provide them with some feedback.
![english homework ideas year 1 Email pen-pals](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/f3/525d89136e37c6b668dfd00fa76629.png)
Philanthropy and social homework
21. grow a community garden.
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/a0/0dc95fd918fb81b00d8cd6f8bf356a.png)
22. Help in a retirement home
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/b6/bc4be599c8930e4ea78726ee3e0dae.png)
23. Help at a homeless shelter
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/3f/164341bba77e1ed8e59fadc6783f50.png)
24. Collect litter
![english homework ideas year 1 english homework ideas year 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/ibw-blog/media/c0/1794abc3f9a92dbb418ec9a5dd878c.png)
Here’s another homework tip: Don’t call homework “homework”. Call it a challenge. Homework has become a negative word for students, and I bet they start rolling their eyes as you even mention the word.
Still looking for more inspiration? Check out the blog on short films and lesson activities that spice up your Google Classroom . Tip: even if you don’t use Google Classroom, there is a lot of inspiration back here.
Above you have read single assignments. But, you also have the option to involve your homework in a project. Find out more here .
So, as I mentioned earlier, there are many fun alternatives to traditional homework. Now it’s up to you to apply this in the classroom as well. In this folder , you will find all the examples you have come across.
Which idea do you or perhaps your students like the most? Let us know on Twitter . Of course, there are many more alternatives. If you have other ideas, you are always welcome to share it with other teachers in our Facebook group .
One more thing: don’t forget to say hi👋 on LikedIn .
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Homework for ESL Students – 10 Ideas for Teachers
![english homework ideas year 1 David De' Ath](https://wonderfulworldenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/3441682494904_.pic_.jpg)
Meet David De’ Ath , founder, editor, and writer at Wonderful World English. With his extensive background as an English teacher, David provides valuable insights and practical tips on ESL for students and teachers alike.
Learning English as a Second Language (ESL) is an enriching venture and offers students the ability to access global opportunities.
Homework in ESL is crucial, serving as a bridge between classroom theory and practical language use.
It’s essential for reinforcing learned concepts and enhancing general language proficiency.
To make this learning journey both effective and enjoyable, it’s important to craft homework tasks that are engaging and tailored to diverse learning styles.
This approach helps to maintain students’ interest and motivation, which are key to successful language acquisition.
These ESL homework ideas are designed to enhance language learning and engage students both in and out of the classroom: Daily journaling, vocabulary flashcards, reading comprehension, listening to podcasts/songs, video diaries, role-play scenarios, grammar worksheets, online games, book club discussions, and a pen pal program.
I am an experienced ESL teacher, and I can attest first-hand to the importance of self-study, homework, and review.
Our carefully selected ten homework ideas aim to transform routine learning into an exciting adventure.
These activities are more than just assignments; they’re interactive experiences designed to deepen students’ understanding of English.
From creative writing to practical exercises, these tasks are intended to make learning English a dynamic and enjoyable process, paving the way for a richer, more confident use of the language.
![english homework ideas year 1](https://wonderfulworldenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Classroom-Activities-4.png)
Homework Ideas for ESL Students
ESL students need more than just traditional classroom lessons.
Homework is a vital part of their language development and serves as a bridge between acquired knowledge and practical application.
The following homework ideas are designed to captivate students’ interest, deepen their understanding, and enhance their fluency in English in the classroom and real-life situations.
Let’s dive into these creative and effective homework strategies that promise a richer, more interactive language learning experience:
1. Daily Journaling
This is a great idea to engage students by embracing the habit of maintaining a daily journal.
Writing about their daily experiences, emotions, thoughts, or selected topics can sharpen their writing skills while learning to articulate their feelings and ideas in English.
This journaling process serves a dual purpose: it strengthens their grasp of the language and provides a personal space for self-expression.
As they regularly engage with this practice, English becomes an integral part of their daily routine and will facilitate a more natural and fluent use of the language in their everyday lives.
This activity bolsters their linguistic abilities and fosters a deeper connection with English as a medium of personal reflection and expression.
Writing is a huge aspect of mastering a language.
For a guide on how to improve writing skills for yourself or your students, click the link below!
Related Article: How to Sharpen Writing Skills – Full Guide
2. Making Flashcards
Students can develop their vocabulary skills through the classic and effective method of creating flashcards.
This exercise involves students writing down new words and their meanings on individual cards.
They can add illustrations or use words in sentences to make the learning process more engaging and impactful.
This visual and contextual approach helps better retain and understand new vocabulary.
By regularly reviewing these flashcards, students can gradually build a robust vocabulary base, which is essential for fluency in English.
This method will reinforce their word knowledge and encourage active engagement with the language, making vocabulary learning a more interactive and enjoyable experience.
Flashcards are suitable for students of all ages and can be fun.
For some great insights on effectively teaching ESL students vocabulary, the guide below is for you!
Related Article: How to Teach Vocabulary to ESL Students – The Guide
![english homework ideas year 1](https://wonderfulworldenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Classroom-Activities-7.png)
3. Reading Comprehension Exercises
Immerse more advanced students in the world of English reading by assigning short stories or articles complemented by comprehension questions.
This exercise is pivotal in enhancing their reading skills and deepening their understanding of various contexts in English.
Students encounter different writing styles, vocabularies, and themes by engaging with diverse texts, enriching their language experience.
The follow-up questions serve to test their understanding and encourage critical thinking about the content.
This approach bolsters their ability to comprehend English texts and stimulates their analytical skills, making them more adept at interpreting and engaging with the language in its written form.
Such reading exercises are fundamental in helping students gain confidence and proficiency in navigating English literature and media.
4. Podcasts and Songs
Teachers can offer listening exercises in their curriculums by using English podcasts and songs.
This method exposes students to a variety of accents, speaking speeds, and vocabulary in a natural context.
After listening, students can engage in activities like writing summaries or answering questions about what they heard.
These post-listening tasks are crucial for enhancing their comprehension and retention.
This approach is great at improving listening skills while making the learning process more enjoyable and relatable.
By regularly interacting with authentic English content, students develop a better ear for the language and learn to appreciate its rhythm and nuances in different forms of media.
This not only aids in language acquisition but also connects them culturally to the English-speaking world.
Check out the guide below for a list of the BEST English podcasts!
Related Article: Best Podcasts to Learn the English Language in 2024 (Top 10)
![english homework ideas year 1](https://wonderfulworldenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Classroom-Activities-8.png)
5. Video Diaries
This one encourages students to create short video diaries as a regular assignment.
This task provides them with a platform to practice speaking about a variety of topics in English.
Whether they choose to talk about their daily life, share opinions on current events, or discuss their hobbies, these video diaries offer a unique opportunity for students to engage actively with the language.
This activity not only improves their spoken English skills but also significantly boosts their confidence in using the language.
It helps them to overcome any hesitation or fear of speaking by providing a safe, personal space to express themselves.
The process of recording and watching their own videos can also be a powerful tool for self-evaluation and progress tracking.
This innovative approach to language learning empowers students to become more fluent and self-assured English speakers.
6. Role-play in Real-world Scenarios
Ask your students to prepare role-plays that mimic real-world scenarios, such as shopping, ordering food, or making appointments.
This practical approach to learning takes them beyond the confines of traditional classroom exercises and immerses them in everyday situations. T
Through role-playing, students get to practice conversational English in a structured yet dynamic context.
It allows them to apply their language skills in practical situations, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively in real-life settings.
This method is particularly effective in familiarizing them with common phrases and vocabulary used in daily interactions.
Additionally, role-playing can be a fun and interactive way to learn, helping to reduce the anxiety often associated with speaking a new language.
By engaging in these simulated experiences, students gain confidence and fluency, which are crucial for their overall language development.
![english homework ideas year 1](https://wonderfulworldenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Classroom-Activities-9.png)
7. Grammar Worksheets
This is a classic form of homework for ESL students, to offer them worksheets that concentrate on specific grammar points, such as verb tenses, sentence structure, or prepositions.
Regular practice with these worksheets is instrumental in solidifying their understanding of English grammar.
This methodical approach allows students to focus on one aspect of grammar at a time, ensuring a thorough grasp of each concept.
Such targeted exercises help correct common mistakes and deepen their comprehension of the language’s structure.
By consistently working through these grammar worksheets, students build a strong grammatical foundation, which is vital for effective English communication.
This foundational knowledge enhances their writing and speaking skills and boosts their confidence in correctly using the language in various contexts.
For some tips on how to teach grammar to ESL students, we’ve put together a guide to help teachers everywhere!
Related Article: How to Teach Grammar to ESL Students – Teacher’s Guide
8. Online Games
Motivate your students to engage with educational language games available online.
These games offer a fun, interactive way to learn and practice English.
Students can improve various language skills through game-based learning, including vocabulary, grammar, reading, and even listening comprehension.
The interactive nature of these games makes the learning process more enjoyable and less intimidating, especially for younger learners or beginners.
As students play, they receive immediate feedback on their performance, which helps reinforce correct usage and understanding.
This approach enhances their language skills and keeps them motivated and engaged in their learning.
Online language games provide a dynamic and enjoyable way to supplement traditional learning methods, making language practice an activity that students can look forward to.
For some ideas of classroom games, both traditional and digital, check out the guide below!
Related Article: Fun Classroom Games to Play – Teacher’s Guide
![english homework ideas year 1](https://wonderfulworldenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Classroom-Activities-10.png)
9. Book Club
Another great idea is to start a book club in your class, where students can read and discuss a common book.
This collaborative activity enhances their reading skills and promotes critical thinking and group discussion skills in English.
Choosing books that are appropriate for their language level, the book club encourages students to dive into stories and themes, expanding their vocabulary and comprehension.
Discussing the book with their peers allows them to share perspectives, articulate their thoughts, and engage in meaningful conversations in English.
This interactive and social approach to learning also builds a sense of community among the students, making English learning a shared and enjoyable experience.
The book club thus becomes a platform for growth, not just in language proficiency but also in cognitive and social skills.
10. Pen Pal Program
The tenth great homework idea for ESL students is to start a pen pal program with English-speaking individuals from different parts of the world.
This initiative provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in regular written communication with native English speakers.
Through exchanging letters or emails, students practice their writing skills in a real-world context, learning to express their thoughts and ideas clearly in English.
This regular interaction not only improves their language proficiency but also offers valuable insights into different cultures and lifestyles, enhancing their cultural understanding and global awareness.
The pen pal program is more than just a language exercise; it’s a bridge that connects students across cultures, promoting international friendships and broadening their perspectives.
This kind of cultural exchange can be a highly rewarding and motivating experience, encouraging students to apply their language skills in meaningful and authentic interactions.
You can reach out to other teachers on platforms like LinkedIn and see if they would be willing to start a pen pal initiative for both them and your students.
![english homework ideas year 1](https://wonderfulworldenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Classroom-Activities-11.png)
The homework ideas presented for ESL students transcend the traditional concept of assignments.
They are designed as interactive learning experiences that not only build language skills but do so in a way that is practical, enjoyable, and highly effective.
Integrating these varied activities into the ESL curriculum allows teachers to cultivate a dynamic and nurturing learning environment.
Such an approach encourages students to actively engage with the English language, not just within the confines of the classroom but in their everyday lives as well.
Promoting this kind of immersive learning experience makes students more likely to develop a lasting proficiency and a genuine appreciation for the language.
These activities, therefore, play a crucial role in shaping confident, competent English speakers who are prepared to navigate the global landscape.
We hope you find value in this article; let us know if you require any assistance.
Have a wonderful day!
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Year 1 Independent Maths & English Work Booklet 1. 4.8 (77 reviews) Year 2 Read and Reply Activity Sheets. 4.8 (17 reviews) Phase 3 Phonetically-Decodable 60-Second Reads Pack 1. 4.9 (49 reviews) Phonetically-Decodable 60-Second Reads: Traditional Tales (Phases 2-5) Activity Pack. 4.9 (63 reviews) Y1 Easter Common Exception Words Handwriting ...
4. This lovely activity booklet will help your child to practise how to use those important capital letters and full stops. It's perfect as an activity to do at home. Year 1 Capital Letters and Full Stops Learning From Home Activity Booklet. 5. Twinkl Go is full of educational activities your child will enjoy.
How to help at home. There are lots of simple things you can do at home to support your child's English skills: 1. Practising phonics with your child as much as possible - all your child's English skills are underpinned by their reading skills. Make sure you pronounce the sounds correctly. 2.
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Group Readers are charmingly illustrated short books written to facilitate reading and comprehension progression from Reception right through to Year 6. R Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6. Hamilton's Flexible English provides all you need to teach Year 1 SPAG, comprehension or extended writing. Superb resources, from vibrant images to writing templates ...
Encourage Year 1 and Year 2 children's creativity with these fun homework worksheets. With bright graphics and engaging content, this pack contains a variety of cross-curricular, seasonal and themed homework activities. They can be used over the course of a series of lessons. The worksheets for 6-year-olds and 7-year olds are designed to engage ...
Year 1 open homework tasks maths english topic. I was inspired by the homework logs by Comenius (TES Member) and have adopted a similar approach. Lots of homework suggestions here! to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.
Year 1 English Learning Journey. The Year 1 English Learning Journey programme contains 40 worksheets that roughly match the order that your child is being taught topics at school during the year. Work through them in order to be sure your child keeps up with all the core areas of learning they need to have mastered by the end of Year 1 or, if you are a subscriber, we'll send you an email ...
The exercise book focuses on literacy and numeracy skills, making learning enjoyable for young learners. It's a great way to reinforce what they're learning in the classroom or at home. Using our Year 1 exercise book is easy - simply print out and assemble the booklet. All you need is a pencil or pen to get started.
Summer Term Home Learning Aged 6-7 Activity Pack. 5.0 (1 Review) KS1 60-Second Reads Bumper Pack. 4.9 (93 Reviews) Year 1 Independent Maths & English Work Booklet 1. 4.8 (75 Reviews) Phase 3 Phonetically-Decodable 60-Second Reads Pack 1. 4.9 (49 Reviews) Year 1 Independent Maths and English Work Booklet 2.
Our free one worksheet a day for year 1 focuses on teaching skills like spellings, arithmetic, reasoning and literacy all in just one sheet. Start progress and attainment straight away. Once your child will finish all of the worksheets your child will get a much better grasp on year 1 curriculum. 1 worksheet a day. Download Day 31.
English Homework Task Cards and Worksheets - Lower Primary A set of 12 task cards and matching worksheets for literacy and English homework. Suitable for lower primary grades. ... Year 1 Spelling Homework Worksheets Read, write, and recognise the names of the 7 days of the week with a pack of daily practice worksheets.
The content comes from common Year 1 fiction and non-fiction themes. The activities are designed to support work done across the curriculum as well as in literacy teaching. The activities follow the main literacy priorities in Year 1 and are designed to be used flexibly.
Plan a sequence of lessons tailored to your class. Find out about the . Year 1 English Homework. For many parents, homework is the only picture they get of what their child does at school. For this reason, Hamilton have put a great deal of effort into writing suitable, fun and home-friendly activities for children and parents to share together.
Year: 1. Download. Preview File. Available on the Plus Plan. An editable matrix of literacy and numeracy homework activities linked to the Australian Curriculum. This homework activities matrix includes 40 activities which directly address the Australian Curriculum content descriptions for English and Mathematics. Homework requirements vary ...
4. Listen to a Podcast. 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 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.
Part 2 of my previous homework resources. Hope it helps someone. Please leave feedback. International; Resources; ... Open ended Year 1 homework tasks. Subject: English. Age range: 5-7. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. Helen's Shop. 4.29 412 reviews. ... Great ideas, thank you for sharing and helping with my workload.
2. Make a board game. This is definitely one of the most creative homework assignments. Let your students come up with an idea for a board game about the lesson content. They have to make cards, and pawns, draw, write, cut, and paste. They have to use their imagination and inventive ideas to create a coherent board game. Click to open.
10. Pen Pal Program. The tenth great homework idea for ESL students is to start a pen pal program with English-speaking individuals from different parts of the world. This initiative provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in regular written communication with native English speakers.