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The study of the sounds of a language (Phonology in the Classroom, n.d.).

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It is important for English learners to study phonology because the letter sounds are the building blocks of the language. For some students the sounds will be similar to their native language, and they will be able to apply the letter sounds they already know to what they are learning. A great focus should be given to letter and sounds that are different or letters that have different sounds in different languages (Phonology in the Classroom, n.d.). These can cause confusion to students and lead to mispronunciations.

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In this activity students use pictures to make beginning letters to their sounds (Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Activities for your Kindergartener, n.d.). This activity is great for ELs because the use of pictures helps students connect words to their meaning. This activity can be adapted to the different levels of ELs by starting with beginning sounds, to end and middle sounds. More complex words can also be used for more advanced students.

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picture sort by letters and  sounds classroom activity

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The study of morphemes or the parts of words to derive meaning (Morphology in the Classroom, n.d.).

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It is important for English learners to study morphology because by understanding what parts of words means, students will be able to decode words better(Morphology in the Classroom, n.d.). English learners frequently come across words that they do not know the meaning to. By learning what different word parts means students will be able to use context to figure out what the words means, and how to pronounce them.

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In this activity the teacher starts with teaching the word bases, and then the different ways affixes can be added to change words (What Should Morphology Instruction Look Like?, n.d.). The teacher can help students understand how the word's meaning changes with the different affixes. This activity can be differentiated for the different proficiency levels by starting with the meaning of the base words, and as students proficiencies and skills develop, more affixes can be added to manipulate the base words.

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Classroom Activity  : Affix Concentration Game

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Classroom Activity  : Affix Concentration Game

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With this activity students play the game concentration to match the different affixes to their meaning (Morphology in the Classroom, n.d.). This will help students learning the meaning of the affixes and how they can change a words meaning. This game can be differentiated for different levels of students by using more complex affixes for more proficient students.

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Classroom Activity: Sight Words pronunciation and meaning 

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Classroom Activity: Sight Words pronunciation and meaning 

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With this activity the teacher explicitly teaches the sight words to English learners. Many of the sight words are closed morphemes that can help students more easily decode and read by learning (Morphology in the Classroom, n.d.). This can be differentiated by teaching and practicing with these words with the newcomer students. The more advanced students can then combine words together to create new words, and be able to decode longer words.

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Classroom Activity: Teaching Vocabulary with word Parts 

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Classroom Activity: Teaching Vocabulary with word Parts 

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In this activity when students learn new vocabulary words instead of memorizing the meaning students learn to take the new words apart and use the parts to determine the meaning of the words themselves (Morphology in the Classroom, n.d.). This can be differentiated for students by using more complex vocabulary words as students English proficiency develops. Also when students start this activity there will be a lot of teacher leading and help to complete, but as students develop mastery of this skill they will complete it more independently.

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With the website students and parents can spin the wheel to create different words with prefixes and suffixes. They then write down the definition of the word based on it parts. Students can play the game to practice morphology with their parents at home. This activity can meet the needs a the various levels of ELs by helping them learn to decode and learn definitions of new words.

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Here’s a Fun, Free Game for Morphological Awareness

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Enhance your students’ vocabulary, reading, and spelling skills with a fun and free game that boosts morphological awareness. Try it out and see the difference morphology instruction can make!

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This website has great activities for parents to work on phonology at home with their children. These are simple ideas that parents can work on with their children to practice letter sounds, rhyming, and word segmentation. This activity can help the various English proficiencies by providing different activities to match a students needs. It also provides video examples of the activity works for parents.

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That's a complicated sounding term, but it's meaning is simple: the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the sounds in spoken language. Phonological awareness is really a group of skills that include a child's ability to:

Identify words that rhyme

Count the number of syllables in a name

Recognize alliteration (words with the same beginning sound)

Segment (break) a sentence into words

Identify the syllables in a word

The most sophisticated phonological awareness skill (and the last to develop) is called phonemic awareness - the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. When playing with the sounds in word, children learn to:

Blend individual sounds to make a word

Stretch out a word into its individual sounds

Swap in a different sound to the beginning, middle, or end of a word to make a new word

Strong phonemic awareness is one of the strongest predictors of later reading success. Children who struggle with reading, including kids with dyslexia, often have trouble with phonemic awareness, but with the right kind of instruction they can be successful. Learn some of the warning signs for dyslexia in this article, Clues to Dyslexia in Early Childhood.

Parents can make a big difference in helping their children become readers by practicing these pre-reading oral skills at home. Try some of the simple rhyming and word sound games described here.

Try these speech sound activities at home

Rhyme time

"I am thinking of an animal that rhymes with big. What's the animal?" Answer: pig. What else rhymes with big? ( dig, fig, wig)

Road trip rhymes

While you're out driving in the car, spot something out the window and ask your child, "what rhymes with tree or car or shop?" Then switch roles and have your child spot something and ask you for a rhyme. This can turn into a game of nonsense rhymes ("What rhymes with tree stump?") but that's great for practicing sounds, too!

Word families

Word families are sets of words that rhyme. Start to build your family by giving your child the first word, for example, cat. Then ask your child to name all the "kids" in the cat family, such as: bat, fat, sat, rat, pat, mat, hat, flat. This will help your child hear patterns in words.

Silly tongue twisters

Sing songs and say silly tongue twisters. These help your child become sensitive to the sounds in words.

Tongue ticklers

Alliteration or "tongue ticklers" - where the sound you're focusing on is repeated over and over again - can be a fun way to provide practice with a speech sound. Try these:

For M: Miss Mouse makes marvelous meatballs!

For S: Silly Sally sings songs about snakes and snails.

For F: Freddy finds fireflies with a flashlight.

Syllable shopping

While at the grocery store, have your child tell you the syllables in different food names. Have them hold up a finger for each word part. Eggplant = egg-plant, two syllables. Pineapple = pine-ap-ple, three syllables. Show your child the sign for each and ask her to say the word.

"I spy" first sounds

Practice beginning sounds with this simple "I spy" game at home, on a walk, or at the grocery store. Choose words with distinctive, easy-to-hear beginning sounds. For example, if you're in the bathroom you can say, "I spy something red that starts with the "s" ssss sound ( soap)."

Sound scavenger hunt

Choose a letter sound, then have your child find things around your house that start with the same sound. "Can you find something in our house that starts with the letter "p" pppppp sound? Picture, pencil, pear "

Which letter sounds do I teach first?

Reading expert Linda Farrell recommends that you begin with teaching the letter names, and then focus on the letter sounds that are closest to their letter names (such as /v/). And here's a great tip for teaching the trickier letter name-letter sound combinations - use arm motions. In this video, Linda demonstrates motions for /x/ and /y/. (From our video series Reading SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading.)

Sound games

Practice blending sounds into words. Ask "Can you guess what this word is? m - o - p." Hold each sound longer than normal.

First sounds

When you're reading together with your child, pick a word from the book and say it with emphasis on the first sound. Pick another word and compare them. "Zzz-zookeeper and rrr-rhinoceros. Can you hear what sound zzz-zookeeper starts with? Is it the same as rrr-rhinoceros?

Jump, skip, hop!

Create simple picture cards that you draw or cut out of magazines. Have your child, identify what's in the picture, and then break that word into its individual sounds. For example dog is d-o-g, three sounds (phonemes). Three sounds? You and your child do three jumping jacks, skips, or hops (followed by a high-five). You can also do this game outdoors without the cards, just call out simple words for your child.

Snail talk

Tell your child you're going to communicate in "snail talk" and they need to figure out what you're saying. Take a simple word and stretch it out very slowly (e.g., /fffffllllaaaag/), then ask your child to tell you the word. Switch roles and have your child stretch out a word for you.

"I spy" blending

Here's an easy phoneme blending game you can play while talking a walk. For blending, you can say, "I see a sign that says s-t-o-p" Then your child has to blend the sounds to guess your word - stop. (Remember to say only the sounds in the word - not the letters.) Keep the words short, moving from two to three to four sounds depending on your child's skill level.

Sound counting

Using LEGO bricks, beads, or pennies, say a word and have your child show you how many sounds the word makes. For example, top = t-o-p = three sounds, so your child would place three objects in a row. Then have them tap each object as they say the sound. Remember, your child is just showing you the sounds they hear. So the word bike would be = b-i-k (silent e) = only three sounds.

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Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Activities for Your Kindergartener

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Phonological and phonemic awareness are important pre-reading skills, related to the ability to hear, identify, and play with the sounds in spoken language - including rhymes, syllables, and the smallest units of sound (phonemes). Children with strong phonological awareness skills are ready to become readers.

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Classroom Activity : Rhyming Picture Words

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Classroom Activity : Rhyming Picture Words

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Rhyming is an important phonology skills. In the rhyming word match students play concentration with words that rhyme (Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Activities for your Kindergartener, n.d.). Two pairs of words that rhyme are written on cards and turned over. Students then take turns flipping the cards over until they find a match. This activity can be adapted to different proficiency levels by starting with easy to recognize rhyming words, then moving to more advanced words. More advanced students could create their own list of rhyming words that match the cards.

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This is a fun way for students to practice sound pronunciation ,and become sensitive to the different sounds (Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Activities for your Kindergartener, n.d.). This activity can be differentiate for the different EL levels by more complex twisters and sounds. Also the teacher can move from practicing tongue twisters, to picking out the sounds. The more advanced students can then create their own tongue-twisters.

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Classroom Activity: Connecting English and Spanish Sounds 

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Classroom Activity: Connecting English and Spanish Sounds 

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There are many sounds in English and Spanish that are similar. By making a chart a teacher can help students understand the similarities and differences between the sounds of the two languages(Phonology in the Classroom, n.d.). This can help connect what students already know about phonology and connect it to new learning.

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Definition - Syntax are the set of rules for a language and sentence formation (Syntax in the classroom, n.d.).

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Importance - Syntax is important because it makes language clear and understandable (Syntax in the classroom, n.d.). When people use the correct syntax in their writing and language, they can effectively convey the meaning of what they want to say.

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Classroom Activity: Explicitly Teach Grammar Rules 

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Classroom Activity: Explicitly Teach Grammar Rules 

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English learners need to be explicitly taught English grammar rules since they did not grow up speaking the language (Syntax in the classroom, n.d.). Students can take notes and complete practice worksheets in order to learn and practice the different rules. This can be differentiated for the different levels by starting with the basic English grammar for newcomers, and adding more complex rules as students become more proficient.

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Modeling is when the teacher or expert in the language shows the correct way of speaking and writing English (Syntax in the classroom, n.d.). This helps English learners hear and see the correct English used correctly in everyday settings. This can also be done using tools such as sentence stems and visuals to help students create their own correct speech and writing.  This can be differentiated by modeling the level of skills needed for individual classes and students based on students needs.

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This is an activity where the words in a sentence are mixed up, and students are required to put the sentences in the correct order (Sedita, 2019).  This helps English learners practice the correct English sentence formation . This can be differentiated for different El levels by adding more parts of speech like adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns as students become more proficient in the language.

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Classroom Activity: Sentence Elaboration 

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Classroom Activity: Sentence Elaboration 

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With this activity students take their basic sentences and add details to create more complex sentences (Sedita, 2019). Students add details such as who, what, when, where ,and why. This can be differentiated for the different levels of proficiency by having more proficient students create more complex sentences adding in figurative language and vivid details.

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This websites gives students a chance to read and write using correct syntax while giving immediate feedback. This can help students at all proficiency levels practice syntax because it gives them practice with English reading and writing at their level, and helps them advance to higher levels.

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Set up your classroom, without IT

You can quickly and easily set up your classroom in Quill by inputting student names or providing students with a unique code. If you use Google Classroom or Clever, you can automatically set up your classroom with one click.

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Quill.org | Interactive Writing and Grammar

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Quill provides free writing and grammar activities for middle and high school students.

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Definition - Semantics is the study of the meaning of words and phrases in a language such as vocabulary words (Semantics in the classroom, n.d.).

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Semantics are important because it does not matter if a person can decode words, if the words have no meaning. Semantics is the definition of the individual words in a sentence (Semantics in the classroom, n.d.). If there are many words in a sentence or paragraph that a reader does not understand, then the whole book or text  will not be able to be understood.

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There are some words in English that are the same or very similar in other languages. By teaching students which words are cognates, then students can more easily connect the meaning of those words to learning they already have(Semantics in the classroom, n.d.). This can be differentiated by having more advanced students finding their cognates in their readings and other work, and using those cognates in order to learn new definitions.

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In this strategy a list of related words are put on a continuum. This strategy deepens students' understanding of words and how they are connected (Semantic Gradients, n.d.). This can be differentiated by starting with more basic and easily understood words, and moving to more complex and academic words.

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These are graphic organizers to help students learn and connect ideas around new words(Connecting word Meanings through Semantic Mapping,n.d). This can be differentiated by having students with lower proficiency creating maps by drawing pictures, and more proficient  using words and phrases.

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Idioms are words and phrases that do not mean what their direct definition means(Semantics in the classroom, n.d.). These can be hard for English learners since they do not grow up learning what these mean. This can be differentiated and taught by teaching basic idioms and moving to more complex as students’ proficiency grows.

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At Home Activity : Listening to Audiobooks 

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At Home Activity : Listening to Audiobooks 

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This website has great ideas of activities families can do to support their child's semantic growth. One of these activities is to listen to audiobooks which can increase a child's vocabulary. This can be differentiated by listening to books on different reading levels to learn more complex vocabulary.

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August, D., Calderón M., & Carlo M. (2002) The Transfer of Skills from Spanish to English: A Study of Young Learners. Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C.

Biemiller, A. (2001). "Teaching Vocabulary: Early, direct, and sequential." American Educator. Spring 2001.(25)(1): 24-28, 47.

Calderón, M., August, D., R. Slavin, A. Cheung, D. Durán & N. Madden (2005). Bringing words to life in classrooms with English language learners. In Hiebert, A & M. Kamil (eds.) Research and development on vocabulary. Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Hiebert, A & M. Kamil (eds.) (2005) Research and development on vocabulary. Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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Knowing vocabulary words is key to reading comprehension. The more words a child knows, the better he or she will understand the text. Using a variety of effective teaching methods will increase the student's ability to learn new words.

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Definition - Pragmatics is the study of how people use the language in cultural and social contexts (Pragmatics in the classroom, n.d.).

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Pragmatics is important because in the English language there are idioms, metaphors, and phrases that mean something different than what the normal definition would mean (Pragmatics in the classroom, n.d.). A word of phrase may mean different things to different people based on their cultural and social situation. It is important to know these so that English learners can understand what is written and spoken because they can easily cause  confusion.

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This is a strategy where students are given sentences with words missing (Pragmatics in the classroom, n.d.). These can be used to help students express their ideas using correct pragmatics. This can be differentiated by as students become more proficient, the less words and phrases are missing, unit students can write competently by themselves.

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Classroom Activity : Think- Write-Pair-Share 

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Classroom Activity : Think- Write-Pair-Share 

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1.  In this strategy after asking the students a question, the teacher gives the students time to think about the answer, write their answer down, talk about their answer with  a peer, and then share it with the class (Pragmatics in the classroom, n.d.). This strategy is great for ELs because it gives them the time and support they need to answer questions. It also is great because it partners them with English speaking peers where they can hear and see English being used in the classroom. This can be differentiated by how the students are paired, either with a same language peer, a bilingual peer, or a peer who is a native English speaker.

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In this strategy students look at different photos around the room, and have to write what they observe, a question they have, connections, what happened before, and what will happen next (Pragmatics in the classroom, n.d.). This helps students use language in authentic ways, while providing support. This can be differentiated by using different pictures for different topics students are learning, and using sentence stems to help students write using correct conventions.

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Classroom Activity:  Teaching politeness 

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Classroom Activity:  Teaching politeness 

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What is considered polite is different in different cultures. This is why it is important when situations arise in the classroom, to teach the politeness conventions to EL students (Pragmatics in the classroom, n.d.). Also by learning and comparing how politeness is the same and different in their native countries. It is important to teach the polite language, and what it means. This can be differentiated by teaching more complex words and phrases as students become more proficient.

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At Home Activity : Pragmatic Language Skills

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At Home Activity : Pragmatic Language Skills

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This is a great website that teaches parents how to teach and practice pragmatics at home. This can help different levels of students by using the strategies that meet the needs of their child.

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Children really do say the darndest things! But sometimes these things can be disruptive or embarrassing for parents. Children who have difficulty with pragmatic language skills can cause disruption without even realizing what they are doing.

What are pragmatic language skills? This refers to the use and understanding of language in social interactions, such as:
👄 Conversational turn-taking
👉 Staying on topic
🤫 Not interrupting others
👀 Using appropriate eye contact
🤷🏼‍♀️ Clarifying answers when the listener isn't following
🤣 Using humor appropriately
👋🏽 Using and understanding body language

What can parents do at home to teach pragmatic language skills? Here are 7 ideas for busy parents.

Have children brainstorm possible problems for their age group related to their day, such as problems that may arise during play dates, school, or with siblings.

Since children are experiencing this firsthand, they will have a lot of insight. This is a great opportunity to learn more about what children are facing each day and what worries them (or doesn't worry them at all).

2. Brainstorm Solutions

Using the problems that were previously brainstormed, have children brainstorm as many ways as possible to solve a problem before choosing the best alternative. Talk about the consequences of each solution from each person's perspective and whose responsibility it is to solve the problem.

Let the children throw out all their ideas and talk through each one. Some may be completely silly (ex. like offering $1 million to someone) or inappropriate. Let the creativity flow and take advantage of these teachable moments.

When children attempt to collaborate to resolve a conflict in a mutually satisfactory way, reinforce this behavior. Discuss what the problem was, the appropriate solution they came up with, and how that solution makes you proud or happy.

What are social stories? Social stories are short stories that explain what to expect, emotions, personal space, and problem-solving. Depending on the age of the children, they can be picture-based, word-based, or a combination.

Social stories address an array of problems that may arise such as an upcoming fire drill, how to solve conflicts in the classroom, what to do if there is a substitute, or other scenarios. Get the whole class involved by having them write social stories together. Have them take pictures (or draw pictures), write sentences to describe a scenario, and develop a solution.

For more information on social stories, check out: CarolGraySocialStories.Com

Every day, there are situations that arise that can lead to emotional breakdowns, classroom management issues, or are just overwhelming. Before these situations occur, give the children a heads up and talk through the steps.

Be sure to discuss steps from start to finish, even the ones that are routine. It's helpful to let children know what to expect first, second, and so on. Also, discuss things that may come up and what to do if things don't go as planned. For example, forgetting lunch or looking for a seat at the lunch table.

When possible, have children work in small groups for schoolwork or projects. This helps encourage interaction and language in a variety of activities. Before beginning group work, review rules and social etiquette for class

Most children use some form of social media, allowing them to communicate with others but also exposing them to risks. As much as possible, discuss etiquette for using social media with students, specifically talking to and about each other online. Incorporate social media posts into assignments and discuss what is appropriate and what is not.

[us_btn label="Problem-Solving Scenarios" link="url:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Problem-Solving-Scenarios-BUNDLE-7680975|target:_blank" align="center"]

Problem-solving Flashcards

For a time-saving activity, check out this Powerpoint deck that contains problem-solving scenarios for everyday, COVID, and holiday scenarios. Each card prompts students to state the problem, impact on self or others, and generate solutions.

For ideas to teach pragmatic language skills in the classroom, check out my blog Pragmatic Language Skills in the Classroom

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Teaching Pragmatic Language Skills at Home - Global Speech Therapy

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Children who have difficulty with pragmatic language skills can be disruptive without realizing what they are doing.

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Youtube Video exploring the different areas of language and why they are important 

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Youtube Video exploring the different areas of language and why they are important 

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Reference: TrevTutor. (2015). What is Linguistics? - Introduction to Linguistics [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF679Ks8ZR4

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What is Linguistics? - Introduction to Linguistics

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Strategic ways for Improving the Efficiency of Teaching Linguistics

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Strategic ways for Improving the Efficiency of Teaching Linguistics

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A journal article with strategies to teach linguistics to English learners with disabilities.

Reference : Husin, S. A., Pahamzah, J., Rusdiyani, I., Juniardi, Y., Akrim, A., & Kasan, R. A. (2022). Strategic Ways for Improving the Efficiency of Teaching Linguistics to EFL Students with Physical Disabilities. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(2), 33–44.

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Teaching and Learning Pragmatics: Where Language and Culture Meet by Noriko Ishihara and Andrew D. Cohen

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Teaching and Learning Pragmatics: Where Language and Culture Meet by Noriko Ishihara and Andrew D. Cohen

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This book gives an approach for teachers to teach cultural and Teaching and Learning Pragmatics: Where Language and Culture Meet by Noriko Ishihara and Andrew D. Cohen language for communication.

Reference: Jiang, Z., & Shen, L. (2023). Ishihara, Noriko and Andrew D. Cohen:Teaching and learning pragmatics: where language and culture meet(2ndedn.). Intercultural Pragmatics, 20(4), 455–462. https://doi.org/10.1515/ip-2023-4005

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This book provides teachers with an indepth view of linguistics and how to apply it.

Reference:

Aarts, B., McMahon, A., & Hinrichs, L. (n.d.). The Handbook of English Linguistics. John Wiley & Sons.

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Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction for English Language Learners, Grades K-4.

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Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction for English Language Learners, Grades K-4.

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This is a guide to help teach the areas of language to English learners.

Reference:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Vaughn, S., & Linan-Thompson, S. (2007). Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction for English Language Learners, Grades K-4. https://doi.org/https://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=108002