The First Week of English for K–2 Newcomers (Free Lessons Inside)

A new student just arrived, and they don’t speak English yet. They’re five, six or seven years old. Where do you start?

Start with what they need to belong: saying hello, saying their name, following a few class directions and knowing a class rule. That’s a full week, and it’s enough.

What to teach in Week 1

• Day 1: Hello! “Hello! I am ___.” Wave, smile and say it again and again.
• Day 2: What is your name? “What is your name?” / “My name is ___.” Pass a ball and ask around the circle.
• Day 3: Listen and look. Sit down, stand up, listen, look. Play a quick game of “Simon says.”
• Day 4: Our class rules. One rule, one picture, one sentence.
• Day 5: Review and play. Students draw “All About Me” and trace “I am ___.”

Keep every lesson the same shape

Young newcomers relax when they know what’s coming. Use the same 6 steps every day: Hello circle, Picture talk, Say it!, Sounds and letters, Play and talk, My page. About 30 minutes is plenty.

Talk first, write later

Oral language comes first. Put sentence stems on every slide, with small pictures above the meaning words, so children who can’t read yet can still say the sentence. Kindergarten students listen for sounds and practice pre-writing strokes. Grades 1–2 start letters and short sentences.

Try a whole week free

My FREE Newcomer ESL K–2 Week 1: Hello and Names has all five lessons: 86 slides with teacher talk in the speaker notes, a Kindergarten workbook, a Grades 1–2 workbook, picture cards, song posters, family pages in 14 languages and a teacher guide. If it works for you, Weeks 2–5 are in the Unit 1 bundle.