Are you looking for a passage for homework?

Do you have difficulties in finding new texts for your kids? So do I.

With my 5th graders we have a writing lesson where they follow a pattern to write about different topics. Last week's topic was to tell about a member of their families. This boy chose to write about his dad - but it was a little bit scary !! So I liked it =)

Then, I used it for the weekday homework and added some questions. He got shocked! Now all the other kids want their paragraphs to be published! Why not?

P.S.: You can add small notes to your homework sheet ^.^

Make Your Own Certificate ^.^

I’m sure every teacher has a difficult class. The one who resists your creative ways, the one that has that student who doesn’t find your activities enjoyable.

But every student loves to be praised!

My 4th graders, as well, need to be praised every now and then. They need to be pushed to speak English, otherwise they tend to turn to their mother tongue. To have them speak I give them stickers every time they make a full, proper sentence. And wait... If you get 10 stickers, you get a certificate!

To congratulate them, I prepare a certificate and print it on a certificate paper (to make it thick and look more realistic) and it works. They are, now, in a competition with each other (though there is no one winner). 

In this website you can upload your own pictures or choose from the library that the website has. You can write whatever you want on it. You can find an example below. 

I write the student's name with a board marker.  (I'm thinking about preparing one for my friends, as well. =))

Ms Aysu is Published now !

I am proudly presenting my first published article !

I have co-written this article with my former CELTA tutor Phil Keegan. We have shared some ideas on writing exercises that can be used in ELT classes.

I also thank Mr Philip Kerr for the opportunity.

Hope you'll also like it! +.+

A Grammar-Based Writing Activity

In one of my previous blogs I mention a website full of different kinds of worksheets- Crekid. I was wandering in it only to find a perfect worksheet for my 4th graders. 

 We have been reading Peter Pan with them and also in the grammar lessons our main focus is on "have got/ has got". So, I saw a blank picture of a pirate and took a copy, gave it to the kids, asked to color and draw as they wished and describe their pirates using the target language. =)

Believe me, all the kids had fun!

                                   

             

                                        

QR Code? In Homework? {And There is a Bonus!}

Most of my kids complain about how much homework they have. The world is really difficult for them. They have so much to do. How will they manage to finish all the homework? Moreover, doing homework is dull!

With these in mind, to juice up the homework (both for me and my kids) I decided to use QR Code in the homework. I wrote a reading passage about an Indian festival (I basically simplified a text I came across in a website that I mentioned in one of my previous blogs.) There is a video about that festival and not only did I write the link, but also I put the qr code of it. The reaction from the kids was quite nice. They really enjoyed it and they said it was fun to use the ‘QR Code Reader’ in their phones not for “silly website” (as one of them puts it), but for homework.

You can type “qr code generator” on google and come up with many websites, but I prefer this one. Just copy and paste the website that you want your kids to see and save the image. Then copy and paste that image wherever you want =)

PLUS

I love riddles and tongue twisters and I love putting them at the end of each homework sheet. I use this website to write the riddle or tongue twister and the kids can see the answer or conundrum by using their phone. You just write whatever you want, and the website creates URL. You can write 30.000 characters.

 If you think you don’t have enough time in the classroom, you can also use it to give the answers, so the kids can check their homework by themselves.

In this way I’ve concluded that even the ones who do not like doing homework are excited. They wait for the next riddle/ tongue twister.

You can find a sample homework here =)

News For Kids

I sometimes look for new texts especially to share as  homework. I go through all the books that my school library has, but in time they started to look the same to me. If you also feel this way, don't you worry at all.

I have found this new Website where you can discover a lot of different topics as news form. Some of them might be a little bit difficult, so you can do what I do: simply simplify it!! =)

There are different sections, so you can find a text nearly about everything; from science to entertainment!

You can sign in as a teacher and create your own classroom and also give assignment. And here is the news: It's totally free!

A Fun Tool For Teachers (Also Kids!)

Are you looking for new worksheets for your lessons? Here is a lovely website that I have just come across. There are different kinds of worksheets for writing, drawing and story making - you can also find interesting templates on different issues. 

In my opinion, it is a really nice tool to get your kids to use their creativity. For instance, there is a writing template with a sleeping king picture on and kids can write about the king's dream. This is a good way to assess (or revise) The Present Continuous Tense.  I believe these kinds of websites are not only good for resource, but also good for giving ideas to teachers.

If you've got any other ideas on how to use these worksheets, let's share and cheer ^.^