5 Simple Back-to-School Activities for ESL

The start of a new school year brings excitement and anticipation for both teachers and students. What are some good back-to-school activities? For educators working with English as a Second Language (ESL), it is essential to create a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment from day one. In this blog post, we will explore five simple back-to-school activities that cater to the diverse needs of ESL and even my SPED students, fostering a sense of belonging and engagement right from the start.

back-to-school activities for ESL and SPED

Simple Back-To-School Activities

Multilingual Name Tags: At the beginning of the school year, provide students with blank name tags and encourage them to write their names in their native language and English. It’s one of the easiest, yet most fun back-to-school activities. This activity helps ESL students feel proud of their linguistic background and gives other students the opportunity to learn and appreciate different languages. For SPED students who may have difficulty writing, allow them to decorate their name tags with symbols or stickers that represent their interests.
Visual Classroom Tour: Create a visual classroom tour by displaying pictures or drawings of different areas in the classroom, such as the reading corner, art station, and math center. Alongside each image, include the corresponding word or phrase in both English and simple visuals. This activity aids ESL students in associating words with their meanings, while SPED students benefit from visual cues, helping them navigate the classroom with greater ease.
Inclusive “About Me” Collage or mini-book: One of my favorite back-to-school activities is to have each student, ESL, and SPED alike, create an “About Me” collage using magazines, drawings, and printouts. Provide a wide range of materials to cater to diverse interests and abilities. Encourage students to express themselves visually and include labels or short sentences describing their favorite things or activities. This activity promotes self-expression, language development, and social interactions as students share their collages with their peers.
Cultural Show-and-Tell: Invite ESL students to share something special from their culture or country during a show-and-tell session. This could be an object, a traditional garment, or even a short video or picture presentation. Encourage SPED students to participate by showcasing items or hobbies that bring them joy. This activity not only celebrates diversity but also fosters a sense of pride and confidence in sharing one’s uniqueness.
Storytelling and Role-Playing: Engage ESL and SPED students in collaborative storytelling and role-playing activities. Provide a simple story prompt or use picture cards to spark the imagination. Divide students into small groups, assigning each group a different part of the story to act out. ESL students practice language skills through dialogue, while SPED students can participate using gestures, expressions, or simple words. This activity encourages teamwork, creativity, and communication.

Creating an inclusive and supportive classroom environment is crucial for the success and well-being of ESL and SPED students. These five back-to-school activities provide an opportunity for all students to engage, learn, and celebrate their uniqueness. By incorporating these simple yet powerful activities into the start of the school year, teachers can set the tone for a positive and inclusive learning experience that will benefit all students throughout the academic year and beyond. Also, check out this Back to School Simple Reading Activity for ESL and SPED students in my store.

This resource teaches a set of everyday words around your students’ school day. E.g., classroom, reading, library, PE, science, social studies, math, etc. Then, they will practice reading these simple words in a sentence. Students will need to cut, glue, color, and write. Super easy! Teachers can simply staple each page to make a book for future reference like a picture dictionary.

Classroom: teacher, student, desk, book, backpack
Reading: books, front, pages, word, picture
Science: magnifying glass, magnet, seed, dirt, plant
PE: basketball, soccer ball, sneakers, t-shirts, water
Technology: headphones, mouse, tablet, laptop, tablet pencil
Things I use: pencil, printer, keyboard, screen, notebook
Math: ruler, cubes, calculator, clock, compass
Social Studies: map, globe, flag, country, timeline
Art: brush, scissors, glue, marker, crayons