Farm Animals:  An ESL Unit

By Yvonne Gall

Clearfield Colony School

The emphasis of my unit will be teaching English to my kindergarteners using activities with a theme of farm animals.  I intend to focus my unit on the kindergarten level with the help of the first grade.  I intend to address the ESL problem my students face when they begin kindergarten by introducing them to pictures, words, sounds and other aspects of various farm animals and their environment.

I teach at Clearfield Colony School with the Tripp Delmont School System.  I teach grades K-3.  The main language spoken at the colony is German.  The students speak English only in English school. My students start kindergarten with little or no use of the English language.  Kindergarten instruction has never involved formal teaching of English as a second language.  This year our school is starting an all day, every day kindergarten program so I will have more time with the students.  I feel if I address the ESL problem, by teaching a unit, the kindergarteners will have a better start at learning the English language.  I plan to involve the first graders because I think they could help the kindergarten.  They are still trying to grasp the language themselves and the instruction would be helpful as a review.