* EL Supports and Resources 2025-2026

There's a lot of useful stuff on this padlet, and the owner of the padlet has said that we are free to share it with a larger audience.  So I thought I would share it here on this blog for any other TESOL teachers who are interested.

It can also be found at this link: https://bit.ly/EL-Padlet

Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss

(TESOL Materials--Story Time) 

I've already done this book before as part of my Storybooks ESL Listening, but I was doing it for a Kindergarten class recently, and so I found it useful to convert it into another format.  I found a copy of the book online here.  I also used screenshots from a Youtube video that counted all the wacky things.

In my class, I did most of this as an all class activity, but for the final wacky count, I gave students each a copy of the page, and they tried to circle all the wacky things, before I revealed the answers.

Supplementary Material:

Google drive HERE: 

Google Slides: slides, pub

My video HERE

I also found coloring pages can also be found at this link here.

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JSeC4p      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

* -at word family Kahoot

This is a Kahoot game for practicing the -at word family.

It is copied from this Kahoot here.  I made a copy because I thought number 6 on the original was wrong.

Bathroom Vocabulary

(TESOL Materials--Houses)

* Mia in the Bathroom Storybook--Created from this chat here  (Made using Google Gemini Storybook)

* Objects in the bedroom slideshow: slides, pub

* Flippity Memory Game: docs, pub--playable link  (Play using Memory Game rules).

* Bathroom to color worksheet: docs, pub--worksheet created from this chat here.

[Notes: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson The Bathroom (p.22-23) from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson.  However, I think these materials could be used for any general lesson on describing homes, and so I'm including them here.]

Midwest Futures by Phil Christman: Book Review

 (Book Review)

Started: October 18, 2025

(This is my first time reading this book, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.)

Midwest Futures by Phil Christman: Book Review

Related Playlists: 

* Books I read in 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7Fev7Uv6_tzuSf84LtYwQu&si=Im1rdozRXrgGnr99

* Book Review Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7&si=EJ7CG8iO9IouNaYY

Support this Blog:

Did you enjoy this review? Consider supporting me on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/joelswagman

Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/JoelSwagman

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/499fls7         (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

Word Family -an | Phonics Song for Kids | Jack Hartmann

I used this video in my classes to help students learn the -an word family.  

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry G. Allard Jr. and illustrated by James Marshall

 (Graded Readers)

Once again, I selected this book for my reading group primarily just because the school library had multiple copies of it.  

However in this case, this is also a book that I have fond memories of from my own childhood.

It's a book in which the teacher wins against the children, so it's not the type of book that children are children are supposed to like.  And yet it's done with such humor, and such funny illustrations, that it's easy to like.  I liked it as a kid, and my students now really liked it.  (They've even asked to read it multiple times.)

According to Wikipedia, this book is the first book of a series of Miss Nelson books.  I think I may even vaguely remember the other books from childhood, but I'm not 100% sure.

Supplemental Materials:

Kahoots: I found two kahoots suitable for use in the classroom here and here.  I combined them both into this kahoot.

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/49PVrTk      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

At War With Asia by Noam Chomsky: Book Review

This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:

https://youtu.be/HgneyXvRI04  

and HERE: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2018/12/vlog-scripted-book-reviews-i-ramble-on.html

In this case, the old blog post is here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2013/12/at-war-with-asia-by-noam-chomsky.html

The first 10 minutes are just me talking about Noam Chomsky in general.  I don't actually start talking about this book until about 10:00

For my other videos on Noam Chomsky, see this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4asr_lA15vM0dubN_1WoTZ&si=6j8q4GyrJN31-Zaa

As I mentioned in the video, the articles which make up this book can be found here: https://chomsky.info/articles/

Related Playlists:

Book Review Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7

Scripted Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BKcEIufNKlS58JHU_glyL&si=Pje0KQqIqOgWGGUI

Scripted Book Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x53WSp_2mGcDRHBR7ubQkDa&si=T_0QPBDOZqhqN-oa

2013 Reading List Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71U4c9suM2hOQ2sBqH8kKx&si=OeWUjD8kJ50oqLvW

Books About Cambodia Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7Idx2itq2yFM9e1OFejNCR&si=TfrissAswF7k8uu8

Support This Blog: 

Did you enjoy this review? Consider supporting me on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/joelswagman

Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/JoelSwagman

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4oTgby2       (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

Starting: Foundation by Isaac Asimov   (This is a reread.  I originally read it in 11th grade, and in fact I posted my high school book report here, and did a video based on that old report here.)

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3X5aBwN         (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

Bedroom Vocabulary

(TESOL Materials--Houses)

* Lesson Plan: docs, pub

* Kai's Tidy Bedroom Storybook--Created from this chat here  (Made using Google Gemini Storybook)

* Objects in the bedroom slideshow: slides, pub

* Set of Cards: docs, pub

* Bedroom to color worksheet: docs, pub--worksheet created from this chat here.

[Notes: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson The Bedroom (p.20-21) from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson.  However, I think these materials could be used for any general lesson on describing homes, and so I'm including them here.  If you're using this without the Oxford Picture Dictionary textbook, just omit practice 1 from the lesson plan.  Also, if you'll using this in your own classroom, you'll need to change the lead-in to make it personal for you.]

Lead-in:

Put on slideshow.  Show picture of me in my bedroom.  Get students to identify people and objects in the classroom, and try to elicit where it is.  (bedroom):

Concept Checking questions: Do we eat in the bedroom?  Do we shower in the bedroom?  What do we do in the bedroom?

Have students identify other objects in picture if not already. (bed, closet, book, picture).

Ask students what else is in a bedroom.

Model text:

Use the Google Gemini Storybook to present/elicit the objects in a bedroom.

Clarification:

Use slideshow to clarify vocabulary.  Present pictures, elicit vocabulary words from students.  Confirm the words.  Then do oral drilling of pronunciation.

Try to elicit additional information about the objects (e.g. color), and try to drill some of the vocabulary in sentences.

Practice 1

Display pages 20-21 of Oxford Picture Dictionary on the projector.  Ask students what things they can see.  Elicit from students the objects in the picture.  Ask additional questions to try to enlarge responses where appropriate.

Give to students a copy of p.20-21.  Have students circle objects in the picture.

Practice 2:

Give out cards to students.  Teacher calls out the card name, and the students have to find the appropriate card.  Possibly get students to come to the front and call out the card.

If there is additional time, do one of the following activities:

• Use the printed flashcards to play “What’s missing?”

• Have students do coloring sheet

• Play hot potato (see here)

Vocabulary for Houses

(Specific Vocabulary Sets)

* Describing Houses (Vocabulary)

* Bedroom Vocabulary

* Bathroom Vocabulary

Describing Houses (Vocabulary)

 (TESOL Materials--Specific Vocabulary Sets)

* The House Tour Storybook 

* Objects in home slideshow: slides, pub

* House to Color worksheet: docs, pub--worksheet created from this chat here.

These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson Home (p.18-19) from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson.  However, I think these materials could be used for any general lesson on describing homes, and so I'm including them here. 

* The House Tour Storybook--This was made using Google Gemini Storybook feature.  It originally came from this chat here, but at the moment of this posting, the key part of that chat seems to have disappeared.

* Objects in home slideshow: slides, pub--slide 11 introduces a Jump the Line game.

Describing People's Heads (Vocabulary)

(TESOL Materials--Specific Vocabulary Sets)

* Look and Learn Storybook / created from this chat here

* Draw a Head worksheet: docs, pub

* What does she look like? Song

These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson Friends (p.14-15) from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson.  However, I think these materials could be used for any general lesson on describing people's heads, and so I'm including them here.

* Look and Learn Storybook / created from this chat here--This was made using Google Gemini Storybook feature

* Draw a Head worksheet: docs, pub--I found this image on a Google image search.  Unfortunately I no longer remember where I got it from, and so can't give appropriate credit.  I used this for a listen and draw activity.  I described a face and hair, and the students drew what I described.

* What does she look like? Song--I found this song on Youtube, and played part of it in the lesson since it fit the theme.

There's No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent

(TESOL Materials--Graded Readers) 

I decided to use this book with some of my students primarily because it was written at an easy reading level, and because my school had multiple copies of it (so in my reading group, every student could get their own copy.)

I'd not heard of this book before, but it looks like a classic.  And according to Wikipedia, it was first published in 1976.  When I started searching around for more information, I quickly discovered many people on the Internet claim to have fond memories of this book.

The other thing that quickly pops up when searching for information about this book is that it turns out that this is one of Jordan Peterson's favorite books.  He's got a whole 40 minute lecture on it.

  

As for me, I don't remember this book from childhood at all.  Somehow I must have missed it.  But it's a short, but charming little story, and it worked fine in my class.

Supplemental Materials:

Kahoots: There's No Such Thing as a Dragon Part 1, There's no Such Thing as a Dragon Part 2, Parts 1 and 2 Combined

Specific Information Questions for part 1: docs, pub

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LthmWo      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

-at words vs. -et words worksheet

(TESOL Worksheets--CVC words)

Google: docs, pub

[Notes: This is a worksheet I used for practicing the differences between -at words and -et words.  It is based on the words and images from -at cards and -et cards activities.  Before giving the students this worksheet, I take out the relevant cards from those card sets, and practice those first.  Then, they do this worksheet as a follow-up activity.  In my class, it was assigned as homework.]

bat bet mat met pat pet sat set vat vet

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_____________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Counted Out: Math is Power: Movie Review

(Movie Review)

This is my first time watching this movie, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.

Counted Out: Math is Power: Movie Review

I don't start the actual review of the movie until 15:00 in.  The first 15 minutes are just me talking about all my thoughts about math in general.

Related Playlists: 

Movie Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6N06WoIoV2fLb6xRYrepTk&si=iWMhXdwlxxKxm6r6

Movies that I watched in 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x67grGI4ZJsBc8QYFa5cSvu&si=oZDgEqLXtgLsGB2A

Support this Blog:

Did you enjoy this review? Consider supporting me on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/joelswagman

Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/JoelSwagman

* Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Kahoot

I used this Kahoot in my class for comparative adjectives and superlative adjectives with elementary level students.  It worked well.

* Superlative Wordwall

* Animal facts (superlative adjectives)

 

Here are two Wordwall games for superlative adjectives.  I've used them in my class, and they worked well.

* Kahoot on Comparative Adjectives

I used this Kahoot in my class for comparative adjectives with elementary level students.  It worked well.

* Kit the Vet and Pip's Big Flight / created from this chat

* Kit the Vet and Pip's Big Flight / created from this chat

* Pip and the Wet Pet / created from this chat

These are storybooks I created using Google Gemini Storybook for reviewing the -et word family.

I'm not terribly happy with any of the books.  They're okay, I guess, but not great.  But here they are anyway.

Sentences and Pictures for CVC -et words

(TESOL Materials-- -et word family)

* The Pets and the Wagered Jet Storybook / created from this chat here

* Slideshow: slides, pub

This started out as a storybook that I made using Google Gemini.  I then took the images out of the storybook to put on this slideshow. 

P.S.  I am mostly happy with what Google Gemini created, although there were a couple pictures that could have been better.  I attempted to refine it a bit, as you can see in this chat here, but was not really successful.

Word Family -et | Phonics Song for Kids | Jack Hartmann

I used this video in my classes to help students learn the -et word family.  

Matching Cards for CVC words with -et

(TESOL Worksheets-- -et Word Family)

Google: docs, pub

Homework: docs, pub

I use these cards in several stages.
I start out with some of the alphabet cards from this previous activity.  I take the "E" card, and ask students what sound it makes.  Then I take the "T" sound, and ask what sound it makes, and then put the two cards together, and try to get students to tell me the sound.
I then take out several consonants, and get the students to tell me the sound, and then put these consonants together with the -ET to make different words, helping students to sound them out.  

At this point I put out the picture cards, and as we do different CVC -at words, I get students to identify the pictures.  
Once all the words and pictures have been identified, then we play a memory card game to match the words and pictures.  
Lastly, I put away the word cards, and just show students the pictures.  The students have to write down the word on their mini-white boards.

I use this sheet for follow-up homework.

bet
get
let
met
net
pet
set
vet
wet
yet
jet

bet get let jet met net pet set vet wet yet

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____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________