Do you need ESL Newcomer Activities for your ELD classroom? Teaching vocabulary to ESL newcomers is not just about words—it’s about building confidence, improving communication, and creating meaningful connections. Visuals, repetition, and engaging activities are essential to language success.
These ESL Newcomer Activities are designed with busy teachers and eager learners in mind. Below you will find examples from a clothing unit, but keep reading to the bottom for more topics!
ESL Newcomer Activities Include:
Real Life Visuals
High-quality images to make vocabulary clear and relatable. 
What I love about these visuals is how versatile they are. You do have to print and cut them, but once you do, they can be used to teach the vocabulary, for naming words practice, and as visual display in a writing station and so much more!
Interactive Activities
Matching games, Bingo, and speaking supports build vocabulary and confidence. Make two sets of the cards and choose some of them for a matching game. Use them as calling cards for a Bingo game, and when students are more familiar with the vocabulary, switch to the What Am I? calling cards. Use them with the speaking supports too! Use the included speaking frames to answer questions.
Writing Support
Anchor charts and scaffolds to get students talking and writing with confidence. There are several differentiated choices. Pictures with vocabulary ideas, real photos and writing activities are all included.
More ESL Newcomer Activities
Whether you’re working with Newcomers in Kindergarten, first, or second grade, these ESL Newcomer activities are perfect for building foundational language skills in a fun and accessible way. Real photos make it possible to use with other grade levels too!
Let’s make language learning fun, visual, and effective—one word at a time!
Happy teaching!
Beth
PS 
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