:-?Technically speaking the games and ideas are not exactly free. I just checked it out. You must subscribe to the newsletter ($36) monthly to receive the game or idea (one per month!)
Hello there - yes the games are free. In addition I am giving away a mini-series based around a story written for 3-5 year olds learning English.
The mini-series contains games, flashcards, an illustrated story, tips on story-telling and post-story activities.
You can get this, (also free), on
Preschool ESL: Games, activities and stories for teaching English to preschool children
I'll post the story telling tips here for those who might be interested:
Story Telling Tips
Have the children seated in front of you on the floor where they can all see the pictures. The pictures are key to understanding so it is vital that the children can see them easily.
Show the first picture and you can ask the children what they see, asking them to name the animal or objects. It is OK if the children use their own language to reply, but as you will have pre-taught the key vocabulary, see if you can also elicit the words in English.
Start the story, using as much vocal and facial expression as possible, and acting out the story with gestures wherever you can.
Use dramatic voices to fit the personality of your characters. Practise beforehand with high and squeaky, low and gruff and any variation in between. As well as the pitch you can make the voice loud or soft, slow or fast, breathlessness, sound sad or happy.
Use gestures. Hang your head in sadness or look worried and tearful, or happy as appropriate depending on the event in the story. Get the children to imitate the character in the story and look happy or sad.
Add in animal noises, or a little song or rhyme that you might make up. For example in the marching ants story you could do some sound effects of the marching ants and have the children join in with you. Sound effects can be vocal or with instruments or improvised instruments such as clapping or tapping body parts of items.
You can ask some simple questions such as, "Where is the giraffe?" or "Is the bird hungry?" depending on whatever is relevant to the story.
You can ask the children to guess what will happen next, and they can do this in their native language. The guessing game helps draw them in to be more curious about the story.
If the children are engaged then continue to elicit vocabulary, and the guessing game with each picture. However you may also want sometimes just to read the story and only stop to ask a few questions here and there so that the process does not drag on too long. You can decide that each time depending on the feeling you have in the classroom. Certainly reading the story should be enjoyable and you do not want to make a meal of it and spoil the fun by eliciting vocabulary the whole time.
It is not necessary to insist the children sit tight; as long as they are quiet they will be hearing the words regardless. However if there is global restlessness then you are probably making too much of a meal eliciting vocabulary and dragging the story out, so you can tell it quicker and move on to an activity involving movement as a change from the quiet sitting period.
Kind regards
Shelley
Preschool ESL: Free mini-series with story on this link!
Preschool ESL: Games, activities and stories for teaching English to preschool children