Kindergarten Teaching Tips: Free Lesson Planning Resources

As promised in the post on paid hagwon resources, here are my top free websites for lesson prep, backup games, and activity ideas for English hagwon teachers.

If you’re working with a tight budget, or if your academy refuses to cover the cost of subscriptions, you might be wondering where to find quality resources for your classroom. Or, if your school is well-organized but you just need an activity or some worksheets, these websites are perfect for you.

For kid-friendly, brightly colored pre-made flashcards, look no further than Flashcards for Kindergarten. From weather to emotions, holidays to prepositions, science subjects to math terms, this website has it all. These resources are perfect for initially setting up your classroom, and I highly recommend using their emotions, seasons, weather, color, and shapes cards to bring a pop of color into your space. Some of the flashcard sets also include large posters that you can print on multiple pages for display. While all the flashcards are free, if you want to support the artist, there is an option to purchase all the downloadables, along with some additional worksheets, for the extremely competitive price of $9.99.

For free kindergarten worksheets, check out Kizclub. This site offers learning resources ranging from alphabet and letter recognition to phonics, as well as common nursery rhymes and children’s books. They also have fun craft ideas related to holidays, animals, and other just-for-fun themes. While it’s not the most extensive collection of worksheets, this is a great starting point for those times when you have no idea what to do with an assigned theme.

For slightly older students, or for those working in a hagwon that requires extra materials based on a topic or grammar lesson, take a look at ISLCollective. This community-based website offers a treasure trove of resources covering a wide range of topics. ISLCollective even has PowerPoints and videos that can be useful for fledgling teachers. For those who are more creative and have their own materials, you can upload and share them to help grow the collection.

Important to note: Since this website is a collective of user-based uploads, there may be minor errors in syntax or spelling. As with all materials you use, be sure to double-check them to ensure they align with your preferred style.

If your academy allows it, online interactive games are a great way to get your students talking, engaging in more conversations, and building their teamwork skills. On a typical class day, I usually use these games as a reward for finishing classwork in a timely manner. The website I recommend is Games to Learn English. This site offers games ranging from hangman and concentration to those focusing on different grammar skills. A big plus is that you can even upload your own words and pictures to incorporate into the games. "Concentration" is a huge favorite for my younger levels since they get to play in teams.

For higher-level afterschool academy classes, there are times when you might need a quiet activity that is self-explanatory. In these cases, my students are huge fans of word searches, and my top website for this is The Word Search. This website has hundreds of word searches and even includes a page where you can create your own puzzles. My favorite feature is the ability to randomize the puzzles so that every team has its own unique challenge, preventing other teams from copying their answers. My students also love the online option, which allows us to race to find the most words together.

Equipped with these free and paid resources, you should be well-prepared to create engaging and effective lessons for your students.

Happy Teaching!