A New English Learner Joined Your Class Mid-Year: Materials for Grades 2–6
If a student who speaks little or no English has just joined your Grades 2–6 class, you need simple everyday English they can practice while the rest of the class keeps going. The ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle gives you nine resources for exactly that: places and directions in town, time and the calendar, simple present and past, pronouns, word families, a vocabulary trainer set and two grammar practice packs.
Open the newcomer bundleThe ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle costs $79.99 for nine resources; bought separately they cost $159.91. It includes In the Town: Places & Directions, Simple Present: My Everyday Life, Simple Past: Stories About Yesterday, Pronouns & Possessive Determiners, Exploring Word Families, Time & Calendar, a Vocabulary Trainer Mega Bundle for Grades 1–4, and two grammar and punctuation packs. It is meant for ESL teachers and for classroom teachers who receive a new English learner mid-year.
The resources
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle, Grades 2–6
9 resources in one download: $79.99 instead of $159.91 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle | Everyday English, Grammar & Vocabulary | 9 Resources | Grades 2–6
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade
Grade 3 ELA Pack | Grammar, Creative Writing, Phonics, Reading & Vocabulary
Learning at Home Bundle | Parent Guides & Workbooks for Reading, Math, English & Motivation | Grades 1–4
The real problem
What the first weeks with a newcomer actually look like
A newcomer arriving in February is a different situation from one arriving in September. Your class has routines, your units are halfway through, and suddenly one student cannot follow the instructions, the read-aloud or the math word problems. If your school has an ESL teacher, that person may see the student for part of the day, but most hours are spent in your room. You are not trained as an ESL specialist, and you still have a full class to teach. The temptation is to hand the newcomer coloring pages or let them sit quietly, which is understandable but wastes weeks when they could be learning the most useful English. What helps most early on is language the student needs right away: where things are in school and in town, what time it is, what day it is, and how to talk about their own day. After that come the building blocks, pronouns, the simple present and past, and word families, so they can start to form their own sentences. The materials need to be clear enough that a student can work on them during independent time, with you checking in rather than teaching one-on-one all day.
Why it fits
How the bundle helps a classroom teacher, not just a specialist
The resources start with everyday survival language and move to grammar, which mirrors what a newcomer needs first.
- Time & Calendar gives words for the class schedule, days and dates the student meets every morning.
- In the Town: Places & Directions covers places and directions a newcomer needs outside school too.
- Simple Present: My Everyday Life lets the student talk about their own routine early on.
- Simple Past: Stories About Yesterday helps them tell what happened, useful for weekend share time.
- The Vocabulary Trainer Mega Bundle for Grades 1–4 supports steady word practice during independent time.
- Two grammar and punctuation packs, for Grades 1–3 and 4–6, let you match practice to the student's age.
Getting started
A practical plan for the first month
These steps are suggestions for a classroom teacher. Coordinate them with your school's ESL or ELL staff, who know the student's assessed level.
- Talk to your ESL or ELL staffAsk what support the student will receive and what their English level is. Share the bundle's parts list so practice in your room supports, not repeats, what happens in pull-out time.
- Start with time and placeIn the first days, use Time & Calendar and In the Town. Knowing days, times and places helps the student follow the class schedule and feel less lost.
- Add daily vocabularySet a short daily slot with the vocabulary trainer during independent work. A peer buddy who checks answers can help, and it gives the newcomer a natural classmate connection.
- Build simple sentencesAfter a week or two, move to Simple Present: My Everyday Life and Pronouns & Possessive Determiners, so the student can start saying and writing short sentences about themselves.
- Grow toward class workContinue with Simple Past, Word Families and the grammar packs. Gradually connect the vocabulary to your current class units so the student starts joining regular lessons.
What to buy
What to order for your newcomer
For a student new to English, the ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle ($79.99, parts $159.91) is the one built for the situation. If the student already speaks some English and mainly needs grade-level practice, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum ($49.99, parts $95.76) offers grammar, writing, phonics and reading packs for every grade. For a single third grader, the Grade 3 ELA Pack ($13.99, parts $19.95) is a small next step once basic English is in place. The Learning at Home Bundle ($79.99, parts $119.96) contains parent guides written in English; it suits families who read English comfortably and want to support learning at home.
Honest limits
What these resources cannot replace
The bundle is not an ELL program, does not include language proficiency testing, and is not aligned with any state's English language proficiency standards or framework; there is no state-specific content. Your school or district decides how English learners are identified and served, so follow its procedures and talk to the ESL staff. The materials are in English only, with no translations or home-language versions. Picture dictionaries or a buddy are up to you. The licence covers your own classroom; if the ESL team wants to share it, message Teach Lessons first. Not the right fit? Exchange it within 7 days for store credit.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this meet our state's English learner requirements or standards?
No. It is not aligned with, approved by or endorsed by any state, district or English language proficiency framework, and it contains no state-specific content. How English learners are assessed and served is set by your state and district. Check with your ESL coordinator and use the bundle as extra practice alongside the services your school provides.
I am not an ESL teacher. Can I really use this?
Yes. The bundle is described as suited to classroom teachers who receive a new English learner mid-year as well as to ESL teachers. Start with the everyday topics, such as time, calendar and places, and keep in touch with any ESL staff at your school about the student's level.
The student is in Grade 5. Is the vocabulary trainer too young?
The vocabulary trainer set is written for Grades 1–4, so you may want to frame it as word practice rather than a grade level. The other resources span Grades 2–6, and the second grammar pack is for Grades 4–6, which fits an older newcomer better.
Are the materials translated into the student's home language?
No. All materials are in English. If the student reads their home language, a bilingual dictionary or translation support your school approves can help with instructions. A classmate who shares the language, where there is one, can also be a useful partner for the first weeks.
How quickly can I have it ready?
Immediately. The bundle is a digital download, so you receive the link by email straight after purchase, and the files also stay in your customer account under Orders. You can print the time and calendar resource the same evening so the student has something useful on their next day.
What if the student turns out to need something else?
Within 7 days of purchase you can exchange the bundle for store credit of equal value. If the student's English is stronger than expected, the credit can go toward the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum or a single grade pack instead. It is store credit, not cash.
Have something ready for tomorrow morning
Open the bundle page to see all nine resources and print the first one for your new student.
Open the newcomer bundle