Fabulous Numeracy Activities for ESL Learners

Many teachers miss a trick when they’re teaching English as a second language to young learners. Don’t teach language in isolation; use it in all areas of the curriculum. Here we present you with five great math-based activities that will really engage your learners.

Feed the rhino

Being able to recognize and say the names of numbers in English is an essential skill. A simple game using playing cards is an excellent activity for this. Put children into pairs and deal the cards equally. Encourage them to have a game of ‘Snap’ but giving the name of the number in English when the cards don’t match. This Feed the Hippo number game is a very popular math center. Kids have to identify the number that comes out. If they say it correctly, they can feed it to the hippo. Add sound effects for even more fun!

Counting

Counting in English as often as possible is the absolute best way to consolidate their number knowledge. Food at lunchtime, pairs of scissors, exercise books... you can count anything, so encourage it always! You have probably gathered by now that I’m a big fan of getting children up and moving around the classroom.  This counting legs pack is the perfect activity for this. Kids get to grab a clipboard and wander around the room purposefully, seeking the activity cards. Using these, children then count the number of legs and record the answer on their sheets. Encourage counting in the target language.

Addition

Put children into pairs and give them two dice, one each. Get them to roll them, and then each should say the number they rolled. Next, they should add the two numbers together, saying the sum. This is such a straightforward activity, but so much fun! To extend the children, try using dice with a greater number of sides. This solve the room addition to 10 activity is super enjoyable. Another opportunity to get children actively learning. Alternatively, you could try getting them to roll a die and grab the corresponding number of building blocks. Next, roll the die again and add that many bricks onto the top of the original tower.

Subtraction

Subtraction squish is one of my all-time favorite math activities. Grab some play dough and roll out ten small balls. Next, pick a playing card from the pack (remove the picture cards beforehand) and squish that number of balls. This activity is great for developing subtraction skills as well as fine motor skills with the rolling of the dough. Solve the room subtraction is also a great way of improving their English skills.

Number bonds

Knowing that four and six go together to make ten, for example, is an early step in mathematical learning. Number bonds can be tricky to pick up, so making the activities as fun and active as possible is essential. My absolute favorite activity for this is a sensory bin. Fill a container with packing peanuts and then add ping pong balls with numbers written on the side. Kids should delve into the tub and grab two balls. If they are number bonds to 10 (or 20 for your more advanced learners), they get to keep those balls and have another turn. If they don’t match, it’s the next player’s turn.