How to plan an elementary English lesson, from warm-up to wrap-up

Start with one clear goal

Write the goal as something students will be able to do by the end: "Students will be able to ask and answer What do you want? using food words." One target pattern and six to eight words is plenty for a 45-minute elementary lesson. Everything else in the plan exists to get students there.

A 45-minute structure

1. Greeting and warm-up (5 minutes). A song, a chant or a quick review game using last lesson's language. The aim is to switch the class into English and build confidence with something they already know.
2. Introduce new language (8–10 minutes). Present the new words with pictures or real objects, then the target pattern in context. A short skit by the teachers is ideal. Students listen first, then repeat.
3. Controlled practice (10 minutes). Repetition with a purpose: chants, flashcard games, choral and individual repetition, a listening task. Students use the exact pattern with lots of support.
4. Communication activity (12–15 minutes). Students use the language to do something real, such as an interview, an information gap or a shopping role-play. This is where learning shows.
5. Reflection and wrap-up (5 minutes). Students say or write one thing they can now do, or answer a quick review question. Praise specific effort, and preview next lesson.

Planning each stage

Warm-ups work best when they are familiar routines: the same greeting, a date-and-weather question, a known song. Routines reduce anxiety and save explanation time.

Introduction should be heavy on listening. Children need to hear a word many times before they say it well. Use gestures and pictures so meaning is clear without translation.

Controlled practice should gradually reduce support: first everyone says it together, then teams, then individuals; first with picture prompts, then without.

The communication activity needs a reason to talk. "Find a classmate who likes the same food as you" gives students a goal, and a reason to listen to the answer.

Timing tips

• Write times in the margin of your plan (0:05, 0:15, 0:25…) so you can see at a glance whether you are on track.
• Plan a five-minute "extra" activity in case things run fast, and decide in advance what to cut if they run slow. It is usually part of the controlled practice, never the communication activity.
• Instructions take longer than you think. Model, do not explain: demonstrate the activity once and most students will understand.

Linking to the textbook

Most elementary textbooks already follow a unit structure of several lessons. Use the unit goal to decide the goal for each lesson, then borrow the textbook's chants and listening tasks for the controlled practice. Your own games and activities fill the rest.

Tip: Keep your plans. A plan that went well is next year's starting point; add a one-line note after each lesson about what worked and what to change.