7 Practical Tips for Teaching English to Young Learners

Many teachers finish CELTA feeling comfortable teaching adults but less certain about working with children.

The core principles of language teaching remain the same, but the classroom atmosphere changes dramatically. Younger learners tend to have shorter attention spans, higher energy levels, and a stronger need for structure and routine.

The good news is that once teachers understand a few key techniques, teaching children can become one of the most enjoyable parts of the job.

Here are several practical strategies that experienced teachers often use when working with young learners.

1. Establish Clear Routines

Young learners respond extremely well to predictable classroom rituals. When children know what is going to happen next, they settle faster and behaviour problems decrease.

Many teachers build routines such as:

• a short hello routine at the start of every class (a greeting chant, a quick question circle, or a “What day is it today?” board routine)

• a points system where teams earn stars or magnets on the board during the lesson

• a goodbye ritual, such as a quick review game or exit questions

For example, some teachers start every lesson with a two-minute vocabulary review game where students race to the board to write words from the previous lesson. Within a few weeks students walk into the room expecting the activity and settle almost immediately.

The routine becomes part of the classroom culture.

2. Keep Instructions Short and Demonstrate Everything

One of the most common mistakes new teachers make with young learners is giving long explanations.

Children often process language differently from adults and may struggle to follow complex verbal instructions.

Instead:

• give short instructions

• demonstrate the activity

• check understanding quickly

Showing students what to do is usually far more effective than explaining it.

3. Use Movement and Physical Activities

Children usually learn more effectively when they are physically involved in the lesson.

This does not mean constant chaos or running around the room. It simply means building activities that require students to move, gesture, or interact physically with language.

Examples might include:

• board races, where two teams compete to write correct answers on the board

• charades, where students invent actions to represent new words

• find someone who activities, where students walk around asking simple questions

• running dictations, where students move between the wall and their partner

When teaching vocabulary like “jump”, “climb”, or “crawl”, many teachers introduce the words through gestures and quick movement games. Students remember the language more easily because it is connected to physical action.

4. Balance Energy With Stirrers and Settlers

Young learner lessons often alternate between high-energy and calm activities.

Teachers sometimes describe these as stirrers and settlers.

Stirrers raise the energy level of the class. These are useful when students are tired or losing focus. Typical stirrers include:

• short vocabulary games

• team competitions

• quick movement activities

• fast board games

Settlers do the opposite. They calm the class down and help students concentrate again. These might include:

• drawing or colouring tasks

• short writing activities

• listening tasks

• quiet pair work

A well-balanced lesson moves between these two types of activity so that the class remains engaged without becoming overexcited.

5. Break Activities Into Short Stages

Children usually respond better to shorter activities rather than long tasks. Instead of one extended exercise, teachers often divide a lesson into several smaller stages. This keeps the pace moving and prevents students from losing focus.

Frequent changes of activity can make lessons feel more dynamic while still covering the same language points.

6. Use Positive Classroom Management

Young learner classes often require more active classroom management than adult groups.

Clear expectations, praise, and simple reward systems can help maintain a positive learning environment. Teachers often find that reinforcing good behaviour works more effectively than focusing on mistakes.

Establishing these expectations early in a course makes later lessons much smoother.

7. Adapt Adult Teaching Techniques

Many CELTA techniques still work well with children, but they often need adjustment.

For example:

• instructions need to be simpler

• activities may need more visual support

• lesson stages often need to be shorter

Teachers who adapt familiar techniques rather than abandoning them usually find the transition to young learner teaching easier.

Developing Confidence With Young Learners

Many teachers move into young learner classes at some point in their careers, especially when working in private language schools. While the principles of teaching remain similar, the classroom techniques required can feel quite different from those used with adults.

For teachers who already hold CELTA and want practical guidance on working with children, DC Teacher Training offers a short professional development programme focused specifically on teaching young learners.

The course explores classroom management, activity design, lesson planning, and practical strategies for engaging younger students. You can find full details here:

How to Teach English to Young Learners – Post-CELTA Training