As an Amazon Associate, Learn English on the Internet LLC. earns from qualifying purchases through links in this post.
I have been teaching kids in the classroom for over a decade now and there are so many ways that I can support them with games and activities. But one of the most important things for a kid who is learning English is that they are supported outside of the classroom.
This post has 10 awesome websites that are all about learning English as a foreign language and they’re made specifically for kids. Plus. they’re all totally free! So parents, have a read through and set your kids up for success by engaging them in one (or all) of these fun free websites.
- ABCya: ABCya has a whole load of different games and activities to improve vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Everything is sorted by grade level (from kindergarten to sixth grade) and then by subject. Make sure to choose English language arts. Then you can choose different skills like reading, speaking, listening, or writing. Here is an example of a text on ABCya which kids can listen to while they read along:
- Duolingo: Duolingo is one of the most well known language learning apps. It presents the English in your native language making it great for low levels. It is better for older kids as the content is slightly dry and it’s not super fun and animated. Dueling is great for tracking progress and spending just a few minutes every day. Here is an example of learning English on Duolingo for a Portuguese speaker:
- Funbrain: Funbrain has a load of different free reading materials. This site is also categorized by grade level and it has books as well as games. There are also some math games kids can play! Here is an example of the popular diary of a Wimpy Kid on Funbrain:
- British Council Learn English Kids: British Council is one of the highest standards of English language teaching so the resources they put out are accurate and high quality. However, they do teach British English. There is nothing wrong with this, however if your child is learning American English this may get confusing for them. All of the content is focused on the English language, no math here! Here is an example of a story on British Council and the activities with it:
- PBS Kids: Growing up, the shows I watched on TV were all on PBS. Some of those shows aren’t around anymore, but Arther and Sesame Streets are two examples of long lasting children’s shows on PBS. They both have interactive games and activities kids can play online. Here is an example of an Arthur game where kids have to listen to instruction in English and carry out task:
- Starfall: Starfall has a lot of free content divided into age groups. There is also additional content which is behind a paywall. There are phonics activities, learn to read texts, folksongs, and seasonal activities. Here are a few examples:
- ESL Tower: This website has a load of games, activities, and printable for practicing English. Kids can review everything from action verbs to fruit names or phonics. Here are a few examples of the range of resources ESL Tower has:
- Oxford Owl: This site is made specifically for parents of kids. It has a lot of information on how you can support your kids with their learning at home. There are descriptor pages to help you understand and explain grammar points to your kids. Plus there are a load of printable activities and online games to explore.
- LearnEnglish Teens: This is another British Council website but this one is for teen learners. This is a great self-study site which teens could use on their own. Tasks are broken down step by step very logically. And there are activities to practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking. These can all be completed online or downloaded and printed out for offline self-study. Here is an example of a listening task broken down in steps:
- EnglishClub: This website has quite a lot of explainers on various topics. It’s great for students who learning by reading material. In addition though there are quite a few games. Games reviews skills like gramma, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, and more. Check out this various activities covering different skills:
As you can see, there are a lot of great resources for kids to learn English at home. And what’s more, all of the websites listed here are totally free. I hope this help! But remember, these material often won’t deliver results on their own, rather they are a great compliment to regular lessons with an experience English teacher. I’d love to meet you and your kids in a class soon!
