ESL Comprehension in 10 Minutes a Day

Teaching ESL Comprehension doesn't need to be difficult! This weekly routine teaches one skill each day for effective, easy-to-implement, and low-prep practice!

We all know that our English Language Learners need LOTS of practice to improve their comprehension. There’s listening and reading comprehension to think about, not to mention many of our students still need practice decoding and writing sentences! Teaching ESL comprehension doesn’t need to be overwhelming, though! With just ten minutes a day, your students will get the explicit listening, reading, and writing practice they need to be successful. 
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Read on to see how easy your ESL comprehension routine can be! 

While we're here...are you looking for more ways to become the Secondary ESL Teacher of your dreams? Click here to download the free guide that will completely transform your classroom (and your stress levels!) 

Routine

ROUTINE! Routine might be my favorite word when it comes to teaching, especially when English Language Learners are involved. I promise to continue shouting the importance of strong routines from the rooftops for as long as this blog exists. Routines are such a game changer! Not only will your students know exactly what to do each day (hello confidence booster!), but your planning time will be cut at least in half, and class will run so much smoother since your students will know what is expected of them! It's basically a win-win-win-win-win situation. ​

Here’s the outline:
Monday: Listening Comprehension
Tuesday: Vocabulary
Wednesday: First Read
Thursday: Second Read, Comprehension Questions
Friday: Vocabulary Game, Reflection  

What to Prep

You’ll want to prepare one text for the entire week. I’d recommend a text that is a page or less, paired with about 2-3 questions, depending on your students’ needs. Differentiating text and question levels is great if you can! You’ll want to make (or digitally share) two copies of the questions and one copy of the text, plus this reflection sheet! For the vocabulary lessons, slides and cards are great, but again, not necessary! Conversations can work well, too. This routine is meant to help you, not add too much extra work to your plate. 

Looking for a free, ready-to-assign text set to get you started? Click here to download!

If you like to organize a week of materials in advance, or just see what you'll need for the day, here’s your guide:
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Monday:    

• One copy of the text for you to read aloud (or an audio version!)

• One Copy of Comprehension Questions per Student 

Tuesday:

• Vocabulary Slides (Optional) 
• Dictionaries or access to a digital dictionary (Again, Optional!) 

Wednesday:   

• One Copy of the Text per Student 

Thursday:

• One Copy of the Comprehension Questions per Student 
• Wednesday’s Copy of the Text 

Friday

• Vocabulary Cards (Optional) 
• Comprehension Questions from Monday and Thursday 
• This Reflection Sheet

Monday - Listening Comprehension

ESL listening comprehension is the skill I neglected the most starting out. It’s easy to think “well, they’re listening to me speak all day, they’re talking with their friends, they’re clearly comprehending!” After my first round of state tests came back, I realized...not so much. Academic listening is so much different than casual listening! The good news is, students just need a bit of practice each week to rapidly strengthen this skill! (Plus, it carries over to all other subjects! Hello beautiful note-taking skills!) 
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Here’s all you have to do: 

1. Give students the comprehension questions. Read the questions aloud. This is a great time to review a listening comprehension skill, like annotating the question or taking notes while listening! Keep this to a mini mini lesson (2 minutes or less! Think reminder more than lesson)
2. Read the text aloud to students, or play an audio version. Do not allow students to see the text! At first, you may want to read the text two or three times. Eventually you’ll want to build up to only reading the text once! 
3. Give students time to answer the comprehension questions. 
4. Collect the questions or have students keep them somewhere safe! Don’t go over the answers. 

Tuesday - Vocabulary Instruction

Vocabulary instruction is extremely important for students! Understanding vocabulary is an essential part of improving ESL comprehension, but it doesn't have to be tedious! There are so many effective ways to teach vocabulary, so pick one or two that work for you and your students, and stick with them! Again, the lesson should only be about ten minutes long. 

Pick three to five important vocabulary words from the text then pick one of the following (or use your own method!) 

• Explicitly teach the vocabulary words. Teach the definition and part of speech alongside a picture. 
• Have students use a dictionary to find the definition and part of speech. Students could also do this in groups and then share their group’s word with the class.
• Have students make flashcards of the vocabulary words and add their own illustration of the word.
• Guide students through creating a vocabulary notebook. Add the definitions and an illustration for each word.

Wednesday - First Read 

On day three, students will read the text, focusing on decoding and annotating. Students can read independently, with a partner, as a class, or with an audio accompaniment. The most important thing is that students are connecting language with the words on the paper. Students should annotate as they read, although annotations may look different based on the students’ individual levels. Students can…

• Circle vocabulary words they’ve learned (or sight words if they are just beginning!) 
• Underline interesting facts or ideas 
• Put a star by important characters or figures 
• Use a squiggly underline to show setting 
• Box important facts 
• Number sequence of events 
• Use a thought bubble to add connections to the text 

Obviously, the annotations can change, and there are so many more ideas that can be annotated! This is just where I start with my English Language Learners.

Thursday: Second Read, Comprehension Questions

Today is all about reading for a purpose. Students should build toward working independently on this section, although starting with a partner (or as a class!) is a great way to differentiate. Here’s how to spend your ten minutes: 

1. Give students a new set of the comprehension questions. Have them review the questions before reading the text. 
2. Have students read, this time looking for information from the text. Students should highlight information that answers the comprehension questions.
3. Ask students to use the information from the text to answer the questions. Sentence frames may be helpful as you get started! ​
4. Have students keep their copy of the text and comprehension questions somewhere safe, or turn them in!

Friday: Vocabulary Games and Reflection

In my opinion, Fridays should be fun, full of games and reflecting on a week of hard work! 

Start with reflecting on the work students did this week in order to solidify their learning. Have them pull out their comprehension questions from Monday and Thursday, and compare their answers. Did they find similar facts? Were they equally detailed? Were they all correct? Students can reflect on their comparisons by sharing with a partner or small group. Students can then use this reflection page to independently reflect on what they’ve learned! 

Once students have reflected on their work, it’s time to put their new vocabulary knowledge to the test with a fun game! There are many, many games that you can play with your students, but these three have always been favorites in my classroom!

• The Flyswatter Game: Ok, this game is a class favorite by far. I still remember playing in my Chinese class in 6th grade many moons ago, and I love that it’s a hit with my students now, too! All you have to do is put vocabulary words on the board, divide students into two teams, and hand each team a flyswatter. One student from each team approaches the board, and you (or a student helper!) say the definition of the word or the part of speech. The first student to hit the word with their flyswatter earns a point for their team. Then, repeat. It’s the best! 
• Memory: Good, old fashioned memory is always a hit. Have students match words to their definition or part of speech. Need a digital version? Open a powerpoint or google slide, and add a table. Put the “cards” (words & definitions) throughout the table, making sure to mix them up a bit! Then, use the shape tool to cover up the words! Students can take turns moving the shapes and looking for matches. 
• Pear Deck Pear Deck’s vocabulary game Flashcard Factory has long been a favorite of my students! It’s simple to set up, interactive for students, and as of this writing, totally free! ​(P.S. This isn't sponsored...My students and I just love this site!) 

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And that’s it! Just ten minutes a day to improve ESL comprehension for all of your students! Once you’re in the routine, all you’ll need to do is switch out the text each week and watch your classroom run itself! 

Looking for more ways to transform your secondary ESL classroom? Click here to download the free guide that will give you the steps you need to become the Secondary ESL Teacher of Your Dreams!

Want to implement this in your classroom, but don’t want to spend the time preparing texts and questions? Click here to find ready-to-assign text sets in my TPT store. 

A full year of ESL Comprehension!