π± Guide Β· 7 min read
A newcomer's first week: ten pictures, four routines, no translation app
A practical first-week plan for a student who speaks little or no English β built on one set of ten pictures and the home language.
The first week with a newcomer is not the week to teach the alphabet. It is the week to make school predictable, give the student a way to ask for help, and prove that their home language belongs in the room. One set of ten pictures can carry all three.
Day 1 β Ten pictures, two languages
Pick a theme the class is already using β animals, school supplies or family. Print one flashcard page with English and the student's home language. Show the picture, say the English word, and let the student say it in either language. Do not correct the home language; write both words on the board.
Give the student the card page to keep in their desk. It is now their dictionary for the week.
Day 2 β One routine sentence
Teach one sentence frame the whole class uses: βThis is a ___.β Model it with three cards, then let the student point and say it with you. Choral repetition is fine; the goal is a complete sentence, not perfect pronunciation.
Day 3 β Matching as an exit ticket
Print the matching sheet with the same ten pictures. The student draws lines from picture to word. This gives you a two-minute assessment that does not depend on English output, and it gives the student a success they can see.
Day 4 β Word search as reading practice
Use the word search in easy mode. The student finds the ten English words and reads each one aloud to a partner. The point is repeated reading of the same words in a low-stakes format.
Day 5 β Send the cards home
Send home a second copy of the flashcard page with a one-line note in the home language: βPractise these ten words for five minutes.β Families often want to help but do not know what the class is working on; the cards answer that question.
What not to do in week one
- Do not start with letter formation or phonics drills β the student needs meaning first.
- Do not translate every sentence; give the picture, one English phrase and a gesture.
- Do not test in front of the class. Assess through matching and pointing.
- Do not remove the home language from the room. Bilingual cards are not a crutch; they are the bridge.
Week two
Keep the same routine but change the theme. By week four the student has forty words, four sentence frames and a predictable set of classroom routines. That is a better foundation than an alphabet chart memorised without meaning.
Make the sheets for this guide
All the worksheets mentioned here are free and print in one click.
Questions
What if I do not speak the student's home language?
Use the bilingual card and the picture. The student can read the home-language word and explain the picture to you; you supply the English.
How many words per week?
Ten. Repetition across four routines matters more than volume.
Should the student copy words?
Yes, but after they can say them. Copying without meaning becomes handwriting practice, not vocabulary.
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