If you’re looking for ESL Textbooks for Kids you’ve come to the right place. I taught kids in Korea for years and have seen most of the textbooks and then seen them again. There are certainly some great ESL textbooks for children out there. And then there are certainly some truly terrible ones.
As teachers, we all know that a great ESL textbook can make a class. You can have a great lesson with minimal prep by just following along with the book.
On the other hand, a terrible ESL textbook can break you. You’ll open up the book, see that’s there’s nothing really of substance and then have to try to make it work. Perhaps you just soldier through the material, but the kids hate it. Or, you waste a ton of time making up all sorts of supplementary games and activities to make it interesting. Neither are a great option.
What are the Best ESL Textbooks for Kids?
Here are some of my favourite ESL textbooks for children, including Let’s Go and New Parade. These two kind of dominate the market because they’re a cut above much of the competition.
Make your English class for Kids a success with an engaging, interesting ESL book.
Let’s Go: The Best ESL Textbook for Children
- Nakata, Ritzuko (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 78 Pages - 10/09/2011 (Publication Date) - Oxford University Press...
Let’s Go is an excellent choice for teaching children English as a second or foreign language. It’s one of my favourite ESL textbooks for children. It’s recommended for ages 5-11 or 12, similar to elementary school age children in the USA or Canada.
Lots of Content, Not Much Filler
Unlike other ESL books for kids, each page contains some actual content and not just pictures as fillers. However, the book has only one main idea/page so it’s easy to teach and it doesn’t get confusing for your students. There is also a distinct lack of fluffy colouring pages. Actual things to teach? Love it!
Lots of Review and Recycling of Grammar and Vocabulary
When you teach children, it’s best to not power through page after page of material (actually, that’s the same for adults too!). It’s better to go slowly and let vocabulary and grammar sink in. After all, you want your students to be able to remember the content.
Supplement with other Activities and Games
I found that two pages in a 45 minute-1 hour class works great with this book. However, be prepared to supplement with plenty of ESL Games and Activities. The Let’s Go Teacher’s Guide as well as cards are an excellent resource to help you plan your lesson and give you some materials to practice with (mentioned below).
Shop Now
Do you want to find out more about this popular ESL textbook for children? You can check out all the options for yourself over on Amazon:
Let’s Go Student Book
Do you want to see what you find inside a Let’s Go book? Check out this video on YouTube for a preview of all the pages:
New Parade: The Best ESL Textbook for Very Young Children
- Herrera, Mario (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 109 Pages - 11/19/1999 (Publication Date) - Pearson Education ESL...
New Parade is a 7-level series for young children that contains a nice mix of TPR (total physical response), songs, pair work, cooperative learning and some hands-on, craft kind of activities.
Fun Activities + Content
It does a good job of mixing in some fun activities with some actual content. I find that the vocabulary are very appropriate for young children and they’re learning what they’re interested in at that age.
Excellent “homework” Activities
Children seem to enjoy it and there is also a New Parade Workbook that has some very age-appropriate homework activities. It definitely belongs on any list of best ESL textbooks for children.
Where Can I Find It?
You can check out New Parade for yourself on Amazon. Click the button below to find out more and also to see if this book is eligible for free shipping with a Prime membership:
501 Riddles and Trivia Questions: For Teachers of Kids 7-13
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 62 Pages - 01/13/2016 (Publication Date)
501 Riddles and Trivia Questions: For Teachers of Kids (7-13) is the book you need if you teach elementary school students. While not an ESL Textbook for children, it’s a great resource to keep in your back pocket to pull out in case of emergency-a few minutes of dead time at the end of class.
Ideal for ESL Students
Maybe you’ve tried to find trivia for your classes before. You may have found that either the grammar and vocabulary was too difficult, of perhaps it was too focused on the USA or UK. This book overcomes that problem with general topics like animals, countries around the world, or math. And, it also keeps the language simple enough for even beginners.
Ideal for a Range of Activities
You can also use these riddles for kids as a warm-up. Another idea is to print off the PDF handouts to use as early-finisher tasks, or group-work. Finally, you can also use them to teach kids about how to do Internet research. It really is the book that belongs in your personal library if you teach elementary age children, ESL/EFL or not!
Get Access to the Ready-Made Worksheets
Do you want to know the best part? Along with the book, you get access to the PDF worksheets, in both color and black + white. This makes it even easier to have this activity ready to go in just a minute or two. Or, print off a stack to keep on hand in case they might come in handy.
Get your Copy Today
Does it sound like the right choice for your classes? You can easily find the book on Amazon, so pick up your copy today:
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Kids (7+)
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 92 Pages - 07/12/2015 (Publication Date)
If you’re looking for some game or activity ideas to supplement a textbook, 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Kids (7+) is the book you need in your library. The activities are fun, engaging and easy to prepare. Guaranteed to make your teaching life easier and lesson planning faster.
It contains a ton of low-prep or no-prep ESL games and ESL Activities for kids. You can use this to supplement your main textbook and the best part about it is that most of the games and activities can suit any sort of vocabulary or grammar lesson. Just adapt a little bit and go!
The book is available in both digital and print formats. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office and use it as a handy reference guide. Or, take the e-version with you to your favourite coffee shop for lesson planning on the go.
It really is that easy to make your classes for kids even better.
Buy it Now on Amazon
Does it sound like the right ESL activity and game book for kids? You can find out more about it on Amazon:
Kid’s Box
Another top pick for textbook for children is Kid’s Box. You can find out more about it by watching the short video below. One of the things I like about it is that they have textbooks designed specifically for Spanish speakers.
Does it sound like an interesting option that you want to consider? Check out the Kid’s Box Series for yourself over on Amazon:
- Nixon, Caroline (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 104 Pages - 04/06/2017 (Publication Date) - Cambridge University Press...
ESL Books for Kids FAQs
There are a number of common questions that people have ab0ut choosing a kid’s ESl textbook. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.
How do I choose a good ESL textbook for kids?
When choosing a good ESL textbook for kids, first get to know the students as much as possible, including their needs and skill level. Then, do some research about available ESL textbooks for kids and from there, make the best choice possible.
What is the best ESL textbook for kids?
If you’re looking for the best ESL textbook for kids, then consider one of the following: Let’s Go, New Parade, Balloons, and Kid’s Box.
Is it possible to teach children without a textbook?
Teaching ESL without a textbook is known as Dogme ELT. It’s certainly possible to do this and many teachers have done so successfully. They employ a variety of other activities and games and focus on what the students are curious about and need to learn.
Have your Say about ESL Textbooks for Children
What is the best 4-skills, ESL textbook for kids these days? Are you using Let’s Go or New Parade? Leave a comment below and tell us what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
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Top picks for ESL Books for Kids
Last update on 2025-05-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
