Teaching tips for teachers

Your pupils will be on the edge of their seats!

Teachers lead busy lives and it can be difficult to find the time to plan exciting lessons in all subjects. To make your English lesson planning easier, we have created a package of books and resources that provide an authentic and enjoyable English experience for both you and your pupils alike. Our package enables you to create engaging English lessons and reduce the time you spend on planning.

Our Brown Owl teaching resources are ready to be used in class without any additional preparation. You can choose which and how many materials you want to use and adapt the activities to the needs of your pupils and your chosen learning objective.

We have created some video tutorials to help you understand our approach and methodology. Follow us on Instagram for regular ideas and input!

This is what teachers have said about Read and Rhyme with Brown Owl:

“Picture books with short texts and simple grammar are hard to find. But these even focus on a specific topic. JACKPOT!”

How to use picture books in English lessons:

When practising new vocabulary: Introduce your pupils to a new topic, such as zoo animals. Read “Brown Owl at the Zoo” to the whole class. The new vocabulary comes up in the story, and this repetition helps consolidate what the children have learnt.
When the book is the topic: Plan your lesson around a Brown Owl book and help the children learn the vocabulary with our worksheets, mini-books and games. Then read the book aloud to the children and play more games to consolidate what they have learnt.

We have created a free booklet with teaching tips for every book. Let our teaching ideas and materials inspire you!

To get the most out of each book, we recommend following this three-step method to motivate children and create engaging English lessons right from the start:

Step 1: Introduce and repeat vocabulary with actions and games.
Step 2: Read the book aloud to the whole class and/or in pairs.
Step 3: Consolidate what the children have learnt by playing more games, doing worksheets, arts & crafts, drawing or creating mini-books.

Our Brown Owl stands for wisdom – but unfortunately, the word can be a real tongue twister for many children and grown-ups.

How to pronounce "OWL":

How to practise vocabulary with word dice:

How to play "I spy, with my little eye ...":

Tip: Our books are also available as big books so the children can see the illustrations when sitting further away in the classroom.

How reading stories aloud improves children's language skills:

Picture books enrich every English lesson. They make the language accessible and authentic. Listening to a story helps children relax and learn through their senses. They can listen to the language (auditory), do the actions (kinaesthetic) and once they know the text, they can even read along too (visual).

We learn languages intuitively by listening, speaking and remembering. A multi-sensory approach makes it easier to remember new words and makes being read aloud to a pleasant experience – perfect for getting children’s attention.

How to read "Brown Owl's Birthday Tea" in an English lesson:

How to retell "Brown Owl" with actions:

How to read a book together:

How to play with a picture dictionary:

Children identify with the topics (animals, friends, family outings) in our stories. The simple, age-appropriate language and the lovingly illustrated pictures in the books and teaching resources help children understand the content, even in English. Reading books aloud helps children connect learning English with positive experiences. It inspires them to listen, speak and later to read independently in English.

Tip: If you would like Rachel to come to your school and do a book reading or introduce your pupils to new vocabulary, check out our workshops and readings.

How to motivate children to learn English vocabulary:

If you want to learn a new language, you need vocabulary. The easiest way to teach new vocabulary is through repetition and by appealing to a variety of senses and learning channels. Children need to hear, feel and see language (first through flashcards or real objects, later by recognising the written word). Age-appropriate picture books with memorable stories help children remember new words. Rhymes are an excellent way to engage the sensory organs and make learning a new language fun.

We use the following strategy to work on vocabulary because children should ideally hear, feel and see new words.

Introduce new vocabulary with flashcards and accompany each word with an action. Children should first hear the word from their teacher.
The teacher says: “REPEAT AFTER ME!”, and then says the word clearly and does an action to go with it. The children repeat the word and the action after their teacher.
Once they are confident with the vocabulary, play a round of "REPEAT IF CORRECT!". The teacher points to a flashcard and says a word. If the word matches the card, the children repeat it. If it doesn't match, they are silent. Every time the children get it right, they get a point. If they repeat an incorrect word, the teacher gets a point. Whoever has five points first wins.

How to play a vocabulary game – Repeat if Correct:

How to teach new vocabulary with flashcard games:

How to practise key words with Bee-Bots:

More ideas with the Bee-Bot mat:

You can find more teaching ideas and resources on the Eduki website and in our teaching tips.

Tip: Recommend our books to parents and encourage them to use English at home. A new language isn’t rocket science; it just takes a bit of practice. The rhymes in our stories help parents gain confidence in their own pronunciation.

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