PLAYBOOK

FOR EMERGENCY

REMOTE TEACHING

TO 6-10 YEAR OLD

LEARNERS

C L A I R E V E N A B L E S

R O S E M E R E B A R D

J A M E S M . T A Y L O R

J E N D O B S O N
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We’d like to thank Jo Budden, Marcella Cintra,
Cecilia Lemos, Carol Rainbow, Vicky Saumell,
David Valente and Daniellen Zwierzynski for
their valuable feedback on this document.
INTRODUCTION
This document has been created in response to the crisis that we are currently facing due to the
pandemic COVID-19. The sudden and unexpected closing of schools has forced school management
teams, educators and families to explore alternative ways of providing ongoing education for students.
This transition has, for the most part, been haphazard, overwhelming and yielded mixed degrees of
success.  Despite this, we believe that every child has basic needs and a right to an education that we
must strive to provide through this challenging period. Under normal circumstances, a fully online course
would take six to nine months of development (Hodges et. al, 2020). Therefore, it is important to
recognise that what most schools are currently implementing does not fit the definition of online or
distance learning, despite the widespread use of this term. Decisions have been made without the
necessary time dedicated to instructional design, planning, resources, and training. What we have seen is
“a temporary shift of instructional delivery to an alternate delivery mode due to crisis circumstances”
(Hodges et. al, 2020).  Schools have needed to respond rapidly to this crisis with practical and temporary
solutions that allow students to continue learning remotely. Our preferred term for this is “emergency
remote teaching” and the guidance offered in this playbook is based on this specific context.    It is
understood that all students and teachers following the recommendations in the guide will have access
to the internet and a device for going online. However, it is important to acknowledge that this is not the
reality for many people and solutions for these contexts do not fall within the scope of this document.
(see references and further reading below for links to alternative sources).Lastly, it is also important to
remember that the challenges we are currently facing have never been experienced before and the
psychological pressure on both teachers and students at this time can not be left out from the equation
of any pedagogical project.  We would like to emphasize the importance of patience, empathy, flexibility
and a genuine desire from all stakeholders to make this experience a successful one. These are qualities
which, in a crisis such as this one, are perhaps even more important than technical knowledge or
experience.

WHAT'S IN THIS PLAYBOOK

This playbook offers guidance and practical solutions
for educators in emergency remote teaching contexts
with reliable access to the internet.  This guide  In the
WE WOULD LIKE TO
following sections you will find:
EMPHASIZE THE

the minimum recommended design elements for IMPORTANCE OF

emergency remote teaching; PATIENCE, EMPATHY,

technical requirements, guiding principles and FLEXIBILITY AND A
practical tips for creating effective pre-recorded GENUINE DESIRE FROM
videos and live sessions;
ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO
lesson frameworks for pre-recorded and live
MAKE THIS EXPERIENCE
sessions;
A SUCCESSFUL ONE.
a link to a powerpoint template for online classes;
references and further reading suggestions.
EMERGENCY REMOTE TEACHING: ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
There is so much to be considered when planning and implementing any pedagogical project and this
one is no exception.  Given the emergency nature of this situation, however, we have put together what
we consider to be the minimum requirements for designing a temporary solution for remote
teaching/learning.

CONTEXT FIRST
It is important to first get a clear picture of your specific scenario and understand some of the guiding
principles of how six to ten year olds interact with technology.
This following is not intended to replace the support and guidance of a specialist in instructional design. 
A comprehensive solution for online learning will require a larger commitment to planning, training and
resources with appropriate professionals to guide the project. However, at minimum we hope that
before making any decisions, some time is invested in reflecting on the following key questions. 

Why do we feel that remote learning is important for our school community and our learners?
What policies and procedures need to be put into place to safeguard our learners online?
What resources are available to teachers and students?
What is the curriculum content that must be covered?
What is the most appropriate format of delivery for this content: synchronous  or asynchronous?
Which virtual learning environment would be the most appropriate for easy delivery of  content,
collecting students' work and communication between school and home?
How will assessment and correction be re-designed to fit this new teaching and learning context?
What training and ongoing support is needed for the teachers, students and parents/caregivers?

MAKE ONLINE SAFETY A PRIORITY

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states, in articles 12, 16, and 36, respectively,
that young people have the right to choose, the right to privacy and the right to be protected from
exploitation. In the exact same way that there are safety policies and procedures in place to ensure child
safety in our physical schools and classrooms, this can and must also happen in the online learning
environment also.  (taken from https://yltsig.iatefl.org/child-protection/)
This emergency situation is an opportunity to get your e-safety ‘house in order’. Establishing good
practice starts with an examination of what your expectations for online behaviour are and the safety
issues and subsequent rules needed to ensure this.  These should also be discussed with stakeholders
to set guidelines, develop acceptable policies, provide advice, and potential legal disclaimers. Just as with
any school policy, it should be constantly reviewed and ideally, in the event of any problem, there should
be someone to whom people can report issues.
PROTECT CHILDREN ONLINE BY NOT DISCLOSING THEIR PERSONAL
INFORMATION
Be aware of the risks and implications of making, sharing and even saving images of children, even for
educational purposes. Posting their image may reveal their specific location, lead to datafication, facial
recognition and identity theft. Read more about it on the NSPCC website here.
Never have the phone numbers or emails of anyone underage. Alternatively, use educational
platforms and those that generate codes.
Whenever possible, use organisational accounts to communicate and never personal ones.

PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE TO LEARN IN ONLINE PLATFORMS AND LIVE MEETINGS.

Enable password protection to the meetings and waiting rooms for live meetings.
Lock the room on entry.
Disable ability for others to record the meeting, private chat, screen sharing and file sharing.

BEHAVE PROFESSIONALLY BY BEING EXTRA VIGILANT ONLINE ABOUT BOTH YOUR

OWN ONLINE PRESENCE AND SPACE AND THAT OF THE CHILD.
Choose a neutral background such as in front of a wall
Avoid bedrooms
Avoid anything in the background that gives away personal information
Dress appropriately
Use the blur background tool if available 

PROVIDE ORIENTATION FOR ALL EDUCATORS, CAREGIVERS AND STUDENTS TO ENSURE THAT
EVERYONE IS ONBOARD AND COLLABORATING WITH SAFEGUARDING POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES SUCH AS:
Using age-appropriate platforms to communicate with children.
Using controls on their devices to block or filter upsetting or inappropriate content.
Not recording the screen or taking screenshots without permission.
Respecting the educational setting.
Identify yourself in live sessions using the camera, if available, and full names. 
Making sure children know they should tell an adult if they see anything online that makes them feel
uncomfortable.
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES
It has long been known that a healthy home-school link is one of the essential elements of learner
success.  Now, more than ever, it is important for educators to establish and maintain a strong
partnership with the parents and caregivers of their students. Without this, any attempt at remote
teaching will inevitably lead to mismatched expectations and disappointment.  We have received many
reports of this already within the Active English teaching community.
There are several options for creating a channel of communication with parents and the best choice will
depend on many individual factors including what the platform the school has been using until now,
school policy regarding the level of contact teachers can have with families, and the profile of the
families themselves.  If possible, it is highly advisable to centralise all of this into one online tool. (see
our suggestions regarding a Virtual Learning Environment below.) 
Regardless of the chosen platform, there are actions that should be taken to strengthen the
relationship with families, build trust, confidence and establish a genuine partnership between home
and school.

SUGGESTIONS FOR BUILDING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES:

Choose a user-friendly, free app that will make communication between home and school quick and
easy
keep technical requirements as simple as possible so as to not overwhelm parents/caregivers
Recognise the physical, emotional, and in many cases, financial pressure that families are under and
always consider this before communicating or requesting anything
Communicate the reason behind the decisions being made in order to establish trust and belief in
the school or educator’s ability to make appropriate decisions for emergency remote learning;
Provide a series of quick tips in the home language for parents/caregivers that will make the remote
learning process and their lives easier (see this document for ideas);minimise the level of adult
support required to complete the any set tasks or participate in live sessions
Minimise the level of adult support required to participate in live sessions or complete the tasks set
for children to complete between lessons
Regularly request feedback from parents/caregivers and follow up so they know you are listening
Work with families but also set clear boundaries regarding their involvement in pedagogical
decisions

VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

IVirtual Learning EnvironmentsA remote teacher, by definition, is not physically present in the
classroom and instead gives live lessons (synchronous) online via videoconferencing (Artusi and Stanley,
2020 apud Brovetto, 2017).  As well as having a tool to deliver these lessons interactively, a remote
teacher also needs a support system that the learners and parents can access in their own time
(asynchronous). A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) does this job. It provides a hub where the
necessary resources can be shared with learners, give feedback, post updates, mark homework and
clear up any doubts.  It is also a place to create online portfolios, store files, links, instructions, and
encourage asynchronous interactions  (Artusi and Stanley, 2020). 

Choosing a VLE depends on the age of your learners and their needs. For children under ten, we
recommend using one that is designed specifically for children and allows families to access everything
they need for the lessons in a secure and private environment.  

The above are the minimal considerations needed when making decisions about the format of your
emergency remote teaching program.  Ideally, there would be a much more in depth analysis made for
each context and a specialist would be able to guide you through the design and training process for
mid to long-term solutions for online delivery of your curriculum.
CREATING EFFECTIVE PRE-RECORDED LESSONS
It may be necessary and sometimes even preferable to use pre-recorded videos for the delivery of
certain content.  During these strange and unpredictable times, seeing the familiar face of the teacher
can be very reassuring for a child.  Another advantage of these videos is that they can be watched when
and as many times as needed.
It is important to be aware that educators can’t continue doing the same thing they did during their in-
person classes but at the same time, care must be taken to avoid reverting to a teacher-centered
approach. Instead, follow a structure and use strategies that are effective for this format of lesson
delivery.
The following guidelines and practical tips are to help educators create useful and interesting videos with
minimal resources that can engage children and encourage them to continue learning autonomously. 
We have based this guide on the research available regarding how six to ten year olds interact with
technology and examples from established online educational resources designed specifically for
children

PLANNING YOUR PRE-RECORDED VIDEO LESSON

START BY PLANNING LEARNING GOALS THAT CONNECT CURRICULUM CONTENT WITH THE
CHILD’S DEVELOPMENTAL AND LINGUISTIC NEEDS AND INTERESTS.
Before you get out the camera, the lesson needs to be planned carefully and the first step is establishing
what you hope the learners will achieve.  Each video lesson should focus on a single objective that can be
easily presented within a context that the child can relate to and can see a use for in their real lives.  This
is true in ANY learning context, but it is now more important than ever. Don’t just have them listening
passively to lists of words or you will lose their attention.   

When defining the learning objective of your video, we suggest writing them as key questions. 
For example: 
Colors: What happens when we mix primary colors?
Professions and family members: Who are the people who help us every day?
Household chores: How can we help around the house?
Animals: What types of animals live in the region where we live?
Food/measurements/recipes/cooking verbs: Can you follow the instructions in this video to make some
playdough at home?

DURING THESE STRANGE AND

UNPREDICTABLE TIMES, SEEING

THE FAMILIAR FACE OF THE

TEACHER CAN BE VERY

REASSURING FOR A CHILD.

VIDEO LESSONS SHOULD ENCOURAGE A CHILD TO WONDER, THINK, FEEL AND
IMAGINE.
The biggest challenge for the teacher at this time is not to work out how to pass on all the content from
the curriculum but rather, the objective should be to find a way of activating the learners’ curiosity so
they are motivated to continue learning and exploring the topic on their own after the class.

THE LESSON SHOULD BE AN AGE-APPROPRIATE LENGTH

Keep it short: Content for children should be broken down into around 2:00 and 3:00 minute sections
that can stand alone or be edited together with transition slides.  Under no circumstances should these
videos be as long as an in-person lesson!

USE MINIMAL TEACHER TALK THAT HAS BEEN GRADED APPROPRIATELY 

The most effective videos are short and simple, focusing on just one idea at a time and with minimal but
carefully chosen words that your learners will understand.  So make sure you write a script with this in
mind and stick to it when you record.

SHOW AND DON’T JUST TELL: MAKE SURE THERE IS PLENTY OF VISUAL SUPPORT
FOR UNDERSTANDING FOR EVERYTHING THE TEACHER IS SAYING.
This should be by demonstrating a hands-on activity, with images, gestures, your facial expressions, and
even your voice.  These are all effective strategies that can be used to help support your learner’s
understanding of the message you’d like to convey.  Any images should be big and colorful and displayed
clearly so they can be seen even if the learner is watching on a small device such as a cellphone. 

THE VIDEO SHOULD EMPLOY STRATEGIES TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION AND

DEVELOP THE CHILDREN’S UNDERSTANDING AND USE OF THE TARGET
LANGUAGE.
Another challenge in creating engaging video lessons is finding ways of getting the learner to participate
actively by responding to your cues either physically and/or orally while watching.

The idea is to create moments where they will repeat words, call out answers, copy actions, follow
instructions or sing along.  

For example:
As you are modelling a science experiment of mixing together primary colors, invite them to call out
what color they think it will make.
If you have used a Mystery Box to reveal objects related to the topic of the lesson, have them repeat
the words after you.
Sing a song and use plenty of actions for them to copy.

EDUCATORS SHOULD USE A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES SUCH AS STORYTELLING,

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT AND PLAY IDEAS WITH THINGS TO MAKE AND DO OFF
SCREEN.
There is no need for you to try and create these yourself.  Make use of the endless number of high-
quality resources that already exist online and incorporate these into your video lessons.
TWO WAYS TO STRUCTURE A PRE-RECORDED VIDEO
LESSON
We have broken down the structure and features of 2 successful television series that are designed
specifically for young learners.  These are not supposed to be used prescriptively but rather as
inspiration on how to structure video lessons. Educators should use this framework but adapt the
content appropriately for the age and interests of their learners.

Based on Learning Time with Timmy: a series of short, animated episodes for language
learners.
Age: Pre-Primary (3-6 years old) English language learners.
Length: 5 minutes
Official Website: https://www.britishcouncil.org/english/timmy/kids-video-series

Basic framework from this series that can be useful for teachers: 
Lesson introduction: use a toy or puppet as a regular character that will appear in every
video and be referred to by name in interactions with the teacher and the viewers. 

Present new vocabulary and concepts with a mystery box: A decorated box which
contains images or realia that will be used during the lesson. 
Look Timmy, there is the Mystery Box. Is there something inside? What can you see Timmy?
Shows the object and asks: What’s this? (Checking understanding) Is this a camera?
(confirmation) Yes, that’s right. It’s a camera. (shows the word on the screen to promote
literacy and repeat the word only to focus on the vocab. Does the same with the second
object.)

Introduce the next segment: Let’s see what Timmy and his friends are doing. Insert a short
ready-made video from the internet for the children to watch and see the language and
concepts in context. 

Show something that connects with the previous video and explore this in a hands-on
way. Further consolidate the concept of language. Provide more explicit language support for
the next activity.

It’s activity time: A matching game or other activity to test their comprehension of the
concept and use of the key language. 

What did we learn today?: Consolidate the key points covered in the lesson with screenshots
from the video. 

More examples from the video series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQCSyuY3i-Y

 Based on Play School: a long-running educational Australian TV series.
Age: Pre or Lower Primary (3-7 years old)
Length: 10 minutes
Official website: https://www.abc.net.au/abcforkids/sites/playschool/about/

Key elements from Play School episodes that can be useful for teachers: 
Familiar song to introduce the lesson (could be recorded and have animation if the school
has the resources to have someone create it) 

Greeting in a conversational style - teacher talks directly to the child. “Hello there! 

Show and (don’t just) Tell moment to introduce what the theme of the day is.  This should be
the teacher demonstrating a hands-on activity that they children could do later (the written
instructions for the craft, recipe or experiment could be sent in a separate document).  The
activity introduces the key language and concept in a context that is interesting and engaging
to the children. 

Insert a short video for the children to watch that explores the language or concept in a
different way.  There is no need to create a video yourself, instead use professionally made
contente online.

Alternate between one of the following activities:

a. Sing a theme-related song/introduce a brain break with an activity that the children can join
in with. (For songs, families could be sent the lyrics in a separate document. For physical
challenges, a slide could be introduced with a 60 second countdown).
b.   Part 2 of the hands-on activity that further develops the language and concepts for the
lesson.
c. A slide with short animation to introduce Story Time (if the school has the resources, this
could be a professional animation, if not, the teacher could create a slide with some
animations to use each time). Cut to the teacher in a comfortable chair for reading a story. 
Have a book bag or drawer with objects that provide clues about what the story is about.
Instead of reading the physical book, teachers could use a recording found on youtube
showing the pages of each book and record their voice reading over the top.

Ending the lesson - review what was covered in the lesson with screenshots or objects from
the videos.

Goodbye - say a goodbye to the child watching. Use the same language each time.

Familiar song to end the lesson (could be recorded and have animation if the school has the
resources to have someone create it)

Here are 2 Example Lesson Plans for Pre-recorded Video Lessons.

Parts of the Face & Feelings
Float or Sink
FILMING THE VIDEO LESSON
Here are some of the basic technical requirements and tips for setting up and recording video lessons.

The camera (this can be a cellphone) 

When recording, do not hold it in your hand as the image will be shaky;
Place it on a support such as a tripod or even just a stack of books;
Make sure the camera is at your eye level;
Remember to clean the lens before recording;
Practice talking into the camera NOT looking at the screen.
Imagine that the camera is the eyes of a student.
Smile, laugh, play with that student through the lens.
Address the viewer as an individual, not as a group. Say “Hello there!” NOT “Hello everyone!”.

The Setting
This set up for where you record doesn’t have to be elaborate;
Keep it neutral and neat - no personal items or mess;
Film in a space where other members of the household can not be seen or heard;
If you can set this up and leave it ready, it will make doing regular recordings a lot faster and easier. 

Microphone
Sound quality is extremely important;
A simple set of headphones with an inbuilt mic will do the trick.

Basic lighting
Sit facing towards a source of light; 
That could be natural light from a window or light from a lamp.

Teleprompter App
For longer scripts, a teleprompter app can save yourself lots of time;
This app will scroll your text up the screen of your phone, allowing you to read it without looking away
from the camera while you record;
There are free ones available to download onto your phone such as Parrot Teleprompter.

Basic editing software

Become familiar with the basic features of a video editing tool; 
Even for short and simple videos, you will want to add an intro and outro.

10
PLANNING AND DELIVERING LIVE LESSONS
Our use of the term “live lessons” refers to online lessons that are delivered to a group of children by
their teacher.  This has been a common solution adopted by schools in the current emergency remote
teaching situation.
The main benefit of this format of content delivery is that it provides the opportunity to make
connections with and between learners. We strongly believe that a LIVE lesson, first and foremost, should
support the social-emotional needs of the learners.  It can also be the perfect moment for providing
feedback and answering questions about the activities that were given via the VLE.  A well-planned lesson
may also successfully introduce new content while motivating the students to continue their
investigations on their own after the class.
It is important to be aware of the many challenges an educator who is new to online teaching will face. 
Firstly, in this new environment, it can be difficult to keep children engaged and on task, especially if the
lessons are long or not connected with their interests. Educators will also have to develop new classroom
management strategies for a virtual environment to ensure the smooth flow of lessons and participation
of the learners. There are also the technical challenges such as learning how to do video-conferencing
and use the VLE. Even if they feel confident with all of this, it may still be hard to make lessons successful
without support from the parents/caregivers.
However, with appropriate planning of lesson content, the use of tools and activities that encourage
learner autonomy and a good relationship with families, these LIVE lessons can be an effective way of
supporting children’s learning through the current crisis.

Guiding principles for LIVE lessons with

children
The following guidelines are based on the EDUCATORS WILL ALSO HAVE
research on remote teaching (Stanley,2020) and TO DEVELOP NEW
designing digital experiences for children
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
(Gelman, 2014). It is important to keep in mind
STRATEGIES FOR A VIRTUAL
that the remote teaching of young learners (3-10)
ENVIRONMENT TO ENSURE THE
via videoconferencing in an emergency situation
is a relatively new area that, as yet, has not been SMOOTH FLOW OF LESSONS

researched thoroughly..  There are several AND PARTICIPATION OF THE

examples of companies that offer one2one LEARNERS.
online classes for children but nothing involving
groups of children. Nevertheless, there are some
guiding principles available that we can apply to
the current situation.

Be aware that the teacher’s presence in a virtual room is not perceived by learners the same
way as in a physical classroom - Every effort should be made to make those personal
connections.
Especially very young learners will find it difficult to develop the same level of  personal connection with
the teacher online as they do in a classroom and to perceive teachers as real people. According to
research, this is also true for adult learners in an online environment therefore, priority must be given to
creating a connection first in order to make the delivery of lesson content more effective. They need to
feel that the interaction is happening in real time and that you can see and talk with them.

11
Here are some simple strategies to use as a way of building
rapport online: 
Make sure you look into the camera, instead of the screen, so they
feel like you are looking into each other’s eyes;
Use their names as often as possible;
Nominate them individually to respond and keep a record of who
you call on so everyone gets a chance to participate;
Give meaningful praise for their work and participation.

The younger the child, the harder it is to keep them paying

attention - Lessons must be adapted accordingly to be
effective. 
There are likely to be many distractions that compete for a child’s
attention during a remote lesson.  In addition to this, some may even
be interacting with teachers through devices with small screens, low
resolution and/or sound quality. With this in mind, it is important to
make sure the lessons are structured in the following way:
Split large classes into smaller groups of maximum 8 children.
Keep lessons short, memorable and at an age-appropriate length.
Pre-primary: 15 - 20 minutes
Lower primary: 20 - 30 minutes
Upper primary: 30 - 40 minutes
Break the lesson down into short chunks of a few minutes.
Call on the learners to participate as much as possible with
techniques such as scaffolded discovery learning.
Use a mixture of settlers and stirrers throughout the lesson.
Provide different types of media: songs, animated stories, videos,
online games, etc.
Be mindful of the image and sound quality.
Use voice and gestures to your advantage - change the tone to get
their attention and make gestures to help them get used to the
routines.

Learners do not know what they should do and how to

behave in a live session - Set expectations for learners
behavior early on.
We must remember that young learners are still developing socially,
emotionally and digitally. It is important to help them adjust to the
new virtual environment by explicitly teaching them the
appropriate/inappropriate behavior and procedures for the online
classroom.
Familiarize them with the basic functions of the online
conferencing platform, who can use each one and when.
Teach them the hand gestures to use when they need to ask a
question or they cannot hear/see, etc.
Involve them in creating a set of rules/code of conduct for their
online classroom;
Make everyone, including the parents/caregivers, aware of the
agreement and what will happen if it is not respected.

12
PLANNING THE LIVE LESSON
Here is a reminder about the steps you should take to plan your
lesson...now in an online format.  As you will see, there are many
things you can draw on from your regular teaching practice and
adapt for this new scenario.

DEVELOPING YOUR LESSON OBJECTIVES 

When sitting down to plan a project or lesson, always begin by
defining your objectives.  From your curriculum, choose the
content that you will be covering in a series of lessons and
establish the pedagogical goals you aim to achieve in each
individual class.  Your lesson summary should describe both
the developmental and linguistic aims. 

For example, in class about school supplies you might set the
following objectives... 
Developing creativity and making art has always played an
important role in the Primary classroom. We can continue to
encourage children to do hands-on art and craft activities when
learning at home. This is the perfect context for learning
vocabulary and language related to the materials they will use
regularly when doing these activities.
This lesson will also use the “odd one out” strategy to discover
and develop a child’s reasoning, thinking and ability to justify
their choices. 
Key Questions: How are different objects related? What
materials could we use to create art?

DEFINING THE LEARNING STRATEGIES, TASKS AND

ACTIVITIES
The key to a successful online lesson is employing new
strategies that are appropriate for the online format and will
have your learners participating actively in the lesson.  For
optimal results from your students, information should be
presented in chunks. The lesson should be broken down into
several short activities, rather than one long presentation.
When introducing new language or concepts, design activities
that SHOW the students something or have them DOING
something rather than adopting a lecture style mode of
teaching.
Frequently nominate learners to contribute with answers and
ideas either verbally or in the comments box. Keep a list with
their names and mark them off each time they are called on. 
This will help to make sure everyone gets a chance to
participate individually.
Make sure to intersperse your cognitively engaging activities
with brain-breaks that involve physical movement and fun.

13
CHOOSING MATERIALS 
Be mindful of the current context when planning
what materials you and the students will use.   
Whenever possible, opt for hands-on tasks, however,
make sure any materials required are easy to find
around the home. Avoid requesting things that need
to be purchased as this will not be possible for all
families. 
Some suggestions are: 
Paper crafts;
Loose parts play (small, common objects that can
be used in multiple creative ways such as
toothpicks, buttons, rubber bands, paperclips,
marbles, corks, bottle tops, etc)
Playdough
Simple science experiments with household items;
Basic recipes that can be done with minimal adult
support
Drawing or journaling
Photography projects. 

CHOOSING DIGITAL TOOLS 

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you suddenly have
to start using many tools, devices and tech to make
this work.   In fact, it will probably only serve to
overwhelm both you and your students. Instead, take
what you know and adapt it. Gradually integrate tools
as and when you need them.
Having said that, some digital tools are going to be
necessary and you should make sure you are familiar
with and comfortable using the following: 
A teaching platform for live lessons. Options
include Zoom, Microsoft TEAMS, Adobe Connect,
Google Meet or Hangouts.
A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) where you
upload written tasks for students, extra resources
such as videos and the Daily Study Guide (sent to
families). Examples include Seesaw, Google
Classroom, Edmodo, Scules, Schoology.
A clear channel of communication between home
and school. This could be done in the VLE, or
through email.
Ready-made videos and/or online games to use
during or after the lesson that will help you explain
a concept or stimulate curiosity.

14
Structuring the Lesson & Designing the Slides
Follow the structure below to plan lessons that are engaging and effective for the online teaching
format.  You can be creative with the activity types you include but sticking to a regular routine will help
you plan faster and, most importantly, help the students become familiar and comfortable with the
online lesson routine.

Here are some important tips for planning what you will show and tell the students in online lessons:

Use a slideshow and highlight essential information

Use images or icons to indicate what the student is expected to do. For example: a symbol for an
oral activity and a different symbol for a written task. Much in the same way there is a key in a
coursebook
Highlight or underline key words
Use text sparingly for only the essential information being talked about
Provide regular summaries with minimal text to review what has been covered so far
Opt for large, colorful images that help support the meaning of what you are saying. (see the extra
resources section for sources of free to use images)

Present information in small chunks

Make activities short and within a few slides
Have clear lesson stages that present the content clearly and simply. 

Control Your Teacher Talk

Avoid any teacher talk that is not necessary for reaching the objectives of the lesson. 
Plan what you are going to say. 

Show and (don’t just) Tell 

Make sure you provide both aural and visual support for all new information
Avoid the talking-head style of teaching. 
When telling a story, it can be very effective to use a ready-made animation or slideshow with the
pages of the book and have the teacher’s face showing at the same time while she or he tells the
story
OUR LESSON FRAMEWORK EXPLAINED

LESSON STAGE TEACHER'S NOTES RATIONALE

1. Greetings Start your lesson by greeting the children This is a moment when you can
individually as they arrive.  interact with the group and build
relationships with your students.  It
Say hello to the children individually as they marks the beginning of the lesson
arrive in the meeting room and any and prepares them to switch to
parents/caregivers who are assisting them. English in a non-threatening and
enjoyable way.
Invite the children to say thank you to the
adult helping them and then say goodbye.  If Eventually, this might be the
necessary, remind the adult that if they need moment when you can share news
to contact you during the lesson they should with each other.  However, as it is
type in the comments box.  If it is not an the start of this remote learning
emergency, they should use the correct experience, you should reduce your
channel of communication.  teacher talk, grade your language
and use plenty of non- verbal
Finally , give the students a moment to say hi communication: smiles, gestures and
to the others before muting all the mics. facial expressions.

2. Lesson Go through the main activities that the In at-school classes, most of us start
Schedule students will do in today’s lesson.   Word this our lessons with a visual schedule.  It
so it describes what they will learn and use is equally important to do this in an
images or icons to represent each online environment 
activity.  You could get them to repeat the - it develops receptive language by
words after you to make this a little more providing language support for
interactive and help them become familiar talking about the different activities
with the names of the different lesson stages that take place in the lesson; 
that they will see every lesson. - it is particularly beneficial for
language students who may feel
anxious about what is coming up
next.
LESSON STAGE TEACHER'S NOTES RATIONALE
3. Ready to Do you have your….? Never start a lesson without making
Learn Check to make sure the students have all the sure you have all the materials you
materials they need with them for the need.  
lesson. 
   In online classes with children, this
Go through some gestures that they can use becomes even more important. Any
if they:  interruptions to go and grab
Can’t hear   something they need can cause big
Can’t see  disruptions to the flow of your class. 
Have a question Make sure you send families the list
of things they need before the
lesson and go through this with
them as part of the regular routine.

Set the children up for success by

teaching them explicitly what to do
when they are having trouble.  What
may seem obvious to an adult may
not be at all to a child who is new to
learning online.

4. Engage the Introduce the key concepts and/or language When children are curious, engaged
learners in the at this stage of the lesson.  You could use... and can see how what they are
topic of the a guessing game with images that appear learning connects to their real life,
day on the screen teaching becomes much easier.   
a mystery box with realia 
a problem or puzzle Make sure this stage of the lesson is
a beautiful or surprising image  interesting and relevant to the
a short clip or song interests and lives of your learners.

5. Today's Get children moving by playing a quick It’s important to, after a period of
Challenge game. For example:  stillness, that you get them up to
ask children to go around the house and burn some energy with a physical
look for objects connected to what they activity. Then, bring them back with
are learning. another cognitively engaging activity.
A physical-response activity “Stand up if These are called “settlers and
you love X”W stirrers”. A good classroom
alk like a….(duck)! management strategy is to challenge
them by playing a song and saying
they have to complete the task and
be back in front of the camera
before the song ends.

This will add a fun twist and get them

focused on the task they need to
accomplish without getting
distracted by other things in the
house.
LESSON STAGE TEACHER'S NOTES RATIONALE
6. Review Use a slide or image or video from the Making connections between prior
previous previous lesson that will trigger their memory learning and new concepts is always
lesson and of both the language and the concept you important.  When planning, have this
connect to explored. in mind so there is always a
new topic. connection between the lessons and
deliberate recycling of language.

7. Focus on Make this an ACTIVE learning moment.  Remember: use activities that have
Key Language Rather than you telling them the key words your students actively participating,
and having them repeat, invite them to DO modeling, speaking, and providing
something with the target language. answers to the questions you
propose.

For example, nominate students to

demonstrate how they measure the
edges of a cube to see if they are
equal.

This will involve them, encourage

them to produce the target language
and provide a model for anyone who
may not understand what they have
to do.

8. Input & Introduce the topic using a video or There is no doubt that using a range
Practice animation. of media in your lessons helps
enormously with learner
Set up tasks to do before, during and after engagement. 
watching that will support their
understanding, give them a reason to pay Ideally, we would have specially
attention, and help them focus on the key made videos but this is not realistic
concepts and language in the video. in our current context.  There are
many ready-made videos online that
Follow-up with a practice activity that can be inserted into your lessons.
provides an opportunity for them to show (see examples in the Resources
they have understood in a meaningful and section below).  Many of these will
personalised way. not have language graded to the
level of your students. If that’s the
case, you can play them without
audio and speak over the top. 

Before watching the video, activate

and elicit any prior knowledge and
language that will support their
understanding.
LESSON STAGE TEACHER'S NOTES RATIONALE
9. Homework Don’t just set exercises from the book but One of the biggest challenges
look for hands-on tasks that will give them an educators face in the remote-
opportunity to apply new knowledge in a learning context is to use the LIVE
meaningful way. encounters with the students to
spark curiosity and motivate them to
continue learning independently
between lessons.  

Be mindful of this when you are

planning and implementing lessons
and homework.

10. Goodbye Round up the lesson with a review of what It is very important to make time for
they have learned today.  the goodbye moment and that the
lesson ends in an organized and
You can invite volunteers to share, have enjoyable way.  
them respond as a group with gestures or
have them reflect and write their key take- This moment also teaches children
aways in the comments.  about social skills and gives closure
to the sequence of activities they
You can also invite them give feedback by participated in that lesson. 
naming or writing 2 things they enjoyed most
and the one they enjoyed least from the Create a routine that involves
lesson. reviewing what they have learned
and giving feedback on what they
enjoyed or not from the lesson. 

Feedback from learners is Listen and

act on any feedback they give you. 

Make sure they leave feeling positive

and excited to return again.

Link To Other Lesson Plans for Lower Primary Learners

Odd One Out
My Family

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DELIVERING LIVE ONLINE

LESSONS 
To make sure your lessons flow, get familiar with the following: 
How to login, set up and send a link to a meeting using the videoconferencing platform you have
chosen;
All the necessary changes to the default settings to make the space child-safe (see the section in this
document about online safety above)
 Testing video and audio
Muting and unmuting the mics of the students
Disabling the annotation feature for the students
Sharing the screen
Setting up breakout rooms.

Setting up to teach LIVE lessons 

The following is a checklist of things to do before your lesson to set yourself and your students up for
success. 
Use a laptop - not a cellphone. 
Use headphones with a mic. 
Sit facing a source of light (natural light or a lamp).  
Sit with the camera at your eye level. 
Practice talking into the camera NOT looking at the screen. 
Login 15 minutes before your lesson to test everything out.  
Open all documents and digital tools you will be using. 
Prepare all your materials. 
Start the class with everyone’s mic on mute.

REFERENCES, RESOURCES AND SUGGESTED FURTHER

READING
Artusi, A.; Stanley, G. (2020). Remote language teaching and continuing professional development. In S.
Mavridi & V. Saumell (eds.), Digital Innovations and Research in Language Learning:  A Project of IATEFL's
Learning Technologies Special Interest Group. (Kindle Locations 1987-2449). Learning Technologies
Special Interest Group, IATEFL.

Brame, C.J. (2015). Effective educational videos. Retrieved 31/03/2020 from

http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/effective-educational-videos 

ED.Gov. Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners.  Available at:
https://tech.ed.gov/earlylearning/principles/
Accessed on: 28.03.2020 

Gelman, L. D. (2014) Design for Kids: Digital Products for Playing and Learning. 

Hodges et al. The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning. Educause
Review, March 27, 2020. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-
remote-teaching-and-online-learning.
Accessed March 28, 2020. 

Mayer, R.E., Fennell, S., Farmer, L., & Campbell, J. (2004). A personalization effect in multimedia learning:
Students learn better when words are in conversational style rather than formal style. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 96, 389-395. 

Stanley et. al. (2019). Innovations in education Remote teaching. Innovation series. British Council.
Available online. Accessed on March 28, 2020.
www.internetmatters.org
www.childnet.com
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN ONLINE
NSPCC Safety advice on using Zoom
www.net-aware.org.uk/networks/zoom/?
fbclid=IwAR3EoitKTYxEir0GTqYRqIxuj6rAu2NEGzOPjmMZS2uYeFLq_5RM1QPdoF
Statistics on data
tracking
www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/our-work/digital/who-knows-what-about-me/ 

Child protection
guidelinesyltsig.iatefl.org/child-protection/ 

Ways of avoiding posting a child’s face

onlineyltsig.iatefl.org/2017/07/01/online-safeguarding-in-primary-elt-why-you-shouldnt-post-a-
childs-face-online/ 

Parental controls to keep your child safe online

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/

Implications and risks for sharing images and video of children online
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/briefings/photography-sharing-images-guidance

Understand how different social media platforms work and their age limits
https://www.net-aware.org.uk/  

USEFUL RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS 

Online Teaching Techniques and Methodology
https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2020/04/06/supporting-every-teacher-teaching-primary-
english-online/  

Websites with copyright free images

https://unsplash.com/
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk

Resources for storytelling

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/short-stories
https://pepelt21.com/mini-lessons/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0H8qNcmKcU

Ideas for games and activities

https://yltsig.iatefl.org/2018/04/08/incorporating-phonology-in-primary-elt-a-guide-for-early-career-
teachers/
https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2020/04/01/action-interaction-teaching-primary-children-
online/
https://edpuzzle.com/
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