Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and you have a student booked for tutoring. So what do you do?

As a majority ESL tutor, I try to incorporate “cultural” holidays and activities into my curriculum. Many of my students are in countries that are not natively English speaking, which can make their English language learning difficulties. So, when possible, I like to add fun activities that are both educational and culturally immersive.

In China, Mother’s Day has been adopted as a reasonably popular holiday. Many shops have Mother’s Day sales, restaurants have Mother’s Day specials and jewelry stores hold Mother’s Day sales, just like in other Western countries. However, many students are unaware of the purpose of this holiday and how to celebrate it.

Informational Text and Comprehension

I like to mix history, reading comprehension, and fun writing task as my Mother’s Day Activity Recipe.

For my older students, we first focus on the reading comprehension of an informational text, all about Mother’s Day. Parents appreciate a reading component in a holiday-themed lesson rather than an art-based lesson, as the children already often have several other art classes they attend. At the end of the day, I have to remember my purpose as their teacher: to teach them English.

Word Search

Once they have completed this section, we can take a little brain break and complete a fun Word Search which is based on the text.

Depending on time restraints, I will sometimes assign the Word Search as homework. The Word Search is a fun way to incorporate teamwork into the class. Even if it is a one-on-one class, you can divide the words up and work together trying to find them! This gets the children talking and communicating with you.

Brainstorming and Letter Writing

The final part of the activity is the writing task. This writing task is a structured appreciation letter to their mom. Just as I do with my students before any piece of writing, we plan. The activity has a few prompts about what the children can write about. I have written a few more down below too. This brainstorming includes the prompts that are on the activity sheet, such as:

• Why do you appreciate your mom?
• What does she do for you?
• How does she help you?
• What you are thankful for?

We use the activity to write the draft letter, which I will help them edit. If you are in a group situation, you can ask the children to peer edit while you peek over their shoulder. This will help you edit more children’s work faster.

Finally, using some A4 paper, and colored pens that I brought, we decorate the page, and write the letter beautifully.

Then on Mother’s Day, their mom will receive a lovely prize that she will love and that has been an educational experience for her child.

Note: depending on class size and times, this lesson can take multiple classes. The average time with a one-on-one class is about 2 hours.

Middle School Resource: If you would like a copy of this resource, grab one here!

Primary School Resource: This resource is aimed at Middle School/ Elementary School students, but we have a free downloadable Primary School Resource available here! The link will redirect you, don't worry, it will lead you to our blog website that holds the freebie!