Halloween takes place on October 31. Will your students be dressing up for the occasion? Do they know how to respond to the standard question that people are asking kids at this time of year?
Talking about Halloween costumes before the big day is useful for practicing “going to” to make simple future plans.
Sprout English’s theme of the week is clothing! Your students will love learning clothing vocabulary with these fun cards and games.
Does your school hold Spirit Days like Crazy Hair Day or Pajama Day? A monthly Spirit Day is a great way to give kids something to look forward to. My own kids love “er” day at their school. This is when students and teachers dress up as anything ending in “er.” If you’re looking for some new ideas for Spirit Days for the upcoming school year, check out these lists, and be sure to add your own ideas in the comments below. Here is a sample Spirit Day Letter that you can use to send home to parents. (more…)
It’s that scary, creepy, spooky, eerie time of year! The monsters are coming out to play, and I don’t mean your students! On Thursday, October 31st, many countries will be celebrating Halloween. Kids will get dressed up in costumes like witches, ghosts, cats, cartoon characters, etc. and go trick-or-treating. The next day, they’ll undoubtedly have tummy aches from all the candy they collected and consumed! It’s a fun time of year for kids. Teachers and parents can keep the fun going all week long with various Halloween activities, lessons, and crafts. Sprout English has some great Halloween resources that are right at your fingertips! Try some of our suggestions below to infuse your kids with the Halloween spirit. 
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It’s almost Halloween! This scary, fun holiday takes place on October 31st in many countries. Many teachers will be doing Halloween activities with their classes, and this means that Halloween vocabulary will be featured a lot. Now is a good time to review some of the trickier words that scare English learners and native speakers alike!
1. COSTUME / CUSTOM
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen students get these two words mixed up. They’re tricky! Point out to your students that they have different pronunciations and different meanings. A costume, pronounced /ˈkɑs tjum/, is an outfit that people wear on Halloween in order to appear as someone/something else.
I bought a cat costume for Halloween this year. My friend is dressing up in a zombie costume.
A custom, pronounced /ˈkʌs təm/, is a tradition or habitual action that people do.
Taking off your shoes when you enter someone’s house is a well-known Japanese custom. (more…)
