16 Awesome Props for Teaching English Online (+My Secret Weapon!)

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When teaching English online to young learners you may need to invest in some props to enhance their learning experience.

There is nothing worse than students not paying attention or having absolutely no interest in the class.

By using props for teaching English online, the teacher creates a fun environment and encourages students to learn.

We will talk about each one, the benefits of using them in class, and situations when the prop may be useful.

You are not obliged to buy any of these props for teaching online, however. These are just tried-and-tested, useful props that teachers have successfully implemented in the classroom. Take some ideas and inspiration before deciding how you want to teach!

If you are looking for more office props, please check my blog post: Equipment Needed for Online Teaching.

Everyday Essential: Finger Puppets

These funny animals are a great way of telling a story and igniting the child’s imagination. These puppets can be worn on your fingers making them portable and lightweight.

You can get a variety of characters and are wonderful toys for kids. If you don’t want to get the finger puppets you could invest in just one puppet to be your helper when you’re teaching English.

The puppets are also a good way of making the child feel at ease and making them laugh.

Here’s an example of how you could use a finger puppet to demonstrate a conversation: you could ask the puppet how he is, and the puppet could respond with “I am fine.” Then ask the student the same question and encourage the student to repeat what was said by the puppet.

Some teachers prefer to purchase a single large puppet, but the finger puppets take up less space and work well too.

Parts of the Face: Mr Potato Head

Mr Potato Head is a kids favourite and online teachers often enjoy using this.

Mr. Potato Head is good for teaching the parts of the face. It can also be used as a reward system meaning that each time the student gets an answer correct, you could add a piece onto Mr. Potato Head.

With Mr. Potato head’s universal appeal it is easy to get children laughing. Put Mr. Potato Head together in your online ESL class!

Reward Option: Stickers

Sometimes teachers switch reward systems by giving the student stickers. You can have multiple kinds of stickers from Hello Kitty to Frozen.

Every time the student gets an answer correct you can put a sticker beside their name. You can easily get 500+ stickers on Amazon for £6.

This is a more suitable option for regular students when you can keep a personalized reward system for them.

Cultural Awareness: Flags

When you were explaining to the Chinese student where you are living, it’s a good idea to show them a flag.

Students may recognize the flag quicker than the English word. You can also find a Chinese flag or a flag from wherever the students are from.

This is also a good way to talk about cultural differences and compare them during lessons. It shows an appreciation and recognition of other cultures.

Pictures Galore: Flashcards

Flashcards can be used to teach the student phonics or topics such as animals and sports.

It’s probably most important to have the letters a, b, c and d as these are the first letters the student learns. Students will eventually start to blend sounds together, and it may be useful to have the other letters of the alphabet.

I have a poster of the alphabet that I can point to. I can also use Manycam, which shows flashcards in digital form on the screen.

You can also set aside some flashcards to review at the end of the lesson.

Teacher Classic: Whiteboard

A whiteboard is useful if you want to explain additional ideas. You can get a small whiteboard and non permanent markers.

The whiteboard can also be useful for rewards, drawing charades, blending sounds, or showing students how to write letters.

The whiteboard is the classic teacher essential.

Often the teachers have a virtual whiteboard on their online teaching platform. Some teachers like to use this, whereas other teachers find it more flexible to use their own whiteboard.

Reminder: Sticky Notes

If a student has trouble memorizing vocabulary, you may want to find some record cards or sticky notes. This is a perfect place to take note of the information.

It is also possible for you to write a list of words to get the students to review later. Sticky notes are great as they can be easily disposed after the lessons.

Sing With Me: Microphone

The microphone is definitely an essential for the online ESL classroom.

If the student stops speaking in the class or becomes frustrated, holding a microphone to the camera is a good way to get them to speak again.

This is also particularly helpful when you were explaining what a song is or if you have to play an audio, chant, or song. The student knows that they should read aloud or sing along.

A microphone can be a good way to induce conversation and song, ironing out even the most unruly of students.

Paper Laminations: Cut-outs

Teaching English online doesn’t have to be expensive. You can print out your own pictures and add them to lollypop sticks.

I recommend cutting out some pictures, such as emojis to display different emotions. You can present these to the student when you are asking how they are.

Print out the pictures and glue them to the lollypop sticks! After teaching for some time, you will collect many different pictures to show your students.

Game Time: Dice

Some online teaching platforms will have virtual board games but no virtual dice. You should have some dice readily available in case the need arises.

You can find some plush cushion dice or just use the die from an old board game.

You could also download a dice app on your mobile and use that in class either. This is my preference.

Easy Background: Maps

For more classroom background ideas, check out my best backgrounds for teachers or my $5 VIPKid classroom background ideas.

I’ve had to show countries from around the world so many times in lessons. It’s really useful to have some kind of map that you can point to, to show the students a location.

You could buy a poster with a map, which can also be your teaching background or a small globe to hold up to the webcam.

I usually save a nice map in my file folder that I can pull up on the computer at any time and share with them.

Free Time: Storybook

Having a storybook close by may be a good prop to have when you have extra class time. Students sometimes show their storybooks in class too.

Talk to them about the theme and characters in the storybook. If you finish your class early, you can even ask them to read one of their stories, or you could read a passage from your own.

Fast-Paced Activities: Timer

Students love competitions and races. The student may be reluctant to speak about a particular topic but if you introduce a timer the student is more likely to try.

It is a good idea to write down what the student says during this period of time and correct their errors at the end when the timer has stopped. Try not to interrupt students as it discourages them from speaking.

Teach the Time: Clock

Students love discussing the time and comparing timezones. You may want to consider purchasing a clock for young learners.

This is a good idea for teaching time-related activities and exercises. It is also much easier than drawing out a clock multiple times on a page!

Young Kids Must: Stuffed Animals

A stuffed animal can make the students feel at ease. The student enjoys speaking to the stuffed animal or taking their own stuffed animals out to play too.

Stuffed animals are very useful for shy children who may feel intimidated by the online classroom environment.

A stuffed animal can also act like a puppet and show how to say something (as mentioned earlier in the list).

Phone App: App Spin

This is a free app you can download on your smartphone to encourage the student to speak in class. You could create a wheel for the seven key questions – who, where, when, why, how, what, and how much.

If you want the student to answer or to ask a question you could spin the wheel and the student has to ask a question using whatever word the wheel lands on.

You can create wheels for a variety of topics such as afternoon activities, yes or no, and so forth.

My Secret Super Power…

I rarely use props in the classroom! In fact, I use something much better in my opinion.

Currently, I use Manycam for teaching ESL online.

Having an additional application running in the background can cause your laptop to slow down. However, after tweaking the settings, it works like a charm for all my classes!

You can download it for free here. It may take some time to get used to and understand all its functionality! Read my Manycam review for more information.

Enjoy Using These Fun Teaching Props For Your Classes

That concludes our props list! These ESL teaching props will help you take charge of your lessons and are perfect for children or young learners.

The parents and children will appreciate the effort and commitment. You will be well on the way to becoming their favorite!

Any other classroom prop suggestions? Let me know in the comments section below!

Useful Links

• Teaching Props on Etsy
• Ways to Earn as an ESL Teacher
• Apply Now for Online ESL Companies
• Best Lighting for Online Teachers
• Best Laptops for Online Teachers