15 Best English Learning Books for ESL Kids

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Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to kids is not easy. It requires a lot of patience, creativity, and resources to make it effective. Don’t worry though, it’s not all doom and gloom.  In fact, it’s the opposite.

It all comes down to having the right set of materials. This is essential to providing creative and interactive lessons.

With the help of ESL kids’ books, teachers can create a structured but engaging curriculum to guide them in their teaching. This leads to an amazing and rewarding teaching and learning experience. Even self-learners can benefit from these books.

However, now you are wondering, which materials are the best. There are indeed so many options out there, it can be difficult to decide which books for ESL learners are more effective. 

Well, no need to stress anymore, I’m here to help you out!

1. ESL Worksheet and Activities for Kids

If you need extra materials for your ESL class, or maybe you are a parent who is looking for the perfect book for your child to start learning English, then look no further. This is one of the best English learning books for ESL kids!!

ESL Worksheet and Activities for Kids is for children between 5 and 8 years of age. From the name of the book, you can guess what you get — lots of ESL worksheets and activities in English to keep your child engaged.

There are activities for literally every topic you can think of, plus flashcards at the back of the book to help practice vocabulary.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Engaging, activity-filled book
• All the pages are copier-friendly and are designed to be used as handouts
• Covers a variety of topics such as shapes, numbers, time, prepositions, and so much more

2. The Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons

Designed for children between ages 3 and 8, the Reading Lesson is a bestselling program based on phonics and keyword recognition.

There are, as you’d guessed, twenty lessons in the book which introduce various letters and words. If the child studies for about 15 minutes a day (the recommended study duration to hold the kid’s attention), it’ll take about two weeks to complete a lesson.

Each lesson includes short stories and exercises as well, which children can go through with their parents. The program is also great for children with disabilities.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Comprehensive reading program for homeschoolers
• Clean, clutter-free pages
• Beginner-friendly and designed for learners with behavioral, attention, and learning problems

3. Phonics Workbook for Kids

Looking for English learning books for ESL kids that are focused on improving memory, enhancing cognitive skills, and developing reading skills? The Phonics Workbook for Kids might just be the book you’re looking for.

Designed for English learners aged 4, 5, and 6, this workbook contains 80 pages for learning letters and new words. There are tons of activities for practicing letter sounds, learning reading, improving hand-eye coordination, and developing problem-solving skills.

The best part? It includes a certificate that you can present to your child upon completion of the book. Talk about motivation!

What I like about this book:

• Fun-filled exercises with cute pictures
• Boosts reading, speaking, and writing skills
• Perfect for learning basic vocabulary

4. English for Everyone Junior: Beginner’s Course

One of the bestselling ESL kids books in the market, English for Everyone Junior is a comprehensive beginners’ English course for children ages 6 to 9. This is a great book for introducing English vocabulary and grammar.

Vocabulary is taught through beautiful and engaging illustrations, along with audio recordings that teachers or parents can access via an app. Grammar points, on the other hand, are explained in separate panels, accompanied by clear examples and reinforced through simple exercises.

What’s more, there’s even a handwriting guide at the back and a glossary of language terms used throughout the book.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Easy-to-follow units with lots of examples
• Beautiful visuals keep learners engaged
• Ample audio resources, reviewers, and summaries at the back

5. Handwriting Practice Book for Kids

Learning English includes learning to write the alphabet, and the Handwriting Practice Book is perfect for this.

This English workbook comprises of 100+ pages of tracing practice for letters A to Z, sight words (or high-frequency words), numbers from 1 to 100, and even knock knock jokes! Designed for kids aged 6 to 8, this fun-filled book will help ESL young learners improve their handwriting in no time.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Playful drills with step-by-step instructions
• Organized to progressively build on previous lessons
• Helps develop confidence to write and improve penmanship

6. Learn English With Cartoons: A Fun Vocabulary Builder Workbook

Let’s face it: learning a new language can be intimidating, even for kids. Traditional textbooks also tend to be complicated, or worse, boring.

For language learning to be effective, it has to be engaging. This is the goal of Learning English with Cartoons, a workbook designed for both young kids and adult ESL learners. Featuring twenty chapters filled with comics and illustrations, this book is highly entertaining.

This workbook covers key vocabulary words related to family, relationships, parts of the body, likes and dislikes, and so much more. There are also challenging and fun exercises to reinforce learning.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Fun and interactive cartoons to engage learners
• Learn new vocabulary words, pronunciation, and correct usage
• A variety of challenging but entertaining exercises to boost learning

7. 180 Days of Reading: Grade 1

Reading is an important receptive skill that requires a lot of practice. Fortunately, you don’t have to look hard for good reading workbooks for your children or students.

180 Days of Reading features daily lessons built on weekly themes. Each lesson teaches foundational vocabulary from fiction and nonfiction passages. Exercises train learners on pronunciation, spelling, reading comprehension, and simple sentence writing.

As you might have guessed, this workbook is meant to be used daily and completed in six months.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Daily lessons help establish learning habits
• Emphasis on building reading comprehension and phonics
• Comes with digital resources

8. Super Minds Level 1

Super Minds is a seven-level course that teaches young learners from complete beginners to pre-intermediate level. The series uses a holistic approach, focusing on the development of critical thinking, creativity, and social and emotional skills.

When you buy this Level 1 Student’s Book, you also get a DVD-ROM that features animated stories, interactive games and activities such as karaoke songs, and fun lessons focusing on vocabulary and grammar.

It also includes visualization exercises to develop creativity, cross-curricular thinking with fascinating ‘English for school’ sections, and lively stories that explore social values.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Plenty of visualization exercises
• Helps strengthen thinking skills and memory
• Digital resource with ample activities for practice

9. Kid’s Box

Aligned with the revised Cambridge English, the updated Kid’s Box is a seven-level course for elementary-aged children. This fun course features key vocabulary, grammar, and phonics — all taught through fun illustrations and activities.

Designed for classroom use, this book lets teachers instruct young students through amusing stories, fantastic songs, and other engaging activities.

Spanish speakers would find this book super helpful as it includes special sections that focus on common grammar, pronunciation, and spelling mistakes made by Spanish speakers.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Teaches key vocabulary, grammar points, and phonics
• Comes with an audio CD for listening and speaking practice
• Special sections for Spanish speakers

10. Now I’m Reading

Another one for budding readers, Now I’m Reading is perfect for helping children aged between 4 and 8 learn how to read, and have fun doing it. It’s something that parents can use when they are getting their little ones ready for bed.

This book combines the best of phonics and storytelling to build pronunciation and comprehension skills. There are ten stories that involve short-vowel words, consonant blends and digraphs, as well as simple and repetitive vocabulary, making it easer for kids to develop recall.

And of course, the stories come with colorful illustrations to keep kids interested.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Entertaining stories with simple and easy-to-follow text
• Expertly teaches phonics
• Extended activities parents can do after reading

11. Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids 

The Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids is an amazing vocabulary-building book. Made for ESL teachers, this research-based program gives clear instructions on how to successfully teach academic language learners new English words.

I’ve often said that visuals are a critical part of teaching English to kids and this book is a huge help in achieving this. Since it’s a picture dictionary, you’ll get tons of vocabulary to teach, all with colorful illustrations and teaching tips.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• 70 different topics covered using over 1,000 words
• A reproducible collection that includes reading and writing practice with picture cards.
• Beautiful images to keep kids interested

12. Grammar Friends 

Grammar isn’t the easiest thing to learn, especially for kids. This is why I recommend Grammar Friends, a primary six-level course that’s been designed to make grammar easier to understand and remember.

An ideal supplement for any elementary English course, this book contains a lot of activities that can help children improve their grammar knowledge. It comes with step-by-step presentations of form, use, and meaning. Plus, there are tons of review units and photocopy-friendly tests!

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Clear step-by-step grammar presentations for children
• Interactive exercises and activities
• Extra resources online for teachers

13. Let’s Go, Let’s Begin Level 1

Let’s Go, Let’s Begin is one of the best English learning books for ESL kids aged 3 to 12 years of age. It’s a six-level course that teaches kids English through fun and engaging activities.

This level 1 book presents new language and vocabulary through fun and collaborative activities, reading texts and listening practice.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• A colourful and well-organized course
• Interactive lessons with games, fun chants, and dances that keep children engaged
• Has added new phonics and reading lessons to begin reading in English

14. 101 ESL Activities For Kids

Whether you’re a first-time ESL teacher, or an experienced instructor, you likely find yourself constantly in need of new activities for your English classes. To save time planning lessons, I highly recommend 101 ESL Activities for Kids.

Designed for kids ages 6 to 13, this book has tons of creative and interesting ideas for ESL activities that boost speaking, listening, writing, vocab, grammar, and reading skills. And because it’s also made for teachers, the book also comes with clear instructions on how to use the activities during lessons.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Lots of enjoyable learning activities for kids
• Helps teachers focus more on teaching
• Concisely explained games for boosting learning

15. ESL Conversation Questions for Kids

A critical part of mastering English is learning how to converse and speak. But sometimes, kids (and even adult learners) get stuck thinking of topics to talk about.

ESL Conversation Question for Kids solves this problem for kids. This book contains over 50 conversation topics suitable for kids and beginners, each with a set of 15 interactive topics that’ll get students talking.

Of course, this book is meant for kids who already know a little bit of vocabulary. But the questions are also designed to help kids expand their vocabulary, develop speaking skills, and increase confidence.

This book is available on BetterWorldBooks.

What I like about this book:

• Encourages longer free-talking sessions
• A variety of engaging topics with sample questions
• Useful for lesson planning

Final thoughts

Overall, these ESL kids books are useful for teachers, parents, and ultimately, for kids. Knowing which one to choose depends on which skill you’d like to focus on at a given time. Whichever you choose, the goal should be a more fun and effective learning time for kids. Pair these books with fun ESL games and you’re good to go!

Also read:

• 12 Best Books to Learn English for Beginners to Advanced Learners
• 15 Best English Grammar Books for Beginners and Beyond