SONGS, RHYMES, CHANTS and

WARM UP and going on…

Song: The little blue train Physical Break chant: « You are a tree» Chant: Family puppets chant Poem: I am the Spring. Spring poems

FOTO FINGER PUPPETS 2N

Why songs,chants, rhymes and poems?- Lola Martín and Carme Aracil

• Music is highly memorable and motivating.• Songs, rhymes and chants are ideal tools to be used in

the language classroom.• To introduce, reinforce and recycle structures and

vocabulary.• To develop all skills in an integrated way.• To help improve all aspects of pronunciation: stress,

rhythm and intonation of the target language.• To present new language in a new, rich and imaginative

context. • To encourage physical involvement.• To contribute to the learning of the cultural component of

the language.• To contribute to the development of a positive attitude

towards the language learning.• To help to develop a positive relation between teachers

and students.

When ?

They can be used as a warm-up, as a transition,to introduce new language,as closers,to practise, revise language,to celebrate,integrated with storytelling or project work. 

How to use themSet the context. What is the song about?When necessary pre-teach vocabulary with visual aids, actions, focus questions, realia, etc.Make copies of the lyrics, cut lines or verses and distribute the cut-outs to the pairs or groups, asking them to order the song.Play the song and stop every second line or so, for students to check their versions and guess what comes next. Listen to the whole song.Give each student a line of the song to listen for. As they listen they have to arrange themselves physically in the order they hear their line. With more advance students this can be done asking them to arrange themselves before listening to the song.Encourage students to use actions, drama when singing the song.Listen and sort. Students have the words from two songs mixed together.Fill in gaps.Perform as a whole class or in small groups: boys and girls, half class one line and the other half the second line, when there is question and answer, etc. Encourage children to make a book with their favourite songs.      

Criteria for choosing a song/rhyme/chant for the young learner language class.

  Are the children involved?Would the children enjoy the song/rhyme/chant outside the classroom?Is the song,… clear to understand and use?Does the song have a good melody/rhythm?Can those who are weak at English take part without feeling frustrated?      

What to do with songs?

• Gap fillers• Unjumble the lines• Wrong word-correct• Rhyming words• Multiple choice• Illustrate• Group-reordering• Explore the theme-singer• Enjoy for own sake! The

elephant song

Songs, chants by acting

• In a cottage• 5 little ducks• The little blue train• 5 little green frogs• 1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive• Incy, wincy, spider• What’s the weather? The sun comes up• The okey kokey• Tufa-tafa• The skeleton dance• Apples and bananas• A sailor went to sea• The train chant: coffee, coffee• I am short, I am tall

Finger songs and chants

• Tommy thumb• Little Robby rabbit• Stop that noise!• 5 little monkeys • 5 little elephants• One grey elephant

Grapping, ordering, filling,…

The owl city: grap the song

Four seasons: put the verses in order

People work clap when hear a job word

The color song ( act out)

We're-going-the-zoo : bingo! ( write 5 words, prediction/ act the animal):Changing the lyrics: What a wonderful world, The Autumn songListen and correct the mistakes: The waving flag

TONGUE-TWISTERS

She sells sea shells from the sea shore. Betty Botter bought some butter but

she said the butters’s bitter. Finish fish is fresh fish. Young Japanese girls in yellow jumpers. Below the heavens and above the seas, Live wild berries and bumble bees.

COUNTING RHYMES

Enee meeny minee mo. 1 potato, 2 potatoes,… Skip dip, sky blue…

Routine rhymes 1, 2, 3 listen to me. Macaroni and cheese…everybody

FREEZE! 1, 2, 3 look at me,

4 and 5 do the jive6, 7, 8 concentrate!

Listen, listen, listen, everybody listen Silence, silence, silence, everybody silence.

Reflection time

Rhythm/music: how did the children respond to the rhythm or music?

Pronunciation: did it help to improve any particular aspects of pronunciation?

Memorization Language used: according to their

level? Multiple intelligences

Bibliography

http://www.myvoxsongs.com/ http://bussongs.com/ http://www.kididdles.com/ http://

www.songsforteaching.com/index.html http://www.supersimplesongs.com/