11.

AGE Teachers are offered a great variety of stories, which are appropriate for the age group they teach and the level of the language their children have a grasp of. Too complicated and difficult stories may have discouraging affects on children. Children can understand literature in simple words and teacher should use materials that are easy to explain about. The songs and poetry needs to be related to their lives and fantasy as children in their ages have their own imagination.

12. RESOURCES When selecting songs and poems: Include different poets, genres, topics, and themes. Cover multiple time periods (historical past, present, future). Include literature with a collection of unforgettable characters. Teacher can select their own collection of literature materials. The materials also can be found in the text book or you can make different by choosing the materials from other colleague.

5. Age and Gender When texts are selected, ensure that they will match with the age and maturity of the pupils. Must not be biased towards boys or girls? Must be impartial (neutral / unbiased).

6.Resource It is important that appropriate resources and materials are used with pupils of different learning capabilities so that their full potential can be realized. Readily available resources? Commercial resources? Adapted resources? Simplified resources? Etc.

Back when I first starting teaching small children English, 12 years or so ago, I was lucky or unlucky enough to be in a school where songs were a vital part of the syllabus of every teacher and were introduced to us teachers on day one of the training course. I say luckily because those songs helped me entertain and control an age group that I had little enough experience of interacting with even back in the UK. It could also possibly be unluckily because now I have got used to having music to help me there is no way I could even think of coping with a class of 7 year olds and under without my faithful tape of traditional and EFL songs. And yet, as I have changed schools and countries I have come across a surprising number of teachers doing just that. Some of them were coping remarkably well, but I have yet to meet a teacher who was not instantly converted when they saw what a song in class could do- and even more so when shown how many things could be done with it. So here are some reasons why you might want to try using songs in the EFL young learner class and some tips how to do so:

 They are memorable, and so make students remember the language (in fact, students who quit English while they are still young might find that the only thing they can remember when they go on holiday to the States as an adult is the song Head Shoulders Knees and Toes- possibly useful for that strip search in JFK airport??). They can be great fun. And the biggest factor that makes them fun for the kids is how much the teacher likes them, so you have a perfect motivation for using your own favourites. They cover the same topics as they kids are covering in the English lessons and other classes: animals (Old Macdonald), body parts (Teddy Bear Teddy Bear) etc. They are the best way of marking different stages of the lesson, e.g. starting the class every week with the same song, ending the class with another, and using songs or chants to mark other transitions like books out and books away Students can listen to the songs at home and revise the language They provide an easy way of changing the pace, e.g. settling down r estless students with a lullaby-like calming song (Incy Wincy Spider etc.) or wearing them out with a manic, lively song (YMCA etc.) They provide an achievable challenge for all levels of learner in mixed ability classes, by letting some students just show their understanding by doing the actions while others can sing along or even improvise their own words They can be used at whatever stage you are at with the language - e.g. presentation, practice or revision before a test. You can even use an action song for a week or two before the formal presentation, and so make the presentation when it comes much easier. They sound great to mothers and school managers listening outside your classroom door They can be performed during end of year shows or pa rties They allow for lots of repetition of the language without kids getting bored (as long as you add variations), vital for learning in small children. Variations to keep it interesting include doing the song louder and quieter, slower and faster etc. Read more at http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/using-songs-with-young-learners.html#O7Rqcq6estjWVUds.99

Ages and Levels

Teachers will need to select from the songs and activities in this article those that work best with the different age groups and English levels of their classes. A 3-yearold is very different from a 5-year-old: a 7-year-old differs from a 9-year-old, and so on and their levels of English vary, too. The first two sections (Nursery Rhymes and Action Songs) contain music suitable for younger and more elementary children, while the later sections contain music suitable for older and more advanced children. It should be borne in mind, however, that children can handle quite demanding new vocabulary if it is presented in songs and if it is repeated many times, as happens when we sing a song that we like

Materials
Many of the ideas in this article require special materials to teach, for example The Chester Book of Nursery Rhymes and the Oxford Book of Folk Songs, plus appropriate cds. Schools aiming to use music in their childrens classes need to build a small library of resources, just as they build a library of conventional text book, software and other resources for ordinary classes and the self-access centre.

1. Examples for types of songs Finger play songs: Hickory dickory dock

Hickory, The mouse The clock struck The Hickory, dickory, dock.

dickory, ran one (in mouse the up next verses ran the two,

dock, clock. three ...), down,

While singing the song the fingers of the right hand play the mouse on the left arm. When the clock struck, the children clap the number of strikes and count. Counting songs: Ten little Indians One little, two, little, For little, five little, Seven little, eight little, Ten little Indian boys (in the second verse - girls). three six nine little little little Indians. Indians. Indians,

While singing the song the children show the numbers with their fingers. Spelling songs: Farmer Brown has got a dog Farmer Brown has Farmer Brown has R-O-V-E-R, and Rover is his name. Instead of "dog" cat hen cow cock horse - Ronny - R-O-N-N-Y Action songs: If youre happy 1. If youre happy and you know If youre happy and you know If youre happy and and you really want If youre happy and you know it, clap your hands. 2. If youre happy and you know 3. If youre happy and you know it, 4. If youre happy and you know 5. If youre happy and you know it, do it all: it, it, you to it, sing it, clap clap your your know show hands. hands. it it, got a dog and Rover is got a dog and Rover R-O-V-E-R, his is name, sir. his name. R-O-V-E-R,

and

"Rover" Pussy Polly Milly Sammy

in

the -

next

verses

stand: P-U-S-S-Y P-O-L-L-Y M-I-L-L-Y S-A-M-M-Y

stamp your feet... a song, tra-la-la... shout "HOORAY"...

clap your hands, stamp your feet, sing a song, shout "HOORAY"... Songs for special occasions: Black and gold 1. Black Black and and gold, black and gold, black and gold. gold. Its Its Halloween Halloween tonight. tonight.

Brooms and cats and pitch-black hats and Brooms and cats and pitch-black hats and a pitch-black night. 2. Black Yellow pumpkin, yellow moon, yellow candlelight. Spirituals: Kumbaya, my Lord Kumbaya, Kumbaya, Kumbaya, oh, Lord, kumbaya. my my my Lord, Lord, Lord, and

pitch-black

night.

gold...

kumbaya. kumbaya. kumbaya,

Drop-a-word songs: My hat it has three corners My hat it has three corners Code of the action while dropping out the 1 2 3 4 word: Three corners has my hat 1 = my (hand on chest) 3 4 1 2 2 = hat ( hand on hat) And had it not three corners 3 = three (show three fingers 5 3 4 4 = corners ( hand on elbow) It would not be my hat. 5 = negative verb (shake finger) 512 Role-play songs: There was a princess long ago 1. There was a Princess long ago, long ago, long ago There There was a Princess long ago, long long ago. 2. And she lived in a big high tower, a big high tower, a big high tower, And she lived in a big high tower, long long ago. 3. A wicked fairy waved her wand, waved her wand, waved her wand, A wicked fairy waved her wand, long long ago. 4. The Princess slept for a hundred years, a hundred years, a h. y., The Princess slept for a hundred years, long long ago. 5. A great big forest grew around, grew around, grew around, A great big forest grew around, long long ago. 6. A handsome Prince came riding by, riding by, riding by, A handsome Prince came riding by, long long ago. 7. He chopped the trees down one by one, one by one, one by one, He chopped the trees down one by one, long long ago. 8. He woke the Princess with a kiss, with a kiss, with a kiss,

He woke the Princess with a kiss, long long ago. 9. So everybodys happy now, happy now, happy now, So everybodys happy now, long long ago. Topic songs: Look outside Look outside, look outside, its Its sunny outside, its sunny outside, its sunny out today. According cloudy windy rainy foggy snowy stormy to the real weather can be sunny out today.

sung

instead

of

"sunny":

2. Examples for types of rhymes Finger play rhymes: Incy Wincy Spider Incy Wincy Spider climbed Down came the rain and Out came the sunshine and And Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again. up washed dried water the spider up all the a spout. out. rain.

While saying the rhyme the fingers play the spider, an arm is the water spout. The fingers show the rain. The sun is shown by a big arm wave. Counting rhymes: One two - I see you One, twoOne, two, three - you see me. Choosing Apples, peaches, Tell me when your birthday comes! I see you.

rhymes: Apples, pears

and

peaches plums,

While saying a game leader point at a child at each syllable. The last child tells its month of birth, e.g. "March" The next children say the month beginning from January. January, February, March. The last child is the chosen one. Action Jumping Jack, Clap your hands - clap, clap, clap. rhymes: Jumping jumping Jack Jack,

While saying this rhyme the children jump like a jumping Jack.

Jump rope rhymes: Bread and butter Bread How and many butter, boys/girls sugar think and Im spice, nice?

Now the jumping child or others count the jumps. One, two, three... Rhymes for special occasions: Hey-ho for Halloween Hey-ho for Halloween. All the Some black and some green. Hey-ho for Halloween. This rhyme can be spoken like a witch, a ghost, a cat etc. Clapping rhymes: A sailor went to sea, sea, sea A sailor went to To see what he could But all that he could Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea. sea, see, see, sea, see, see, sea, see, see, witches to be seen.

The children stand in pairs facing each other and clap in time to the rhythm of the words. Ball bouncing rhymes: Number one, touch your tongue Number one, Number two, Number three, Number four, Number five, Number six, Number seven, Number eight, Number nine, Number ten - do it again. touch touch touch touch learn pick go over touch your your your the to up to the your tongue. shoe. knee. floor. jive. sticks. heaven. gate spine.

While saying this rhyme the child bounce its ball and tries to do the described action. Topic rhymes: Take a snowball Take a snowball, push it, roll it, make it big and round. Look, your snowman but has no eyes, no nose at all. Two stones will Now, Mister Snowman, how are you? do put it on the ground,

is

big

and

tall

and

carrot,

too.

Now for ten other ideas on music for childrens classes:

1. Nursery Rhymes for younger children. These traditional songs are great fun to sing: children love them. They have strong, simple tunes and rhythms that children can enjoy and perform without difficulty. They generally have imaginative and highly memorable words, too. The meaning of some of these words will be mysterious to the children at first (Pop goes the Weasel; Hey Diddle Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle what on earth do these words really mean?), but no matter. The words will stimulate childrens imaginations, and they will gestate in the childrens minds, contributing in due course to a rich, imaginative vocabulary. Nursery Rhymes are also a passport to a new culture. They help children to empathise with the new language and the people who use the language. Here are some examples of nursery rhymes that work well in young childrens classes: Hey Diddle Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle Hickory Dickory Dock Jack and Jill went up the Hill Little Jack Horner Little Miss Muffet Yankee Doodle Little Bo Peep Old Mother Hubbard Old King Cole Sing a Song of Sixpence Mary had a Little Lamb Oh dear, What can the matter be? and so on. Fee Fie Fo Fum, I smell the Blood of an Englishman. Be he alive or be he dead, Ill grind his bones to make my bread. The ogres poem from Jack and the Beanstalk can be sung or chanted (with the children joining in) as we tell the story. Georgie Porgy, Pudding and Pie, Kissed the Girls and made them Cry. When the boys came out to play, Georgie Porgy ran away. This song tells us something of Englands less glorious history. Some experts take it to be a reference to the Prince Regent (later King George IV). Others say it refers to George Villiers, bisexual lover of King James I. It does not really matter: the song adds to the gaiety of lessons and it has a splendid tune. 2. Action Songs for younger children. Children mime the actions as they sing. This is the Way we Wash our Face / Brush our Teeth/ Brush our Hair / Clean our Shoes / etc Oranges and Lemons (leading to Here comes a candle to light you to bed, And here comes a chopper to chop off your head) children enjoy acting out these gruesome words Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses leading to We all fall down (thought to be a reference to the Black Death). One, two, Buckle my Shoe, Three Four, Open the Door Nineteen Twenty, My Plates Empty. This song is good for consolidating numbers, and can also be used to get reluctant children to finish up their vegetables. 3. Rounds for all ages. Londons Burning, Three Blind Mice. These rounds (or canons to use the technical term) are great fun to sing, and they also introduce children to the joy of ensemble singing 4. Music for Special Activities for all ages. Songs that imitate the action of rowing a boat, such as The Skye Boat Song What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor? and The Keel Row. The children can march to marching songs (but let them be real marches, not namby-pamby academic pastiche). Here are examples: Widdecombe Fair (not only a lively folk song, but also the regimental march of the Devonshire Regiment) and The British Grenadiers (the regimental march of the elite Grenadier Guards). Brave teachers might try The Campbells are Coming, played by the pipes and drums of a Scottish Highland Regiment. At a gentler level, Schuberts Marche Militaire also works well. 5. Folk Songs for all ages. Kodalys wonderful and influential singing method (which is mentioned in the appendix to the book) is based on folk songs. In the original version, Hungarian folk songs (mainly collected by Kodaly himself and his

friend the composer Bela Bartok) introduced Hungarian children not only to music but also to the foundations of their beleaguered culture. In later adaptations, French children are introduced to their culture through French songs, British children to their culture through their songs, and so on. When we use folk songs with foreign learners we are, in effect, reversing Kodalys mission: the songs now introduce students to the new culture instead of their own culture. Many songs in English have wonderful words and they have beautiful music too: Cockles and Mussels, Bobby Shaftoe, Dance to your Daddy, Sweet Polly Oliver, Waly Waly, The Sally Gardens, John Peel, Lillibulero;, Danny Boy, Waltzing Matilda, John Browns Body Loch Lomond and many others. 6. Camp Fire Songs for all ages. Ten Green Bottles, She was Coming Round the Mountain, Old MacDonald had a Farm all are great fun to sing, and they help to create a warm and happy class atmosphere. 7. Popular Songs of our own times for all ages. A colleague who plays the guitar recently had great success with How Much is that Doggy in the Window, the One with the Waggerly Tail. I vividly remember my 3-year-old daughter belting out We all live in a Yellow Submarine (sic). Care has to be taken in presenting such songs, however. The words on some pop song recordings are unclear (they tend to be sung by people with little or no training in voice production or clear diction). Some pop songs also lack the strong tunes and lively rhythms that appeal to children. International songs in English can be used. A class of 11- and 12-year olds in a local school recently sang Eurovision songs at a school show to great applause from all accounts. Such songs widen childrens cultural horizons, and support the idea that English is an international language today a passport into many cultures as well as the cultures of native speakers. One additional advantage of modern songs is that they frequently become signature tunes, helping to give the class an identity and a soul (as Waltzing Matilda expresses the soul of Australians, or Nessun Dorma the soul of football or Chopins A flat Polonaise the gallant soul of Poland). 8. Music for Special Occasions all ages. Happy Birthday to You of course and schools with a Christian tradition have a rich source of beautiful music and words in Christmas carols and Nativity Plays and music for the liturgy. 9. Music to stimulate childrens own story-telling and dancing all ages. I draw here mainly on experience with my own children. Tchaikovskys Nutcracker Suite contains short and strongly characterised pieces that are ideal for stimulating childrens imaginations especially The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, The Arab Dance and The Chinese Dance. Rimsky-Korsakovs Scheherazade contains brilliant short episodes that work well with children. Prokofievs Romeo and Juliet Ballet Suite had special appeal for my younger daughter (her name is Juliet). Boys respond to bright trumpet music: how well I remember the thrill of listening to Jeremiah Clarks Trumpet Voluntary, Haydns Trumpet Concerto and The Trumpet shall Sound from Handels Messiah. And let children be introduced to the brilliant music of Mozart, as well: how superbly the Overture to The Marriage of Figaro raises the curtain on the excitements to come. But let teachers choose their own music too music they love and music the children will love, too 10. Stories with a Musical Background mainly for older children. The classic is Prokofievs Peter and the Wolf with its strong story and vivid music for Peter, his grandfather, the wolf, the hunters and their guns, the bird, the cat and the duck. There is a superb recording conducted by Claudio Abbado in which the triumphal

march that ends the work is brought to majestic life. Children can mime the story as they listen bright and breezy Peter, gruff Grandpa, the wicked wolf catching the duck, the wily bird, clever Peter outwitting the wolf, and the great march at the end Other suitable stories with musical background available on CD are a touching version of Sleeping Beauty told to Tchaikovskys ballet music, and Poulencs Babar the Elephant, translated into English. Brittens Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra is another piece that appeals to older children. Ambitious and expert teachers might like to put on shows in which the children perform pieces written specially for them, such as Brittens musical play: Noyes Fludde.