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Children's Activities
The song is one of the best ways to introduce children in the musical world, due to the fact that throughout it we can work and encourage rhythm and intonation. Teachers use musical elements such as songs, rhythm and melodies in their lessons due to several reasons. One of them could be the effective level since music creates a good environment in the class and increases students ́motivation when learning a foreign language. Generally speaking, children love music, singing and imitation. Moreover, the use of music in English lessons helps students to concentrate and connect with themselves, decreases linguistic anxiety and stimulates creative processes. Music can also remove distractions from outside and it can provoke a relaxed, productive and motivated atmosphere in the foreign language classroom. Songs can be a huge stimuli throughout the literacy period since its simple, repetitive and memorable structures, accompanied by gestures can foster students ́ pronunciation, decodification and words comprehension. The use of songs benefits reading because it develops pupils ́auditory perception, metacognitive knowledge and phonological memory.
The fact of learning to decode words and know its meaning and pronunciation through audiovisual and multisensorial songs is a good methodology of learning, which is quite engaging, funny and effective. The song is the combination of language and music, so it facilitates the development of the auditory capacity and the words articulation with their correct intonation and expression, essential processes to develop the reading capacity.
Although there are a lot of types of musical activities to stimulate reading in kindergarten and primary education, teachers should pay attention to activities where rhythm, melodies, harmony and tone should be taken into account.
Teachers should incorporate activities where students have to sing and improvise different rhythms with different time, or activities where they have to identify different musical instruments. Besides, the songs have to be related to real and familiar topics. Now, we are going to detail possible musical activities, mainly songs, melodies and rhymes with audiovisual format (video clips with subtitles) to improve initial reading skills in English as a foreign language. These songs can be accompanied by audiobooks, posters or flashcards.
A. Identify the initial and final sounds in words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fftpep-09ZI
Listen to the song and do the gesture depending on the final sound you hear:
If you hear the /t/ sound at the end of the word raise your arm.
If you hear the /g/ sound at the end of the word sway your hip.
if you hear the /p/ sound at the end of the word tap your knees
if you hear the /d/ sound at the end of the word twist your body
if you hear the /s/ sound at the end of the word do the Dab
Give the students a list of words, and they have to write the correct missing sound as they hear them. ( you can use the same words of the previous song)
ca__
ba__
we__
si__
pu__
ho__
ru__
do__
fro__
pi__
ta__
le__
to__
cu__
si__
ca__
slee_
sto__
gla__
sa__
be__
li__
od_ _
mu__
dog__
car__
day__
bird__drum__
cow__
B. Word formation
Give flashcards with the alphabet letters to the students to form words that appear in the song. Then, the students draw the picture of the word formation previously created.
For example:
To practice digraphs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK8_Tvu6bJk
C. Identify and draw words that rhyme
Students have to identify two words that rhyme of a group of three and draw a picture of these two. Another option is to find words they do not rhyme.
cow/ can/ man/ fan/ ran
dog/ frog/pig/log/hog
bat/ hat/ cat/ ball
jelly/ smelly/ belly/ sail
boat/ coat/ road
mouse/ house/ loud
car/ star/ bark
rug/hug/hut
cool/ school/ fool/ foot
This song helps to identify the words that don't rhyme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSPmGPIyykU
D. The following songs work with the syllables of the words
Listen to the song and clap the hands as they hear the words. Afterwards, give some words divided into syllables and they have to choose the correct one.
Song about the weather / jobs / instruments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGEIZoBlkYE
Song to clap 1 syllable word:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psUPYR235O8
Syllables of the days of the week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EdpL06MIfE
Syllables of the months of the year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSl-SbVz2oA
E. Give some words divided into syllables and they have to match syllables to create new words
4. Songs to improve the development of fluency and reading comprehension
4.1. Write the lyrics of the song as if it were a poem
First, students listen to the song without reading it. Then, students point to the words as they hear them. Finally, students read the lyrics on their own and match the stanza with the appropriate picture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4WNrvVjiTw
If you’re happy happy happy, clap your hands.
If you’re happy happy happy, clap your hands.
If you’re happy happy happy, clap your hands, clap your hands.
If you’re happy happy happy, clap your hands.
If you’re angry angry angry, stomp your feet.
If you’re angry angry angry, stomp your feet.
If you’re angry angry angry, stomp your feet, stomp your feet.
If you’re angry angry angry, stomp your feet.
If you’re scared scared scared, say, “Oh no!”
If you’re scared scared scared, say, “Oh no!”
If you’re scared scared scared, say, “Oh no!” Say, “Oh no!”
If you’re scared scared scared, say, “Oh no!”
If you’re sleepy sleepy sleepy, take a nap.
If you’re sleepy sleepy sleepy, take a nap.
If you’re sleepy sleepy sleepy, take a nap, take a nap.
If you’re sleepy sleepy sleepy, take a nap.
If you’re happy happy happy, clap your hands.
If you’re happy happy happy, clap your hands.
If you’re happy happy happy, clap your hands, clap your hands.
If you’re happy happy happy, clap your hands.
4.2. Draw pictures about the songs or rhymes
Each student has a piece of paper where they have written either a part of a lyric, a piece of storytelling or a rhyme previously heard. The purpose of the activity is to draw what is written on the piece of paper they have.
- Individual reading aloud while listening to a song. Each student has the lyrics of the song and they have to read it out loud while listening to the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBl_8qy6UvQ ( school rap)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5jHECX6uyU (spelling of colours rap) - A variation of the previous exercise is to give a piece of paper with one line of the lyrics to each student. They have to move and place themselves in the correct order they hear it. At the end of the song, each student reads their text and it has to coincide with the lyrics of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6DSMZ8b3LE ( learning continents and their size)
5. We can sing the song while the students are moving, pointing to objects, clapping their hands or miming them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPMjnlTEZwU (walking walking)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuqvGiZi0qg (parts of the body)
6. Roleplay with the songs
Students have to dramatise a song. The script they have will be the song lyrics. Students will have to perform the role play paying special attention to the intonation, pronunciation, speed, etc.
7. Dramatization in pairs or small groups
They can perform a similar situation to the song. This activity can be followed by a reading or writing activity.
8. The use of storytelling in the lesson
https://www.youtube.com/user/kidshut
