The Olympic Games are a time when the world comes together and bonds around a common event. It’s not just about the sports, although, of course they are the centerpiece. They are also a celebration of culture, commitment, accomplishment, and achievement. “The Olympics” is also a great theme for teaching young learners. Children see the… Read more »
Lights, Camera, Action
This post was contributed by Bob Pensak, owner of “Bob’s English” in Okazaki, Japan and author of the blog “Bob’s Frog.” Lights, Camera, Action! You are the “director” of your classroom. Students enter the classroom. Welcoming music is playing in the background. The students are relaxed and looking forward the day’s lesson. Your transition songs,… Read more »
Elimination games with young learners
Many of us remember playing elimination games like Musical Chairs and Simon Says when we were young. These are games where you start with a group, and each round, one or more players is “out” and eliminated from the game. As you get closer and closer to the end of the game, the tension builds,… Read more »
Little Snowflake Activities
When we made Super Simple Songs – Christmas, we were sure to include several songs that you can use even after Christmas is over, so that you wouldn’t have to put your CD away once Christmas has passed. Little Snowflake is one of those songs. It’s a very gentle and sweet song that you can… Read more »
Introducing subtraction with Ten In The Bed
In addition to teaching rhythm, vocabulary, grammar, listening skills, verbal skills, and more, songs are fantastic for introducing concepts in a way that makes it very easy for young learners to internalize. As adults, we need to remind ourselves that things we take for granted as being really simple and basic are often brand new… Read more »
Valentine’s Day Topics – Cloze Exercises
Music is such a wonderful teaching tool because there are so many activities that you can do with it. Besides singing and gesturing along to the music, you can use activity sheets, flashcards and games to extend the impact of your songs. One activity that we find particularly useful are cloze exercises, or fill-in-the-blank worksheets…. Read more »
What does “Skidamarink” mean?
“Does Skidamarink mean anything?” Actually, Skidamarink does not mean anything. It’s just a silly, made-up word. The song is originally from an early 20th century Broadway musical, and over the years has been sung as Skinnamarink, Skinnymarink, Skiddymerink, and more. It’s a great song for Parent/Child classes. The parent and child can face each other… Read more »
Weather Topics – The Four Seasons
When talking about the seasons, it can help to have side by side illustrations so that kids can follow along throughout the course of a year. What marks the changes of the seasons? How are the seasons where you live?
Learn the Months
Learning the months needs lots of repetition, so be sure to practice them often. In addition to watching The Months Chant video, here are some activity ideas for the home or classroom. Jump the Months Type and print a flashcard for each month. Include a picture that represents something that happens during that month, for… Read more »
Our Five Favorite Fingerplay Songs
Fingerplay songs are great for the classroom or at home. In fact, they are great for anytime and anywhere, because the only ‘equipment’ you need is your hands. Kids love to see their hands transformed as they perform the actions. Fingerplay activities engage the creative mind and help with fine motor skill development. And, it’s… Read more »
