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 »
The Months Chant
What better way to kick off the New Year than with a brand new video? It’s a super simple chant to help kids learn the months of the year. Perfect for back to school after the holiday break or anytime that you want to practice or review the months. The months can be a little… Read more »
Christmas Topics – Action Verbs
One of the great things about teaching with songs is that they can be listened to over and over again. Kids love the repetition of hearing a favorite tune and each time, it seems, they learn a little more. Repetition provides a great opportunity to focus on different aspects of a song to teach new… Read more »
Guest Post – Super Simple “Hacks”
This post was contributed by Bob Pensak, owner of “Bob’s English” in Okazaki, Japan and author of the blog “Bob’s Frog.” I have been singing, gesturing, and performing Super Simple Songs ever since I discovered them three years ago. Since then, I have collected small ways to make the songs even more enjoyable and funny…. Read more »
Music and Movement – Using Gestures
One way to really enhance language development in the classroom or at home is through the use of music and gestures together. There are a number of studies that indicate that both music and gestures on their own greatly assist learning (see “Songs as an aid for language acquisition“, “Gesturing makes learning last“, and “Music… Read more »
Christmas Topics – Toys
We know that this time of year isn’t just about giving and receiving presents, but the holidays do provide a great opportunity to talk about gifts and toys. Many children get quite excited at the idea of Santa coming for his annual visit and want to discuss the possibilities. “What do you want for Christmas?”… Read more »
