Teaching

We know that this can be a very busy time of year with all the preparations for the holidays and end of year. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of Christmas and wintertime blog posts. Find lots of great tips for using Super Simple Songs in the classroom, at home (maybe while... Read more »

The Skeleton Dance This song is based on a traditional spiritual hymn from the American South. “Dem Bones” (or “Dry Bones” as it is also called) was written to teach children about basic anatomy. Over the years, it’s been recorded by numerous artists, including the Delta Rhythm Boys, Fats Waller and Rosemary Clooney, all well... Read more »

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays here at Super Simple! We think Halloween is such a great time for learning, that we have created tons and tons of resources for you to use in the classroom or at home. See our Halloween Page for songs, worksheets, flashcards, and more. Below is a roundup of... Read more »

“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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

No matter how old your students are, from very young to elementary age, counting and numbers are always a topic worth reviewing.  You can easily add a quick counting activity as part of any lesson. Use a song (“Count & Move” is the perfect active song to review numbers and get some wiggles out!), or... Read more »

Ah…winter. As the seasons change, it’s a great time to discuss the weather. In some places, like here in Tokyo for example, the weather during the winter can vary dramatically from week to week and even day to day. When your students come to class, asking them “How’s the weather?” will help them become familiar... Read more »

Prepositions of place can be a little hard to conceptualize with just words. In, on, under, next to, in front of and behind can be confusing. Using props and demonstrating location through gestures and manipulatives can help young learners understand this concept. But kids really grasp the idea when they are looking for something…or someone.... Read more »

As teachers, we are always looking for ways to engage with our students. When teaching children in groups, it’s often difficult to find ways to interact with students individually using natural dialog. One tool that we’ve found particularly helpful is a student “passport”. Students of all ages, from the very young to our older kids,... Read more »

We always try to stress the playfulness of Halloween. It’s a time for dressing up, playing games, singing songs, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, etc. However, even if you don’t have a haunted house or spooky music at your Halloween party, it can still be a scary time for many young children. People are wearing masks, some... Read more »

One of the first skills we work on with our students is counting, and one of the first phrases we teach is “How many?” We don’t drill or force the students, just constantly practice counting as part of our lessons. Learning the numbers is a fun and easy way for students to build confidence and... Read more »

One of the most exciting things about Halloween is the chance to have fun thinking about, choosing, preparing, and wearing a costume. It’s so much fun to see what everyone wears! As you can see from the video below, some costumes are more popular than others :-). We see a lot of boys dressed as pirates,... Read more »

Halloween takes place in the fall, when the leaves are changing colors and many foods are harvested. The holiday is most associated with treats and candy, but Halloween is a great opportunity to talk about other foods as well. If you learned about food earlier in the year, it’s a perfect time to review words... Read more »

Not only are jack-o’-lanterns perfect for practicing emotions, they are also great for introducing young learners to parts of the face. This Is The Way We Carve A Pumpkin This Is The Way We Carve A Pumpkin, turns a regular ol’ pumpkin into a happy jack-o’-lantern.

Doing The Skeleton Dance The Skeleton Dance is a fun and danceable way to work on learning parts of the body. No “teaching” necessary. Just put the song on and go! It’s a great addition to Head Shoulders Knees And Toes, because it adds even more body parts like foot, leg, hip, and neck. You’ll... Read more »

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays here at Super Simple. It’s an excellent opportunity to take the natural enthusiasm that kids feel at this time of year and channel it into some engaging and memorable English learning. Even if you don’t traditionally celebrate Halloween in your country, you can still use it to introduce... Read more »

Halloween parties and celebrations are becoming more common around the world, but not everyone is familiar with the Halloween traditions that are practiced in the U.S. and Canada. So, we thought we’d answer a few Halloween Frequently Asked Questions.