Teaching children through songs opens up a whole new set of resources for motivating children or teaching specific points or themes.
Why choose to teach through song?
Songs tend to have rhythm and are usually quite repetitive. Children easily seem to learn songs and enjoy them. They seem to enjoy singing more than talking which is great because songs reinforce language in a natural way. Singing songs in a class environment can build confidence in the shyest of children. Usually quiet and shy children become part of the group which will lead to them being proud of their achievements.
Here’s our top tips for using songs in class.
- Use songs for basic grammar by integrating them into your lesson.
- Teach vocabulary in a particular way through repeated verse.
- Use songs to help with listening and memory.
- Choose associated songs that tell a story.
- Use flashcards with a particular song like ‘Old MacDonald’.
- Print off song lyrics with gaps for the children to fill in the missing words.
- Jumble up some lyrics, and get them in pairs to figure them out.
There really is no limits to how songs can be used in class. The children love them, it gets your teaching point across in a natural way and the children will look forward to their lessons more. Happy children makes a happy teacher.