The Hokey Pokey!

Here's a fun song that we did in class as part of our theme on the Face and Body.

Now you can sing along at home, too.!

Australia Project: Australian Aboriginal music

This song was such a big hit that I've been hearing it sung around the school all week.  Taba Naba is a traditional children's song from the Torres Strait Islands of the North coast of Australia. 

Here are the words and translation:

Taba naba naba norem
Tugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere re naba we
Taba naba norem (style)
(repeated 3 times)

Translation:
Come on let's go to the Reef
Get into the dinghy when the morning tide is low
Let us row to the edge of the reef
Come on let's go to the reef.

Most of you have probably seen the video performed by XuXa.  While she got the words right, unfortunately the costumes and music are from Hawaii NOT the Torres Strait.  Here is an Australian version:

I Like Bananas

This song originally came from the Robby Rabbit EFL textbook by Carol Read.  I use the words and melody to play a game which is similar to Duck, Duck, Goose.  Everyone loves this game and the song is extremely catchy.  Here is how we play…

The children sit on the floor in a circle.  One child is chosen to go around the outside of the circle tapping each child’s head in turn while the group sing…

I like bananas,

I like apples,

I like sandwiches,

I like biscuits, too.

At the end of the song, the standing child must ask the child sitting before him/her a question “Do you like (apples)?”.  The sitting child must answer the question before jumping up to chase the other. The objective is to get around the circle and sitting down without being caught.

Singing a Rainbow

Videos of Kellen and Fabíola's class singing the song of the week - I Can Sing A Rainbow.

I Can Sing A Rainbow

This is the song we are singing this week.  The children have picked it up really quickly and sing it so beautifully.  I'll get a video up here soon!

Feathers, Fur or Fins

This is the song we listened to in class as part of our PETS theme.  We watched the video and then had to try to remember and name as many animals as possible.  We then watched again to check.

It's a beautiful song so why don't you listen and sing along!

LYRICS

Feathers, fur or fins,

Shell or scale or skin.

If it runs on legs or flies on wings,

If it walks or crawls or slithers or swims.

It's got it's place in the scheme of things.
Feathers, fur or fins,
Shell or scale or skin.

Where Is Baby?

This song has been adapted from the traditional children's song Where Is Thumbkin and sung to the tune of Frère Jacques.  I adapted the words to our theme this week - Families.

Here are the lyrics so that you can sing along with your child at home.

Where Is Baby?

(Tune of Frère Jacques)

(Start with hands behind back)
Where is baby?
Where is baby?
Here I am
(Bring right hand to front, with pinky finger up)
Here I am.
(Bring left hand to front, with pinky up)
How are you today?
Very well, I thank you.
(Wiggle fingers as if they're 'talking' to each other)
Run away
(Hide right hand behind back)
Run away
(Hide left hand behind back)

REPEAT WITH THE OTHER FINGERS

I'm Happy All Day Long

Here are Fabíola's class singing our song of the week - I'm Happy All Day Long.  We sand this song to learn vocabulary and structures for talking about our feelings.  This week we have learned sad, scared, sleepy, angry and happy.

Here are the lyrics for those of you who would like to sing along at home!

I'm happy, I'm happy
I'm happy all day long.
I'm happy, I'm happy
I'm happy all day long.

Ha ha ha
Hee hee hee
I'm happy all day long.

(Repeat with other emotions)

Old Mac Donald

Here is a video of the song we sang this week as part of our animals theme!  Watch and sing along with your child.

Sandy Beach

Here are the kids from Fabiola's class singing Sandy Beach by The Wiggles.  Follow this link to watch the music video, read the words and learn about how this song is helping us with pronunciation.

Using songs to teach pronunciation

We have been sing this song as part of our unit on My Town.  Not only does the song fit in with our theme, it also practises an important sound that many Brazilian speakers have trouble with.  

The  t sound at the end of a word is often pronounced as a ch.  This song contrasts both sounds - the lyrics are: Beach, beach, sandy beach, Feel the sand, on your feet.  In fact, in some of the videos I have made of the classes, you can clearly hear this problem.  Everytime we sing the song, it is an opportunity to reinforce the difference between difficult sounds.  That is why songs are such a useful tool for teaching pronunciation. 

The original song is by an Australian group called The Wiggles. 
Here is a video you can watch with your child and sing along.

Lyrics:

Beach, beach, sandy beach,
Feel the sand, on your feet.
Beach, beach, sandy beach,
Feel the sand on your feet.

Snap, snap, snap, sanp,
Goes the crab.
Swish, swish,
Goes the fish.

Snap, snap, snap, sanp,
Goes the crab.
Blub, blub, blub,
Goes the jellyfish!

Beach, beach, sandy beach,
Feel the sand, on your feet.
Feel the sand on your feet.

We love the beach!

As part of our unit on My Town we have been singing a song about the beach and some of the creatures you can find there.  You can sing along with the children in Lillian's class.

You can watch the original (from The Wiggles) here:   Sandy Beach

Isadora's class sing!

Here is a round-up of the new language we practised this week...

Greetings
Extending the "Good Afternoon" to include the question "How are you?" and response "I'm fine, and you?"

Places in our town
cinema, park, beach, bridge, convent, shopping center, port, airport
You could support your child's learning this weekend by finding opportunities to visit some of these places and name them in English.

Revision
Let's not forget to always revise - eyes, nose, mouth, ears, eyebrows

Here are the children singing our new song.  It's hard to believe this is only the 3rd time they've sung it.  If you'd like to watch the original music video for this song (by Australian group, The Wiggles) you can find it at this link: Sandy Beach.  There you will also find information about how this song is used to teach pronunciation.

The Wavy Sea Song

This is a soothing, quiet time song which we sang (we did the first verse only) before reading our story of the week.  It also practises vocabulary we were focusing on in lessons this week: the sea, a boat, fish.  Ask your child to teach you the actions which go with it.

Lyrics:

Here is the sea,

The wavy sea,

Here is a boat,

And here is me!

And all the fishes,

Way down below,

Wriggle their tails,

And away they go.

The Hokey Pokey

Our song this week is the Hokey Pokey.  In our version we don't sing "right arm" or "left arm".  Instead, we have been singing it with the vocbaulary we have learned this week: eyes, nose, mouth, ears, arms, legs, tummy and bottom.