Lga 3102

TSL3102 SONGS AND POETRY
TOPIC 1 OVERVIEW
1.0 SYNOPSIS
Topic 1 will look at literature in the Malaysian primary ESL classroom,
the rationale on the use of songs and poetry with young learners in the
primary classroom.
1.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic 1, you will be able to
distinguish the difference between poetry and songs
identify the roles and purposes of using songs and poetry in the
primary ESL classroom
1.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1
"#er#iew
Literature in the
Malaysian $rimary
ESL classroom
$urposes of using
songs and poetry
in the Malaysian
primary school
%ntra and
inter
personal
de#elopment
Linguistic
de#elopment &esthetic
de#elopment
'ultural
'onsiderations
'"(TE(T
SESSION ONE (6 HOURS)
1.2.1 OVERVIEW
Lets try and do some e)ercises. 'an you try and answer these *uestions.

So how about it+ 'an you answer the *uestions. Take a look at the responses
gi#en below. %s it the same as the answers gi#en by you.
1.2.1.1 Literature in te Ma!a"#ian $ri%ar" ESL &!a##r''%.
$rimary school children were already e)posed to literary te)ts e#en before the
official launch of the ,'hildren-s 'ontemporary Literature. component for /ears 0
till 1. They were already familiar with nursery rhymes, stories and so on. The then
2
1. 2hat is literature+
3. 2hy do we read it+
1. Literature is a term that is used to describe the collection of
written or spoken materials through different periods and
cultures.
3. 2e read it because we want to know about knowledge of
the world, of other cultures, for entertainment purposes and to
get an insight of the human beings and the society because
works of literature con#ey emotions and e)periences of
human beings. 4"ak, 35567
Lets read
'urriculum 8e#elopment 'entre 8irector &li &b 9hani said that the $rimary
Literature $ro:ect was introduced in the school curriculum to strengthen pupils-
proficiency in English 4The Star, May 25, 2008).
The ob:ecti#es for introducing the ,'hildren-s 'ontemporary Literature- are as
follows
to instil and inculcate the reading habit among pupils.
to enrich pupils- #ocabulary and language content.
to enhance pupils- thinking skills.
to promote cultural understanding in the Malaysian conte)t
to impro#e English language proficiency of pupils.
To pro#ide li#ely, en:oyable and high!interest readings.
4$usat $erkembangan ;urikulum, 35517
&part from stories, the students were also introduced to songs and poetry.
WHY???
Song and $oetry
So how did you do+ 8id you manage to answer all+ Let-s check. <ead the
reasons listed below.
Music is highly memorable and moti#ating.
3
$ut your thinking cap
on

WHEN??
2hy do we use songs and poetry with young learners
in the primary ESL classroom+
Songs,rhymes and chants are ideal tools to be used in the language
classroom.
To introduce, reinforce and recycle structures and #ocabulary.
To de#elop all skills in an integrated way.
To help impro#e all aspects of pronunciationstress,rhythm and intonation
of the target language.
To present new language in a new rich and imaginati#e conte)t.
To encourage physical in#ol#ement.
To contribute to the learning of the cultural component of the language.
To contribute to the de#elopment of a positi#e attitude towards the
language learning.
To help to de#elop a positi#e relation between teachers and students
They promote the practice of pronunciation, intonation and stress.
They are a nice way to introduce, practice, and re#iew #ocabulary.
They are useful to practice writing.
They enrich the knowledge of cultural features.
They are a way of de#eloping of language skills
4http==www.slideshare.net=ddeubel=using!songs!in!the!efl!classroom)

>or eg, they can be used
as a warm up
as a transition
to introduce new language structures
to practice or re#ise language
to integrate with storytelling
4
2hen do we use songs and poetry with young learners in the
primary ESL classroom+
1.2.1.2 S'n(# an) $'etr" in te Ma!a"#ian $ri%ar" #&''! &urri&u!u%
Songs and poetry are part of our daily life. &lmost e#eryone en:oys songs and
poetry. Language teachers use songs and poetry to open or close their lessons,
to illustrate themes and topics. They also use songs and poetry to add #ariety or
a change of pace, present new #ocabulary or recycle known language in their
classrooms. But how do songs or poetry actually benefit or gi#e purpose to our
students+
1.2.2 Pur$'#e# '* u#in( #'n(# an) $'etr" in te Ma!a"#ian $ri%ar"
#&''!
Pur$'#e#+
for personal de#elopment
! intra and inter personal de#elopment
for linguistic de#elopment
5
Let-s read
Let-s think about this again. 'an you list
down the purposes of using songs and
poetry in the Malaysian primary school+
'heck your answers. &re they the same as the
answers that you-#e gi#en+
for aesthetic de#elopment
'ultural considerations
Before we go any further. Lets try and answer some more *uestions. 'an you try
and answer these *uestions.

1.2.2.1 Intra an) inter $er#'na! )e,e!'$%ent
%ntrapersonal de#elopment is the growth within yourself that is ha#ing an
understanding of yourself, of knowing who you are and what you can do. %n other
words, all these takes place within ourself. Students- intra personal de#elopment
can be enhanced by using songs and poetry that would inspire the students to
de#elop and belie#e in their abilities. Some e)amples of inspirational poetry and
songs are listed below.
P'etr" S'n(#
1. %t couldn-t Be 8one ? Edgar &
9uest.
3. %f ! <udyard ;ipling
1. @ero !Mariah 'arey
3. 2alk a Mile in my shoes ? Aoe
South
6
@ow do songs and poetry help
to de#elop the students intra and inter personal +
to de#elop students linguistic=language learning
potential+
to de#elop students aesthetic #alues+
to de#elop students- cultural considerations+
Take a look at the e)planation below. %t will help to clarify
some things for you. %f you need further clarification,
discuss with your lecturer.
%ntrapersonal de#elopment
B. $retty 9ood ! 'harles "sgood
0. "n Being a 'hampion ! Matthew
Stepanek
B. The 'limb ? Miley 'yrus
0. This is Me ! 8emi Lo#ato

%nterpersonal de#elopment is whereby students must learn to work with
others by building a positi#e social relationship and learning how to work as a
team. %t is also the de#elopment of students ability to understand other people.
%nterpersonal de#elopment can be inculcate in the students with the use of songs
and poetry. >or e)ample, the song entitled C The family song. or ,The friendship
song. or the poetry, entitled C&tions - by Shel Silverstein. @ere the teacher can
get the students to act out or role play as they sing the song. 2hen the students
are working in a group , they learn how to communicate, respect as well as to
help each other. They also learn how to socialise and negotiate with their friends.
7
9o to this website for more wonderful inspirational poetry.
http==www.teensselfhelp.com=9reat$oems.html
>ind B songs and poetry that could help to enhance
students intrapersonal de#elopment
%nterpersonal de#elopment
>ind 3 songs and poetry that could help to enhance
students interpersonal skills de#elopment.
Suggest some acti#ities that could be conducted to de#elop
students interpersonal skills.
8iscuss the acti#ities with your lecturers.
1.2.2.2 Lan(ua(e Learnin( P'tentia!#
Songs and poetry
helps children impro#e their listening and sound discrimination skills
will aid not only in learning to read but also becoming better students and
better people in the future
as an acti#ity to enrich your studentsD English #ocabulary, to impro#e their
grammar and accents. This is because songs and poetry ha#e lots of
#ocabulary therefore the students can enhance their #ocabulary by
learning new words in a fun way. They also learn how to pronounce words
with the appropriate stress and intonation.
as a classroom acti#ity use for learning structures. This is because the
structures are sometimes repetiti#e. This is good as the students will be
practising the particular structure again and again. This is useful as they
pro#ide reinforcement of the linguistic functions.
promote listening and speaking e)ercises practices through different
tasks.
pro#ides a fun and interesting way to learn the language structure and
grammar.
pro#ides a nice way to introduce, practice, and re#iew #ocabulary.
are useful to practice writing and reading skills.
8
1. 'an you think of 3 other reasons on how songs and
poetry can help to de#elop students language learning
potentials.
3. Think also of an acti#ity that you can do with your
students to promote language learning.
8iscuss with your lecturer.
1.2.2.- .e,e!'$in( #tu)ent# ae#teti& ,a!ue#
&esthetics 4also spelled esthetics7 ! means the study of the emotions and the
mind in relation to their sense of beauty in literature and other fine arts, but
separately from moral, social, political, practical, or economic considerations.
This area of study is concerned with the appreciation and criticism of what is
considered beautiful or ugly. %t is sometimes referred to as ,art for art-s sake..
1.2.2./ .e,e!'$in( #tu)ent#0 &u!tura! &'n#i)erati'n#
9
Some e)ample of acti#ities that can help students towards
de#eloping their aesthetic skills pottery, crafts, embroidery,
painting, origami, soft!toys E puppet making so on
1. 'an you think of 3 acti#ities on how songs and poetry
can help to de#elop students- aesthetic #alues.
1.2hy do you think there is a need to de#elop students-
cultural considerations+
3. @ow do songs and poetry help to de#elop students-
cultural considerations+
TOPIC 2 SONGS AN. POETRY FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
2.0 SYNOPSIS
Topic 3 will look at the different genres=types of songs and poetry and their
#alues in the primary ESL classroom.
identify the different genres=types of songs and poetry and their
characteristics.
2.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS
10
Songs and $oetry for /oung Learners
9enres=Types of
$oetry
9enres=Types of
Songs
@ailku Limericks (ursery
<hyme
Epic (arrati#e 8ramatic
>olk
songs
AaFF
Lullabies
Ballads
< E B
Blues
$op
S'%etin( t' tin1 a2'ut.
%n e#ery society, songs and poems play an important role. They
show many aspects and important elements of culture in each
society. >or eg the relationship to the past and the ancestors as
well as the faith, the fun, the an)ieties of its people, the hopes and
the #iew of the future
Through songs and poetry children-s curiosity about e#erything new
will be satisfied. They are able to learn or get to know parts of a
foreign culture.
,Being familiar with songs and rhymes in a foreign language, pupils
feel closer to the foreign culture and its language. So they see them
as enrichment for their own life. 4http==www.grin.com=en=e!
book=1511G5=songs!and!rhymes!in!teaching!english!at!primary!
schools7
,%f the pupils hear the same melodies or similar rhymes they are
astonished at the parallels between their own culture and the
foreign one ? so, the foreign cultures arenHt alarming and frightening
but interesting and worth being disco#ered.
4http==www.grin.com=en=e!book=1511G5=songs!and!rhymes!in!
teaching!english!at!primary!schools
11
Look at the above ra!e"ork#
Na!e 3 !ore t$%es o %oetr$ a&d so&'s# Have $o( do&e that ?
)o to th*s "ebs*te +
1# htt%+,,"""#%oe!o-(otes#.o!,art*./es,%oetr$0or!s#%h%
2# htt%+,,"""#%oet*.ter!*&o/o'$#&et,
3# htt%+,,"""#b(11/e#.o!,art*./es,t$%es2o2so&'s#ht!/
4# http==musicgenreslist.com=
3*d $o( !a&a'e to &a!e the! .orre.t/$?
9o to this website for e)tra reading
htt%+,,"""#ree%ate&tso&/*&e#.o!,art*./e,4(/t*.(/t(ra/2ed(.at*o&
http==www.grin.com=en=e!book=1511G5=songs!and!rhymes!in!teaching!
english!at!primary!schools
nnnnnEducation=1I55B553I.htmlEducation=1I55B553I.html

2.2.1 3 Genre# '* P'etr"
Re&a$
12
Lets th*&k or a "h*/e#
Wh$ do $o( th*&k tea.hers /*ke to (se so&'s a&d %oetr$ *& the*r
tea.h*&'? 5a& $o( '*ve so!e reaso&s or (s*&' so&'s a&d %oetr$ *&
$o(r tea.h*&'?
Have a short d*s.(ss*o& "*th $o(r .o//ea'(es *& s.hoo/# 6re the reaso&s
the$ '*ve the sa!e as $o(rs?
Genera! Intr')u&ti'n t' P'etr"
$oetry. 2hat e)actly is poetry+ The term poetry comes from an ancient
9reek word, which means % create. %n other words poetry is an art form
in which language is used for Cits aesthetic *ualities- as well as for its
imaginary and semantic content 4http==www.poetry.org=whatis.htm7.
,$oetry is a creati#e use of words which, like all art, is intended to stir
an emotion in the audience. $oetry generally has some structure that
separates it from prose.
4http==www. teachers.sheboygan.k13.wi.us=elee=documents= P'etr" $ack
etJ551.pdfK
Ha*k(
@aiku is a form of Aapanese poetry,
usually about nature. The first line has
fi#e syllabus, the second line has se#en
syllabus, and the third line has fi#e.
Look at the e)ample below
Ocean waves roll in, (5)
Foa a!ainst the san"y shore, (#)
Then sli"e bac$ to sea (5)

13
L*!er*.ks
Limerick is a fi#e line poem with a rhyme scheme
of a!a!b!b!a. Limerick always has a humorous
tone.
A C!u%#" Y'un( Fe!!'4 Na%e) Ti%
There once was a fellow named Tim 4a7
whose dad ne#er taught him to swim. 4a7
@e fell off a dock 4b7
and sunk like a rock. (b)
And that was the end of him. (a)
(ursery <hyme
& nursery rhyme is a short rhyming story, often set
to music and usually designed for young children.
Typically, a nursery rhyme has simple #ocabulary
and a catchy rhyme. 'hildren can *uickly learn to
sing along with a nursery rhyme, and nursery
rhymes are often used to help young children build
their #ocabulary.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
@a#e you any wool+
/es sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
"ne for my master,
"ne for my dame,
&nd one for the little boy
2ho li#es down the lane.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
@a#e you any wool+
/es sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
"ne for my master,
"ne for my dame,
2ho li#es down the lane.
14
Epic
Epic $oems are long, serious poems that tells the
story of a heroic figure or the actions of gods and
goddess. Some of the most famous epic poems
are the %liad and the "dyssey by @omer and the
epic poem of The Song of @iawatha by @enry
2adsworth Longfellow 41I5L ! 1II37.
9o to this website to ha#e a look at the epic poem.
lliad http==www.poemhunter.com=homer=
"dyssey
http==www.onlineliterature.com=homer=odyssey=1=
The song of @iawatha
htt%+,,"""#h"/o&'e//o"#or',%oe!s0%oe!#%h%?%*d762
(arrati#e
(arrati#e $oems are poems that tell stories. There is a
beginning, which introduces the background to the
story, a middle, which tells the action of the e#ent, and
an end, which concludes and summariFes the story.
%t is a poem that tells a series of e#ents using poetic
de#ices such as rhythm, rhyme, compact language, and
attention to sound. %n other words, a narrati#e poem
tells a story, but it does it with poetic flairM Many of the
same elements that are found in a short story are also
found in a narrati#e poem. @ere are some elements of
narrati#e poetry that are important
o character
o setting
o conflict
o plot
9o to this website to ha#e a look at a narrati#e poem
www.pfluger#illeisd.net=curriculum=...=(arrati#eJ P'etr" J
Lesson.pdf
& narrati#e poem in which one or more characters
speak. The dramatic poem consists of the thoughts or
spoken statements 4or both7 of one or more characters
other than the poet himself in a particular life situation. %t
is dramatic rather than narrati#e since the character is
not Nwritten aboutN by the poetO rather, the poem
consists of the characterDs own thoughts or spoken
statements. @e may be thinking 4or talking7 to himselfO a
poem recording his thoughts or speech to himself is
called a #'!i!'5u". "r a character may be speaking to
one or more other characters in a gi#en situationO a
poem recording his speech is called a )ra%ati&
%'n'!'(ue.4http==www.studyguide.org=litJterms.htm7
9o to this website to ha#e a look at a dramatic poem ?
Tamburlaine The 9reat by 'hristopher Marlowe for
parts 1,3 and B.
http==www.fullbooks.com=Tamburlaine!the!9reat!$art!
1.html

2.2.2 3 Genre# '* S'n(#
>olk music reflects the li#es of common people. Through this music people gi#e
#oice to their feelings. They cry about their sorrows and shout about their
15
8ramatic
(ow that you know the different genres=types of
poetry. 2hy not try and create one or two poems on
your own.
Try creating one limerick and one haiku. <emember
the number of syllabus and the rhyme scheme.
Show your work to your lecturer.
Genera! Intr')u&ti'n t' S'n(
2hat is a song+ Most people will say it-s a combination of melody and
lyric. The more enlightened will add harmony and rhythm, or a beat.
&dding to this, it has structure, usually repeats of #erses and
choruses. &ccording to the Meriam 2ebster dictionary ?a song is a
short musical composition of words and music
F'!1 #'n(
happiness. They e)press their beliefs and remember their ancestors. They tell
about the things they ha#e seen and heard and felt in their li#es. Through folk
music people preser#e their history. (ot the history of te)tbooks, but the history
of common people. http==eslfolk.com=articles!about!folk!music=
Some e)ample of Malaysian folk songs Aambatan Tamparuli, <asa Sayang Eh
"ther e)ample of folk songs 'lap your hands, The ants go marching, 8own in
the #alley.
%t was created by &frican &mericans who used to be sla#es in the early part of
the 1655Ds. Black people in &merica used to li#e and work on large farms called
plantations. Their working conditions were not #ery good, and while they worked,
they would sometimes sing to each other in the fields. Later, these songs
became the first Blues music. This kind of music is #ery emotional. Sla#es did not
ha#e happy li#es, and e#en after sla#ery became illegal, life for black people in
the south was still e)tremely difficult. Therefore, the words to these songs were
often #ery sad. %t became possible to say, ,%D#e got the blues. or ,%Dm blue. when
you were sad because of the lyrics of these songs. http==eslfolk.com=articles!
about!folk!music=
Some e)amples of famous blues songs=music Memphis Blues by 2.'. @andy,
'raFy Blues by Mamie Smith, The Thrill is 9one by B.B.;ing and $ride and Aoy
by Ste#ie <ay Paughan.
16
Blues
Ballad
%n the later 16th century it took on the meaning of a slow form of popular lo#e
song and the term is now often used as synonymous with any lo#e song,
particularly the pop or rock %ower balla". http==www.musicstack.com=genre=:aFF
Some e)ample of ballads @ow can % li#e without you by Micheal Bolton, % Swear
by &ll!0!"ne, Speak Sofly lo#e by &ndy 2illiams, >ifteen by Taylor Swift.
& lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to
sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. &s a result they are often
simple and repetiti#e. Lullabies can be found in e#ery culture and since the
ancient period. Lullabies share common musical characteristics i.e. they are
gentle, often use rocking rhythms, are melodically simple and often repeat
melodic patterns.
http==www.o)fam.org.uk=education=resources=globalJmusicJlessonJplans=GJL=fil
es=lesson0JlullabiesJaroundJtheJworld.pdf
Some e)ample of lullabies @ush Little Baby, 9o to Sleep you little baby and
Twinkle twinkle Little Star,
17
Lullaby
AaFF
AaFF is defined as a style of music, nati#e to &merica, characteriFed by a strong
but fle)ible rhythmic understructure with solo and ensemble impro#isations on
basic tunes and chord patterns and, more recently, a highly sophisticated
harmonic idiom. The Free &ictionary
Some e)amples of AaFF Somewhere o#er the rainbow, % got rhythm, Soul Bossa
(o#a, and Strange >ruit by Billie @oliday
<hythm and blues, often abbre#iated to <EB and <nB, is
a genre of popular &frican!&merican music that originated in the 1605s. The term
was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed
predominantly to urban &frican &mericans, at a time when Nurbane,
rocking, :aFF based music with a hea#y, insistent beatN was becoming more
popular. The term N<EBN became used to refer to music styles that de#eloped
from and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul music
Some e)ample of <EB songs 8iamond by <ihanna, 9irl on >ire by &licia ;eys,
Thinkin Bout /ou by >rank "cean and /oung 9irls by Bruno Mars.
18
< E B
898
There is no particular style of music that can be clearly identified as pop. This is
because pop music is always changing. %t can be identified as the most popular
mainstream music of the time. The most consistent component of pop music has
been the concept of the pop song. Most pop songs range in length from
appro)imately 3 minutes to G minutes, and they fre*uently include a #erse!
chorus!#erse!bridge!chorus structure or some close #ariant. Longer compositions
are rare in pop music. $op music has been and continues to be a melting pot of
styles.
Some e)ample of pop songs "ne More (ight by Maroon G, 2e are ne#er E#er
9etting Back Together by Taylor Swift, 8on-t 2ake Me up by 'hris Brown.
References
19
1. 'o), '. 4355I7. Teachin! 'an!(a!e )rts* ) St("ent-centere" +lassroo,
41
th
ed7. QS& &llyn E Bacon.
2# >ogiel, M. 435557. &esthetics <etrie#ed 1B Sep, 3513 from
htt%+,,"""#e&otes#.o!,/*terar$2ter!s,
3# %ntroduction to poetry. <etrie#ed 1 (o#. 3513 from..
htt%+,,"""# tea.hers#shebo$'a&#k12#"*#(s,e/ee,do.(!e&ts,8oetr$8a.ket0001#%d
0. ;ursus $elaksanaan$rogram Bacaan Sastera ;ontemporari ;anak!
kanak
Bahasa %nggeris Tahun 1, 435517 $usat $erkembangan ;urikulum,
;ementerian $endidikan Malaysia
G. (ull, ;,'. 435537. ,ow to write a %oe. Teacher 'reated Materials, %nc
QS&
1. "ak, M. 435567. The importance of literature. <etrie#ed 11 Sept 3513 from
htt%+,,"""#b(11/e#.o!,art*./es,*!%orta&.e 2 o 2/*terat(re#ht!/
7# <etrie#ed 11 Sept 3513 from htt%+,,"""#s/*deshare#&et,dde(be/,(s*&'2so&'s2
*&2 the2e/2./assroo!
8# <etrie#ed 13 September 3513 from
htt%+,,a.(/t$#b(a/ostate#ed(,s!*thrd,:6E;205o!!(&*.at*o&,:&*t4#%d
9# <etr*eved 12 =e%te!ber 2012 ro! htt%+,,"""#%oetr$#or',"hat*s#ht!
10# <etr*eved 12 =e%te!ber 2012 ro! htt%+,,es/o/k#.o!,art*./es2abo(t2o/k2!(s*.,
11. Simrit ;aur, E)posed to Literature. 4355I, May 3G7. The Star.
12# Songs and <hymes in Teaching English at $rimary Schools. <etrie#ed 1
(o# 3513. htt%+,,"""#'r*&#.o!,e&,e2book,106150,so&'s2a&d2rh$!es2*&2
tea.h*&'2e&'/*sh2at2%r*!ar$2s.hoo/s
13# 2hat is poetry. <etrie#ed 1 (o#. 3513 from
htt%+,,"""#%oetr$#or',"hat*s#ht!
TOPIC -
PE.AGOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF TEAC6ING SONGS AN.
POETRY TO YOUNG LEARNERS
20
-.0 SYNOPSIS
This topic aims to look at the pedagogical principles underlying the
teaching of songs and poetry to young learners. %t also aims to create an
understanding of the pedagogial principles linked to the ;SS< syllabus.
>inally the three broad themes 42orld of self, family and friendsO 2orld of
;nowledge and 2orld of Stories7 embeded in the teaching of songs and
poetry are discussed.
1. Select and e#aluate songs and poetry for use in the primary ESL
classroom based on pedagogical principles 4B.B, B.1, 1.B, 1.17
3. To e)amine the link between poetry and songs with Malaysian primary
school syllabus 4;SS<=;BS<7
-.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPIC
CONTENT
SESSION TWO 78 'ur#9
-.2.1 Intr')u&ti'n
21
>rom pre#ious chapters you would ha#e learnt the #arious types of songs and
poetry a#ailable for young learners in the primary classrooms. @owe#er, this
knowledge alone is not enough for you to decide which poems or songs are
suitable for your students. "ne important aspect that needs consideration is the
-pedagogical principles- underpinning the the teaching of songs and poetry for
young learners. This chapter will guide you to learn more about these
pedagogical principlesO namely underlying pedagogical principles of the primary
school curriculum and the principles related to teaching songs and poetry for
young learners. These two aspects are deemed crucial in the understanding of
the o#erall curriculum and its- link to the teaching of songs and poetry in the
primary schools. /ou will be able to see the link as you read and answer the
*uestions found in this chapter. This chapter also highlights the three broad
themes identified in the curriculum, namelyO 2orld of self, family and friendsO
2orld of stories and 2orld of knowledge. By understanding each of these
element you will be able to make connections on how to teach songs and poetry
and the ways of selecting and adapting resouces to suit the needs of young
learners.
A&ti,it" 1
%dentify the meaning of these words from the dictionary.
i. pedagogy
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
ii. principles
/ou should be aware that -pedagogy- refers to the art of teaching. This includes
instructions and acti#ities related to knowledge and skills. "n the other hand,
principles are ideas, truths or beliefs used as a base for reasoning or action.
22
$edagogical principles are -good practices- of professionals in educational
conte)ts. They are referred to as Cma)ims for action, which, in a defined scope,
claim permanent #alidity for e#ery concrete situation, be it in pedagogical practice
or in educational science as one type of societal practice 4@andbook on
Educational Science, 3550, p.1337. 'astillow 435507 belie#es that pedagogical
principles has these characteristicsO pure, pristine, and packed with pedagogical
power.
Edelenbos et al. 435517 claim pedagogical principles synthesiFe a rich set of
practical, instructional e)periences and can be used to deal with new practical
problems. They also highlight the fact that it should be aligned with the
personality of a learner and cognition. >rom there, one deri#es and e)pands
didactical concepts, gi#ing teachers a manageable number of points of
orientation.
The ;SS< is a new curriculum implemented in the /ear 3511 for /ear 1 students
in the primary schools. There are se#eral pedagogical principles highlighted in
the teaching of English. Look through the English primary school syllabus and
identify each one of them.
-.2.2 Pe)a('(i&a! Prin&i$!e# '* te Curri&u!u%
There are se#eral pedagogical principles that go#ern the learning process in the
teaching of Language &rts in the primary schools. They areO
back to basics
learning as fun, meaningful and purposeful
teaching is learner!centered
integration of salient new technologies
character!building
assessment for learning
23
(ow let us look at each principle closely.
-.2.2.1 :a&1 t' :a#i&#
This principle emphasiFes the basic re*uirements needed for young learners at
the beginning of the schooling years. %t refers to a strong foundation of
competencies in basic literacy skills. &mong the areas highlighted are phonics,
penmanship and basic listening and speaking skills.
Tin1in( 5ue#ti'n
2hy listening and speaking skills are highly emphasiFed under the
first pedagogical principle+
A&ti,it" 2
a. 2hy do you think penmanship is one of the important factors
emphasiFed for young learners+
&nswer
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
b. 2hat do you understand with the term -phonics-+
24
-.2.2.2 Learnin( a# *un; %eanin(*u! an) $ur$'#e*u!
The acti#ities catered under ;SS< emphasiFes full commitment from the
students in engaging themsel#es in fun learning acti#ities. Teachers ha#e to find
suitable acti#ities that are purposeful and meaningful for students in order for
them to e)plore #arious possibilities in knowledge and skill impro#ement. >or
e)ample, teachers can introduce songs, poetry, music and art in teaching the
language which will enable students to ha#e fun in carrying out these acti#ities.
A&ti,it" -
'an you identify two acti#ities that can be fun and meaningful in a
language classroom+
&nswer
'henfeld 4166G7 claims young children ne#er get tired in showing off their
bodies. They lo#e repetition, familiar chants, games and challenges. Some of
their earliest words are body words. &ccording to the author, their first
accomplishments are skills of body coordination where a teacher can combine
two or three mo#ements, such as clap and turn, :ump and clapO and :ump, clap
and turn. Through body mo#ement children e)press their understanding of ideas
and language. 2hen children are gi#en opportunities to en:oy e)periences
in#ol#ing their bodies and their senses they feel good about themsel#es and
others. &long with healthy body they de#elop healthy self concepts. "ne way of
making songs and poetry fun is by coming up with interesting acti#ities such as
25
action songs where students will be able to do body mo#ement while singing,
chanting or reciting.
Tin1in( 5ue#it'n
2hat do you understand with the term purposeful and meaningful
acti#ities+
-.2.2.- Tea&in( i# !earner<&entere)
The acti#ities planned should allow learners to e)plore and e)periment ideas.
This will allow them to adopt critical thinking skills in seeking for solution.
Therefore, teachers must identify students- needs before designing suitable
acti#ities for them. Learner!centered teaching allows teachers to optimiFe the
opportunities for the learners to learn. This is achie#ed by allowing learners to
e)periment and in#estigate by themsel#es. This will enable acti#e engagement
in the learning process. >urthermore, $iaget 416L57 claims children are acti#e
learners and thinkers. Therefore they can construct knowledge from acti#ely
interacting with the physical en#ironment in de#elopmental stages. They learn
through their own indi#idual actions and e)ploration.
-.2.2./ Inte(rati'n '* #a!ient ne4 te&n'!'(ie#
%n the new millenium, %'T has dominated the education industry. Parious
methods and approaches of using %'T are applied in assisting teachers to impart
knowledge and skills to young learners. &llowing pupils to learn through %'T will
enhance language learning in the classroom besides instillling creati#ity and
inno#ation. Technology also allows teachers to be creati#e in customiFing their
own materials besides making learning more meaningful for the students.
E)amples of 2eb technologies are blogs, 2ikis, /ouTube and online big books
among others.
-.2.2.= Cara&ter 2ui!)in( in*u#e)
26
Teachers should be able to infuse character building among young learners
through the use of literary te)ts. Songs and poetry can help students de#elop
their personality traits besides being articulate, confident and resourceful through
performances in the classroom. Teachers should be able to highlight the #alues
embedded in particular songs and poetry because this will help students
understand about themsel#es and their place in the world. >urthermore, it will
also de#elop ans shape their attitudes about themsel#es and of others.
-.2.2.8 A##e##%ent *'r !earnin(
Two forms of assessment are carried out in the primary classroomO formati#e and
summati#e. >ormati#e is an ongoing assessment carried out by the teacher
throughout the term to assess students- performance. "n the other hand, the
summati#e assessment is carried out at the end of the term or of a particular unit.
&ssessment is crucial to enable teachers to know what their students ha#e
gained or learnt. Besides, it also allow teachers to plan suitable acti#ities and
materials based on the students e)isting knowledge.
So far, you ha#e read the fi#e pedagogical principles that underline the ;SS<
sylllabus in the primary school. (ow let us look at the principles that are crucial
in teaching songs and poetry for young learners.
-.-. Pe)a('(i&a! Prin&i$!e# in Tea&in( S'n(# an) P'etr" *'r Y'un(
Learner#
Teaching Songs and poetry for young learners in#ol#es se#eral pedagogical
principles.
A&ti,it" /
'an you name a few pedagogical principles that are crucial in
teaching Songs and $oetry for /oung learners+
27
<ead and understand the scenario below.
$uan Rahedah was upset with the outcome of her lesson today. She chosed the
right poem for her /ear Three class. She e#en designed her own teaching
materials so that her students could ha#e fun with those colourful materials.
E#en bringing in the real football into the classroom and showing a #ideo of the
football match did not ha#e any effect on the students. They were rather passi#e
and played ignorant to what she was saying throughout the lesson. -$erhaps
these girls need to be reprimanded for being naughty- was what $uan Rahedah
wrote in her reflection.
A&ti,it" =
Based on the scenario abo#e, identify two reasons for the /ear
Three students- beha#iour towards $uan Rahedah-s lesson.
There are a few things that you need to consider before planning a lesson using
songs and poetry in the classroom. $uan Rahedah-s students consist of 15 year!
old girls. She needs to consider the students- interest before deciding on the
28
topic of the lesson. >or e)ample, football may not be the students- fa#ourite
sports, hence they were not interested in the lesson. Second, making students
watch part of a football match is definately not suitable to be adopted in the
classroom as well. Therefore, the selection of content needs to be considered by
$uan Rahedah.
A&ti,it" 8
(ow read the following reflection of an English teacher from a rural
school.
% tried introducing songs in the classroom. @owe#er, the students are not keen
in learning anything. They could hardly use the language and are unable to
memoriFe the lyrics of the song. 8espite being in /ear 0, % think this is not a
suitable song for them.
The teacher definately had a hard time with her students since she used a rather
difficult song for them. &lthough the song may be appropriate in terms of #alues
instilled in the lyrics, the teacher should ha#e taken into consideration her
students proficiency le#el. Since these students are of low proficiency, they
would ha#e a difficult time trying to understand the lyrics of the song. The
teacher could ha#e selected songs with simple sentence structure which are
repetiti#e in nature. This will enable students to remember words easily.
By simply playing a song for students to listen to may not be ade*uate. The
teacher needs to find suitable resources for her students to listen as well as to
#iew. "ne e)ample is the use of #ideo which is a#ailable online.
A&ti,it" >
<ead the following dialogue between a teacher and the
@eadmaster
29
@eadmaster
$uan Lay See
@eadmaster
$uan Lay See
@eadmaster
$uan Lay See
@eadmaster
$uan Lay See
@eadmaster
% understand that your students make noise e#erytime
you enter the classroom.
&ctually, % ha#e a difficult time teaching this particular
class. The students are rather passi#e.
@a#e you tried #arious strategies in teaching these
students+
/es, % ha#e tried almost e#erything. >or e)ample,
yesterday %
taught them a #ery interesting poem on -9opher-. %
know they
ha#e ne#er heard of the word before. But it is our :ob to
teach them new things, right+
2hat was your students- reaction+

They were not interested as usual. % e#en brought a
small rat to show them an e)ample. @alf the class
screamed out loud and one e#en wanted to kill the poor
rat.
8on-t you think this poem is rather too difficult for your
/ear 3 students+
% thought they would en:oy reading it. %t-s informational
you know. They would ha#e learnt new #ocabulary such
as rodent, predators, tunnel and so on. Moreo#er, %
ha#e been teaching poetry for the past three weeks.
% think we need to look at this issue *uite seriously.
>irst, you need to...
1, %dentify the reasons why $uan Lay See failed in teaching the
poem to her students+
30
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
3. &s the @eadmaster, what ad#ice would you pro#ide for $uan Lay
See to impro#e her teaching+
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
$uan Lay See needs to consider a few factors before selecting suitable te)ts
for her students. >irst, she needs to create opportunities for her students to
e)tend and de#elop their skills according to their personal interests and
abilities. Since rodent is an unfamiliar name for the /ear Two students, the
teacher could ha#e introduced a poem of a familiar animal. The selected
songs and poems need to be moti#ating, able to de#elop imagination,
stimulate curiosity, draw on personal e)perience, encourage participation and
create a desire to continue learning. By introducing familiar animals, students
will ha#e the desire to mo#e further to identify unfamiliar animals. Second,
introducing similar types of poem to the students may lead to boredom. $uan
Lay See needs to consider including different genres, topics and themes that
will engage her students in learning. Third, the selection of topic needs to
cater to the students- age. %t would be *uite difficult for a I year old student to
understand difficult words such as Crodent-.
A&ti,it" ?
<ead the poem below.
Ta1e a Sn'42a!!
31
Take a snowball, put it on the ground,
push it, roll it, make it big and round.
Look, your snowman is big and tall
but has no eyes, no nose at all.
Two stones will do and a carrot, too.
(ow, Mister Snowman, how are you+
Source http==www.grin.com=en=e!book=1511G5=songs!and!rhymes!in!
teaching!english!at!primary!schools
&s a teacher, would you select this poem to be taught in the
English classroom+ 9i#e your reasons.
/oung children need to learn in a language!immersed en#ironments where they
will be able to learn and appreciate other people-s #alues and culture. Songs
and poetry will enable this to happen since it is a common treads that tie people
together. &lthough, the topic may be something new for the learners, for
e)ample -snowman- as depicted in the poem abo#e, children will be able to know
parts of a foreign culture besides satisfying their natural curiosity about
something new. The poem abo#e is suitable for young learners since it allows
for acti#e disco#ery and construction of meaning, and leading to the use of
language as a #ehicle to do things.
Songs and poems are important elements of each culture. By learning this
authentic material pupils get to know parts of a foreign culture. %t satisfies
children-s natural curiosity about e#erything new. Being familiar with songs and
rhymes in a foreign language will allow pupils to feel closer to the foreign culture
and its language. %f the pupils hear the same melodies or similar rhymes they
32
are astonished at the parallels between their own culture and the foreign one. So
the foreign cultures aren-t alarming and frightening but interesting and worth
being disco#ered. %t-s an important contribution to the de#elopment of tolerance
and open!mindedness
<ead the con#ersation below between an English teacher and her
student.
Teacher 'an someone tell me about the poem+ 2hy was the boy sad+
Student The boy was sad because his sister did not let him into her room.
Teacher 8o you ha#e a sister+
Student /es, % ha#e two sisters.
Teacher 8o you like your sisters+
Student /es, % lo#e them #ery much.
Teacher 2hy+
Student My eldest sister takes good care of me. She always brings me sweets
when she comes back from school. My second sister will share her
toys with me.
Teacher &re you happy being with your sisters+
Student /es, % am happy. (ot like the boy who is sad.
Teacher 2hat do you think the boy-s brother and sister should do+
Student They must share their toys with their brother.
8espite the abundance of poems and songs a#ailable in print and online, you
must be #ery careful in selecting the right te)t for your students. The most
important element that you need to look into is the #alue that is instilled in the
poem or song. >or e)ample, the teacher in the e)cerpt abo#e has
successfully related the #alue of the poem to the student-s personal
e)perience. & good teacher will be able to pro#ide opportunities for children
to make connections between their understanding of lesson themes and their
own personal e)periences. This will allow for understanding and promoting
ownership of learning. %ndirectly, learners will be able to model the right
beha#ior to be adopted when they are dealing with their siblings or friends.
A&ti,it" @
(ow based on your understanding, list down the pedagogical
principles that you need to focus on in the selection of songs and
poetry for young learners.
33
&nswer
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
Tut'ria! ta#1
1. <ead the poem below. %dentify if this poem is suitable to be taught to a
group of young learners. $ro#ide reasons for your choice of answer.
"nce it was snowing.
E#erything was cold.
E#erything was asleep.
Then the sun came out and warmed the ground.
%t started to rain.
Seeds under the ground started to grow.
Little caterpillar s crawled around.
They curled up and turned into buterflies.
The sun got hotter.
The seeds grew to flowers.
Butterflies flew around.
%t was spring.
Source 'henfeld, M. B. 4166G B17
3. Study the diagram below and fill in the bo) with suitable
words=pharses.
EnA'"a2!e Fu!! '* $ra&ti&e Meanin(*u! Pur$'#e*u! S'&ia!
Su$$'rte)
34
<ead, '. 4166I, &pril7. The challenge of teaching children. -n!lish Teachin! .ro/essional, # I!
15. <etrie#ed September 1, 3513, from http==www.etprofessional.com=articles=challenge.pdf
SESSION 2 7- 'ur#9
-./ Lin1in( P'etr" an) S'n(# *'r .i%en#i'n# in te Ma!a"#ian Pri%ar"
ESL Curri&u!u%
Besides pedagogical principles, the teaching of English in the primary schools is
also based on three broad themes.
35
A&ti,it" 10
2ith reference to the English language syllabus identify the three
broad themes.
i. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
ii. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
iii. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
/ou will notice that the three broad themes are highlighted in all primary school
English language syllabi. They play an important role in the teaching of English.
The three themes are shown in >igure 1.
possessions
#alues belongings
beha#iour relationships
attitude Stories Self, >amily, brother
>riends sister
friends
neighbours
ob:ects ;nowledge
Shapes colours
Transportation food health
Two of the ob:ecti#es highlighted in the English Syllabus are for the students to
> appreciate and demonstrate understanding of English language literary or
creati#e works for en:oyment,
36
> read and comprehend a range of English te)ts for information and
en:oyment.
Therefore, it is important for you to be able to acti#ate students- imagination and
interests through fun and meaningful learning.
A&ti,it" 11
2ith reference to the /ear Two English syllabus, identify three
learning standards related to the teaching of songs and poetry in
the classroom.
i. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
ii. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
iii. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
%n order to achie#e these learning standards, the selected materials must be
related to the rele#ant themes. (ow let us look at each theme closely.
-./.1 W'r!) '* #e!*; *a%i!" an) *rien)#
The young of the human species are not like sea turtles left to hatch themsel#es
then run for their li#es to the water. They are not like insects, curled in cocoons
37
until they must wing it on their own. The most helpless of all infants, human
babies ae totally dependent on the care of the others.
Source 'henfeld, M. B. 4166G 1567 'reati#e e)periences for young children. >L @arcourt Brace 'ollege
$ublishers.
Based on the statement abo#e, one will understand the importance of educating
young learners from the day they were born. /oung learners are #ery much
dependent on elders for guidance to sur#i#e in this world. Therefore, a teacher
plays an important role in coaching them to ac*uire the necessary skills and
knowledge in order for them to become life long learners.
The theme on 2orld of self, family and friends mainly focuses on the
child=learner. & child learns to be familiar with oneself followed by family
members and later the friends they meet. Therefore, this theme highlights three
specific areas, namelyO
self
family
friends
'hildren becomes #ery conscious of themsel#es as they are growing up. >irst,
they become curious about themsel#es. They are eager to know about
themsel#es such as body parts, relationships, clothings, possessions, likes and
dislikes. &s a result, children will first learn things related to them. >or e)ample,
wanting to taste each food they see, eager to touch things they come across due
to curiosity and getting to know people around them.
A&ti,it" 12
Look at the list of topics below. Label each topic according to the
themes by placing a tick 4 7 in the right bo).
38
T'$i& W'r!) '* Se!* W'r!) '*
Fa%i!"
W'r!) '*
Frien)#
@oorayM 2e are back
8o the right thing
2here am %+
<ead me a story
% am special
8elicious food
9rowing plants
2hen % grow up.
'aring and sharing
Looking good
"n the >arm
9ood deeds
Sa#e the sea creatures
<euse, recycle
Myths
'hildren must know that in addition to the family they li#e with and their
e)tended families, their family of friends at school, they belong to the great
@uman >amily. Especially in these difficult times for so many children
who feel alienated and abandoned, their relationship to greater family
structures is important and appreciated.
Source 'henfeld, M. B. 4166G 13G7 'reati#e e)periences for young
children. >L @arcourt Brace 'ollege $ublishers
(e)t, students are conscious of their own family members. >amily is basic to all
people consisting of many members. >amily members are a source of creati#e
and important learning e)periences. Since family members consist of parents,
stepparents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins and siblings among others,
they ha#e much to contribute to children-s li#es. 'hildren can talk about oneself
and family and their personal details. They can also talk about happenings in
their e#eryday life. Sometimes we ha#e such good friends and neighbours that
we think of them as members of our own family. >riends and family members
are people who care about us.
39
A&ti,it" 1-
<ead the poem below and answer the *uestions that follow.
Te Gree)" :'"
,<ain or shine
% want what-s mine,.
so said the greedy boy.
,My game, my bike, my ball of twine,
my basket full of toys.
% don-t care
% will not share,.
he said to the bitter end,
and so with despair, no one would dare
to make this boy their friend.
Timothy <asinski
2ould you use this poem to teach your primary school students+ 9i#e
your reasons.
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
CThe 9reedy Boy- is a good poem to be introduced to primary school students
for these reasons. The poem focuses on a boy who refuses to share his toys
with his friends. Being possessi#e is one common characteristic among
young children which normally ends up with fights among brothers, sisters
and friends. They need to be taught the #alue of friendship and being able to
share their things with others. This poem highlights the need to share among
family and friends. %t also highlights the conse*uence of not sharing that is
not ha#ing any friends to play with.
40
-./.2 W'r!) '* 1n'4!e)(e
The ")ford dictionary defines knowledge as -the state or condition of
understanding Ssome matterT, ac*uired by learning. %t is best achie#ed by
using songs and poems because the outcome of indi#iduals mental
processes can be gi#en e)ternal representations through symbolic
systems such as language and music. "ne way of making young learners
gain knowedge is through songs and poetry. Since they are attracted to
music, songs and poetry can be used as tools to teach these learners the
re*uired knowledge. >or e)ample, learning of alphabets, numbers,
ob:ects around them, festi#als and celebrations among others.
A&ti,it" 1/
<earrange the topics listed below in the order you would teach
them for a /ear 1 class.
41
T'$i& Or)er
&ll about me
'had My Milkman
% see colours
%n the garden
Let-s be friends
Let-s go shopping
Listen to me
Look at me
Meet my family
Sound around us
Stay clean, be happy
2hen is your birthday+
These topics are taken from the /ear 1 English syllabus. /ou will notice
that they are se*uenced in the following manner
Talking about self and friends
2ays of taking care of oneself
9etting to know family members and friends
Learning about things around them
2orld of knowledge deals with the things young learners see or feel around
them. >or e)ample, in /ear "ne, they are re*uired to identify and distinguish the
shapes of the letters in the alphabet. They are also re*uired to #oice the sounds
of words. Learners are also re*uired ot listen and follow simple instructions in
the classroom. Besides this, they also need to know how to keep themsel#es
clean and healthy. These information are necessary for young learners to learn
and follow through the theme 2orld of ;nowledge. "ne e)ample of a poem
dealing with the theme is pro#ided below.
Re) Mean# St'$
Stop, stopM
$lease, do not go.
The big red sign
Tells us so.
% know that,
&nd so does Aoe.
<ead means stop,
&nd green means go.
Tim <asinski
42
The abo#e poem is suitable to be taught in the primary classroom. The topic is
rele#ant since it pro#ides information on traffic rules and regulations. Learners
will be able to be aware of road safety and learn from young the importance of
following these rules. Besides, they will also learn colours which is another
important aspect to be taught.
A&ti,it" 1=
6ere0# a Ra22it
"h, here-s a fluffy rabbit
2ith two ears so #ery long
See him hop, hop, hop about
"n legs so #ery strong,
@e nibbles, nibbles carrots
>or his dinner e#ery day
&nd as soon as he has had enough
@e hops, hops, hops away.
%dentify and discuss why this poem falls under the theme
2orld of ;nowledge. 2hat would the students learn from
the abo#e poem+
-./.- W'r!) '* #t'rie#
The theme 2orld of Stories focuses on stories that capture young
learners- interests in learning. /oung children lo#es to listen to stories and
43
these stories can be in the form of poems and songs. "ne e)ample is
shown below.
Three Little Kittens
Three little kittens,
They lost their mittens,
&nd they began to cry,
"h, mother, dear,
2e sadly fear,
"ur mittens we ha#e lost.
2hatM Lost your mittens,
/ou naughty kittens,
Then you shall ha#e no pie.
Meow, meow,
Then you shall ha#e no pie.
The three little kittens,
They found their mittens,
&nd they began to cry,
"h, mother, dear,
See here, see here,
"ur mittens we ha#e found.
2hat, found your mittens,
Then youDre good kittens,
&nd you shall ha#e some pie.
$urr!rr, purr!rr,
Then you shall ha#e some pie.
Three little kittens,
$ut on their mittens,
&nd soon ate up the pie.
"h, mother, dear,
2e sadly fear,
"ur mittens we ha#e soiled.
2hatM Soiled your mittens,
/ou naughty kittens,
44
&nd they began to sigh.
Meow, meow,
&nd they began to sigh.
The three little kittens,
They washed their mittens,
&nd hung them out to dry.
"h, mother, dear,
8o you not hear,
"ur mittens we ha#e washed+
2hatM 2ashed your mittens+
Then youDre good kittensM
But % smell a rat close by.
Meow, meow,
2e smell a rat close by.
Source http==www.i#y:oy.com=fables=mothergoose.htmlUwoman
A&ti,it" 18
-Three Little ;ittens- is poem suitable to be introduced for the
primary school children. 8iscuss how this poem can be
used to help students in in learning the language.
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ

JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
45
<ead the poem -& Mouse-s Tail- written by Lewis 'aroll which is
taken from the mo#ie -&lice in 2onderland-. &s you read, identify if
this poem is suitable for your students in school.
Te M'u#eB# Ta!e 2" Le4i# Carr'!!
NMine is a long and a sad taleMN said the Mouse, turning to &lice, and sighing.
N%t is a long tail, certainly,N said &lice, looking down with wonder at the MouseDs
tailO Nbut why do you call it sad+N &nd she kept on puFFling about it while the
Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like thisV
?@(r$ sa*d to
a !o(seA Bhat
he !et
*& the
ho(seA
CLet (s
both 'o
to /a"+
I "*//
%rose.(te
you.D
5o!eA EC//
take &o
de&*a/F
We !(st
have a
tr*a/+
@or
rea//$
th*s
!or&*&'
ECve
&oth*&'
to do#C
=a*d the
!o(se to
the .(rA
C=(.h a
tr*a/A
dear s*rA
W*th &o
G(r$ or
G(d'eA
"o(/d be
46
"ast*&'
o(r breath#C
CEC// be
G(d'eA
EC// be
G(r$AC
=a*d
.(&&*&'
o/d @(r$F
CEC// tr$
the "ho/e
.a(seA
a&d
.o&de!&
$o(
to
death#C ?
N/ou are not attendingMN said the Mouse to &lice, se#erely. N2hat are you
thinking of+N
N% beg your pardon,N said &lice #ery humbly, Nyou had got to the fifth bend, %
think+N
N% had not0N cried the Mouse sharply and #ery angrily.
N& knotMN said &lice, always ready to make herself useful, and looking an)iously
about her. N"h, let me help to undo itMN
N% shall do nothing of the sort, said the Mouse, getting up and walking away. N/ou
insult me by talking such nonsenseMN
Source http==bootless.net=mouse.html
This poem is suitable for upper primary students for these reasons. First,
the teacher can turn the text into a mental movie that allows students to
visualize the content of the poem. This is possible since the text is taken
from the famous movie Alice in onderland. !econd, student can infer
what happened before and after the poem which will further enhance their
understandin" of the text. Third, the choice of diction used should be
suitable for students in the upper primary school. ords such as trial,
#ury, prosecute and #ud"e can be tau"ht to them since they should be able
to understand these terms.
47
Furter Rea)in(
$lease refer to the following website for additional information.
Salcedo, '. S. 435537. The e//ect o/ son!s in the /orei!n lan!(a!e
classroo on te1t recall an" invol(ntary ental rehearsal. 4unpublished
doctoral dissertation7. 'o(isiana State 2niversity, <etrie#ed from
http==etd.lsu.edu=docs=a#ailable=etd!1111153!
350I3B=unrestricted=SalcedoJdis.pdf
Tut'ria! Ta#1
<ead the poem below. 8iscuss why this poem is suitable to be used in
the primary classroom. Austify your choice by making reference to the
pedagogical principles.
Mar"0# La%2
Mary had a little lamb,
%ts fleece was white as snowO
&nd e#erywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
%t followed her to school one day
2hich was against the ruleO
% made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at school.
&nd so the teacher turned him out,
But still he lingered near,
&nd waited patiently about,
Till Mary did appear.
&nd then he ran to her and laid,
@is head upon her arm,
&s if he said, C%-m not afraid !
/ou-ll shield me from all harm.-
C2hat makes the lamb lo#e Mary so+-
48
The little children cryO
C" Mary lo#es the lamb, you know,-
The teacher did reply.
C&nd you each gentle animal,
%n confidence may bind,
&nd make it follow at your call,
%f you are always kind.
Sarah Aosepha @ale 41LII!1IL67
source
http==www.mothergoosecaboose.com=newstuff=nrb=(Q<SE</<@/MEB"
";.pdf
Re*eren&e#
'henfeld, M. B. 4166G 1567 +reative e1%eriences /or yo(n! chil"ren. >L
@arcourt Brace 'ollege $ublishers
Edelenbos, $.O Aohnstone, <.O ;ubanek, &. 435517. The ain %e"a!o!ical
%rinci%les (n"erlyin! the teachin! o/ lan!(a!es to very yo(n! learners
'an!(a!es /or the chil"ren o/ -(ro%e. <etrie#ed from
http==ec.europa.eu=education=policies=lang=doc=youngJen.pdf
9eyer, P. 635517. Son!s an" rhyes in teachin! -n!lish at %riary schools.
<etrie#ed from http==www.grin.com=en=e!book=1511G5=songs!and!rhymes!
in!teaching!english!at!primary!schools
$iaget, A. 416L57. The Science o/ -"(cation an" the .sycholo!y o/ the +hil".
9rossman (ew /ork.
<asinski, T. and ;aren Mc9uigan Brothers 435517. .oes /or wor" st("y. QS&
Shell Education $ublishing.
<ead, '. 4166I, &pril7. The challenge of teaching children. -n!lish Teachin!
.ro/essional, # I!15. <etrie#ed from
http==www.etprofessional.com=articles=challenge.pdf
Mother goose and selected nursery rhymes. <etrie#ed from
http==www.i#y:oy.com=fables=mothergoose.htmlUwoman
49
TOPIC /A PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION AN. A.APTATION OF SONGS
/.0 SYNOPSIS
Topic 0& highlights on the principles of selection and adaptation of
songs. This session will focus on the principles of selection of songs for
young learners by looking at the purposes for using songs in the ESL
classroom, the principles of song selection and the techni*ues of using
songs in the classroom. %t will also highlight on the adaptation of songs
for the language classroom.
/.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
identify the principles of selection and adaptation of songs for
use in the primary ESL classroom
:ustify the choice of song selection using the criteria of te)t
selection
50
adapt and :ustify songs collected using the principles of te)t
simplification
/.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS
CONTENT
/.2 TOPIC FOUR A 7- 6OURS9
Teachers should Nplace students in an en#ironment in which it is appropriate to
use target utterances in a genuinely communicati#e fashion.N 49atbonton and
SegalowitF, 16II, p.0L17. &s songs present an authentic use of language,
teachers are ad#ised to use songs as part of their classroom teaching repertoire.
This is because apart from presenting language in an authentic way, songs are
also easily obtainable, pro#ide #ocabulary, grammar and cultural aspects and are
fun for your students. Songs pro#ide #aluable speaking, listening and language
practice in and out of the classroom. %t will also look at learner le#els and cultural
considerations.
/.2.1 SELECTION OF SONGS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
The following section will focus on the types of songs, purposes of using
songs in the classrooms, the criteria of te)t selection and suggestions of
techni*ues or acti#ities that could be used in using songs in the language
classroom.
/.2.1.1 T"$e# '* #'n(#
51
S"(9S
Selection &daptation
'riteria of
Te)t
Selection
$urposes Techni*ues
Lets think about this...
%n your opinion, what type of songs would be suitable for classroom use+
List at least B types.
2hy are the songs you ha#e listed abo#e suitable for classroom use+
List at least G criteria.
There are different types and genres of songs you can choose from to teach in
the language classroom. @ere are some e)amples of the different types of
songs that can be used with your students
(o Types 8escription
1.
Special occasion songs Songs which are sung on certain
occasions or at certain times of the
year.
3.
Songs and games Songs, usually children-s songs,
which are sung to accompany certain
games
B.
&ction songs Songs which re*uire actions or some
sort of mime to be performed while
singing them.
0. Songs where one structure or a
lot of le)is is repeated o#er and
o#er again
Specially written songs for teaching.
G.
Songs which tells a story. Songs that narrate stories.
(So(rce* ,(bbar", .., 3ones, ,. , Thornton, 4. 5 6heeler, 7. ) Trainin! +o(rse /or T-F'.
8998)
52
Provide some examples for the each type of
songs listed in the table in 6.3.1
/.2.1.2 Pur$'#e# *'r U#in( S'n(# in te Lan(ua(e C!a##r''%
2hy do teachers use songs in the classroom+ List at least G reasons.
2hat are the ad#antages of using songs in the teaching and learning of
English classroom+ List at least G ad#antages.
There is strong practical e#idence supporting the use of music in the English
language classroomO there is also a growing body of research confirming that
songs are a useful tool in language ac*uisition. %n fact musical and language
processing occur in the same area of the brain 4Medina, 166B7.
Murphy 416637 suggests that carefully selected songs are particularly appropriate
for language learning, because their discourse includes simple, affecti#e
language with riskless communication *ualities, familiar nati#e te)ts, a high #erb
count, and familiar #ocabulary. 'ertain songs may be easily remembered due to
the *uality of the melody and the te)t. $op songs and ad#ertisement :ingles ha#e
melodies that are catchy and easily learned thus making them #ery suitable to be
used in the language classroom with young learners.
Songs can be used for a number of purposes and there are many reasons why
songs can be considered a #aluable pedagogical tool. $erhaps the greatest
benefit to using songs in the classroom is that they can be funM %n line with the
(ational $hilosophy of Education Malaysia, the main purposes for using songs in
53
the ESL classroom is because of its potential to de#elop students in the following
areas
$ersonal de#elopment
&esthetic de#elopment
'ultural de#elopment
Language learning de#elopment
Moral #alues
Some key reasons songs can work e)ceedingly well in ESL language classroom
include the following
S'n(# eC$'#e# #tu)ent# t' autenti&; natura! !an(ua(e.
Gra%%ar an) &u!tura! a#$e&t# &an 2e intr')u&e) tr'u( #'n(#.
S'n(# eC$'#e# #tu)ent# t' a 4i)e ran(e '* a&&ent#.
S'n(# &an 2e #e!e&te) t' #uit te nee)# an) intere#t# '* te
#tu)ent#.
Songs can help young learners impro#e their listening skills and
pronunciation.. %t pro#ides pronunciation practice 4stress and rhythm, and
indi#idual sounds7 and intonation when speaking, mo#ing around and
using gestures. This will therefore help young learners to impro#e their
speaking skills
Songs can also be useful tools in the learning of #ocabulary, sentence
structures, and sentence patterns. A ,ariet" '* ne4 ,'&a2u!ar" &an 2e
intr')u&e) t' #tu)ent# tr'u( #'n(#.
Qnlike structure drills, songs gi#e students intensi#e practice in selected
patterns, but without boredom.
S'n(# are u#ua!!" ,er" ea#i!" '2taina2!e.
Songs promote learner independence.
54
%t increases students- moti#ation to learn the language 4weaker students
will feel a real sense of achie#ement when they are able to learn a new
song7.
Songs help to promote cooperation 4singing is a group acti#ity that helps
bring students together and breaks down barriers of reser#e which
pre#ents them learning the language effecti#ely7
Qsing songs reinforces other things the teacher is working on in the
classroom such as discipline, teaching students to work together,
rewarding good beha#iour and fostering teamwork amongst students.
Students ha#e fun and are therefore moti#ated for the rest of the lesson
and future lessons.
Students learn *uicker than with other methods.
Songs make the learning e)perience more memorable.
Students lose some of their inhibitions about speaking out.
(So(rce* htt%*::www.eslbase.co:articles:son!s7
/.2.1.- Criteria *'r S'n(# Se!e&ti'n
hat factors should be considered when selectin" son"s for the
lan"ua"e classroom$ %ist at least & factors.
hy do you think that the factors you have identified are crucial$
'ustify.
The way you teach and the practice acti#ities you do depend to a large e)tent on
the sort of songs you ha#e chosen. There are factors that you need to consider
55
when using songs and how they can be used effecti#ely in your language
classroom.
i. Learner Le,e!#
Learner le#els is the most important criteria that must be considered in the
selection of a teaching learning material, in this case songs. Learner le#els is
also an important consideration in designing teaching learning acti#ities. Much of
this ha#e been elaborated earlier in the section <eadibility of Te)t.
(uttal 416I37 argues a te)t should be at the right le#el with the student-s
proficiency. Students can be categoriFed into three le#els of proficiency which
are elementary, intermediate and ad#anced le#els. %n selecting songs, a teacher
needs to choose the ones that suit their students- le#el in terms of te)t difficulty
and language comple)ity 4#ocabulary, structure7. 2hen we try to find a readable
te)t, we ha#e to assess the le#el of its structural and le)ical difficulty. Still, the
students can still deal with more difficult te)ts, pro#ided the task is not too
challenging.
ii. Cu!tura! C'n#i)erati'n#
Songs reflect culture and by using these songs can gi#e your students the
opportunity to ac*uire a better understanding of the culture of the target
language. %n choosing songs, you ha#e to consider the following factors
'ultural biasness
Sensiti#ity to the impact of culturally!induced beha#iour
>amiliarity to learners- background knowledge
The use words or e)pressions which are percei#ed as inappropriate,
offensi#e or #ulgar in the conte)t of the students
%f you find that the lyrics of the songs are not suitable, for e)ample, if it contains
slang or offensi#e words, you may need to adapt the lyrics to suit your students.
56
iii. Oter C'n#i)erati'n#
Little 416IB7 offered some song selection criteria for language teachers
the song should be popular
the song should be meaningful to the student
the song should be slow enough to test comprehension as well as clear
enunciation on the part of the singer
the le#el of language used in the song should be simple with no difficult
idioms, slang or #ulgarities
the tune should be catchy, easily remembered and age!appropriate
The following are criteria for selection and adaptation of songs that need to be
considered
&. <eadability of te)t
B. Suitability of content
'. E)ploitability
These song selection criteria are discussed in the following sections.
A. Rea)a2i!it" '* TeCt
hat do you think the term (readibility of text) mean$
hat does it refer to$
<eadability is a measure of the comprehensibility of written te)t. %t is the
combination of le)ical 4i.e. #ocabulary7 and structural difficulty found in a te)t.
4(uttal,16I37. @ence, the songs chosen should be at the right le#el of difficulty
for your students. Therefore, select songs that are appropriate to your students-
57
le#el of proficiency in terms of sentence length, word length within sentences,
comple)ity of #ocabulary and sentence structure.
The following are some *uestions you might want to ponder on when selecting
2hat is my students- language le#el+
@ow much new #ocabulary 4le)ical7 is acceptable+
&re there structural difficulties in the song+
'an your students understand the meaning of the songs and can it be
made clear in a *uick and easy way+
(So(rce** htt%*::www.(sin!en!lish.co:articles:(sin!-son!s-with-yo(n!-learners.htl)
:. Suita2i!it" '* C'ntent
2hat does ,suitability of content. mean+
2hich kind of content might be suitable and might not be suitable+
Students- interest is among the most important re*uirement you should take into
consideration in te)t selection 4(uttal, 16I37. S'n(# &an 2e #e!e&te) t' #uit te
nee)# an) intere#t# '* "'ur '4n #tu)ent#. There are many English songs
a#ailable for selection with suitable themes, le#els and #ocabulary which is not at
all difficult.
2hen selecting songs for their content suitability, you need to make sure of the
following
what type and genre of songs appeal to your students+
is the content of the song 4issue raised7 appropriate for your students
4social cultural background, maturity le#el7+
does the song present an authentic use of language+
58
does the song contain slang or offensi#e words and o#erly crude, foul or
otherwise ob:ectionable language which is inappropriate especially for
young learners+
(So(rce* htt%*::www.(sin!en!lish.co:articles:(sin!-son!s-with-yo(n!-learners.htl)
2ith careful screening, you can compile an e)tensi#e library of usable songs for
students in your language classrooms.
C. EC$!'ita2i!it"
2hat do you understand by the word ,e)ploitability.+
E)ploitability means that the te)t should facilitate the de#elopment of reading
skills in order to help the students become competent and independent readers
4(uttal, 16I37. @owe#er, in the conte)t of song selection, the term e1%loitation
could also be translated as the /acilitation o/ learnin!. This means, a good song
is one which you can e)ploit in your teaching. 2hen you e)ploit a song, you
make use of it to de#elop your students- competence in achie#ing their learning
outcomes.
2hen selecting songs for their e)ploitability, you need to make sure of the
following factors
is the song suitable for your students in terms genre, speed, content 4issues,
language comple)ity7+
is there repetition of particular words and phrases+
is the language in the song similar to the language they will be able to use in
other parts of the class and= or outside the class+
59
does the song consist of the #ocabulary = grammatical item = sentence
structure you wish to teach+
are the songs- tune and lyric memorable+
does the song allow for plenty of actions and mo#ements+
()"a%te" /ro htt%*::www.(sin!en!lish.co:articles:(sin!-son!s-with-yo(n!-learners.htl)
'hoose a catchy song that students can easily sing and memoriFe until ne)t time
you sing it in class. 'hoose songs that which are easy to understand, to e)plain
and to e)press. &#oid translation as much as possible but instead, perform
actions. This pro#ides a good platform for students to ha#e fun and therefore
moti#ates them for the rest of the lesson and future lessons.
/.2.1./ Te&ni5ue# in U#in( S'n(# 4it Y'un( Learner#
There are a #ariety of different ways or techni*ues to use songs in the
classroom. Some teachers prefer to use background music and others use music
lyrics as the basis of a lesson. 9enerally, at the lower primary le#el, techni*ues
employed focussing on %roso"ic /eat(res 4suprasegmental features7 of the
language are often emphasiFed. "n the other hand, techni*ues employed at the
higher primary le#el focussed on the %ractice o/ !raar ites.
'an you think of two acti#ities each, to be carried out with the song
,"ld Mc8onald. and ,Ten Little %ndians.+
The following are se#eral techni*ues you can employ when using songs in the
language classroom
8ictation
>ocus *uestions
60
'lass discussion
&dd a final #erse
True!false statements
9ap fills or close te)ts
Teach reading comprehension
Teach listening for details and gist
$ut lines into the correct se*uence
Teach pronunciation and intonation
Teach and build #ocabulary and idioms
'ircle the antonyms=synonyms of the gi#en words
%ntroduce a new theme or topic 4colours=feelings etc7
'hange the mood 4li#en things up or calm things down7
<e#iew material 4background music impro#es memory7
Breaking the ice in a class where students do not know each
other or are ha#ing difficulty communicating
Teach songs and rhymes about difficult grammar and spelling rules
that need to be memoriFed 4Ni before eN, irregular #erbs, phrasal
#erbs7
So(rce* htt%*::www.en!lishcl(b.co:teachin!-ti%s:(sic-classroo.ht
htt%*::www2.vobs.at:l("escher:;raar:teachin!<!raar<thro(!h<son!s
<a.ht
@ere is a sample acti#ity that you could use with your students
E!e$ant S'n(
(teacher an" st("ents actions are in"icate" in brac$ets)
2hat is that noise (c(% han" to ear)
Qp in the attic (%oint over yo(r hea")
%t is an elephant (a$e a tr(n$ with yo(r ar)
'ycling round and round. (cyclin! otion with le!s)
61
%t is an elephant (a$e a tr(n$ with yo(r ar)
&ll chic and elegant (/ashion o"el %ose)
2ith one tail here (a$e tr(n$ with yo(r ar)
&nd one behind. (%oint to where yo(r tail wo(l" be i/ yo( ha" one0)
<epeat the song a number of times, each time, you stop singing one line of
the song, but continue to do the action for that line. By the end of the song all
youDre doing is actions, no singing.
4source http==songsandpoetryforesl.weebly.com=7
A. Ti$# 'n Carr"in( Out A&ti,itie# U#in( S'n(#
@ere are some tips on how to use poems with young learners in the English
classroom.
i. $ick the right song.
ii. %f it is a new song introduce it slowly.
iii. %f you like the song but find that some of the words are too difficult,
consider adapting the song.
i#. Teach the lyrics of the song by using materials like flash cards or book.
#. Teach the song slowly at first, if possible use meaningful gestures.
#i. $lay the song, and gi#e it a tryM
#ii. $lay games that deal with the #ocabulary in the song.
(Source: http://www.teachingvillage.org/2010/03/24/teaching-young-learners-with-songs-by-matt-
richelson/
/.2.2 A.APTATION OF SONGS
The following section will focus on factors to consider when adapting
songs for use in the language classroom.
!ometimes we find ourselves in a position whereby we need to adapt
62
some of the son"s we would like use. %ist at least & reasons why we
mi"ht need to adapt some of the son"s.
Some of the most basic childrenDs songs can sometimes be too difficult. @ence,
you may need to adapt the songs to suit your students. %nstances where an
adaptation may be needed are
when the song-s beat is too fast
when the song is too long
when the #ocabulary and sentence structure used are too comple) or too
difficult
when the lyrics does not allow any gesture and dance
the lyrics may not be suitable and contain slang or offensi#e words and
grammatical mistakes
when the lyrics only marginally teach the language points you want to
focus on.
The following are factors of consideration in adapting songs
Le)ical items
Sentence structure
'ontent
&s such, you may ha#e to do any one or all of the following to meet to the needs
of your students or your teaching point
adapt the song by making the melody appropriately paced make the
tempo or beat slower if the song-s beat is too fast.
find an appropriate point to end the song if it is too long.
adapt the song by replacing the wordings = lyrics which are difficult with
simpler words.
simplify the words or sentence structure of the lyrics of the songs chosen.
reduce most carefully some of the lyrics of the songs chosen.
63
adapt the song by replacing some of the words with words which will allow
gestures.
adapt the song by including the language points you want to focus on.
%n adapting the songs you ha#e selected, you can made them simple for your
students by creating songs that are appropriately paced, lyrically simple, full of
space for mo#ement, easily taught through gesture, and >Q(M
%n the bo) below is a modified lyrics from the song the song The 6heels on the
4(s The adaptations are in bold. By adapting the song in this way, you ha#e the
ad#antage of being able to select a particular language feature and incorporate it
into the song. This feature could be an item of #ocabulary, synta), phonology, or
a simple con#ersational e)pression. This allows you to incorporate more songs
into a curriculum and sa#e time searching for and learning new songs.
S"(9 T@E 2@EELS "( T@E BQS
Ori(ina! L"ri&# A!ternati,e L"ri&#
The wheels on the bus go round and round.
round and round.
round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all through the townM
The people on the bus go up and down.
up and down.
up and down.
The people on the bus go up and down,
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep.
beep, beep beep.
beep, beep, beep.
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep.
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish.
swish, swish, swish.
swish, swish, swish.
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish,
The signals on the bus go blink, blink, blink.
!he fish in the sea goes swim, swim, swim,
swim, swim, swim,
swim, swim, swim.
!he fish in the sea goes swim, swim, swim,
all "ay long#
!he lobster in the sea goes pinch, pinch, pinch,
pinch, pinch, pinch,
pinch, pinch, pinch.
!he lobster in the sea goes pinch, pinch, pinch,
all "ay long#
!he crab in the sea goes click, click, click,
click, click, click,
click, click, click.
!he crab in the sea goes click, click, click,
all "ay long#
!he octopus in the sea goes wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
!he octopus in the sea goes wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
all "ay long.
64
blink, blink, blink.
blink, blink, blink.
The signals on the bus go blink, blink, blink,
The motor on the bus goes Foom, Foom, Foom.
Foom, Foom, Foom.
Foom, Foom, Foom.
The motor on the bus goes Foom, Foom, Foom,
The babies on the bus go waa, waa, waa.
waa, waa, waa.
waa, waa, waa.
The babies on the bus go waa, waa, waa,
The parents on the bus go shh, shh, shh.
shh, shh, shh.
shh, shh, shh.
The parents on the bus go shh, shh, shh,
The mommy on the bus says, % lo#e you.
% lo#e you, % lo#e you
The daddy on the bus says, % lo#e you, too.
&ll through the town.
So(rce* htt%*::b(sson!s.co:son!s:wheels-on-the-b(s-!o-ro(n"-an"-ro(n".%h%
htt%*::www.yo(t(be.co:watch=v>3"?$@SM/Av)
More practice...
Practice 1
1. %dentify the melody of the songs below by carrying out a search for the song
on /outube .
3. %dentify the le#el and the background of the students you can use the songs
with in a language classroom. 4year, rural=urban, proficiency le#el7
65
an you come up !ith other alternatives
to the song lyrics above"
B. Think of a few acti#ities to carry out based on the poem.
0. Austify your answers using the principles of te)t selection below
! the teaching learning purposes
! the selection criteria
! your learners- le#el 4proficiency, maturity7
! cultural considerations
G. &dapt the song using the principles of te)t simplification and :ustify your
adaptation.
It0# a S%a!! W'r!)
%t-s a world of laughter, a world of tears,
%t-s a world of hopes, and a world of fears,
There-s so much that we share,
That it-s time we-re aware,
%t-s a small world after all.
%t-s a small world after all 4B )7,
%t-s a small, small world.
There is :ust one moon and one golden sun,
&nd a smile means friendship to e#eryone,
Though the mountains di#ide,
&nd the oceans are wide,
%t-s a small world after all.
Mi## Lu&" 6a) a :a2"
Miss Lucy had a baby,
@is name was Tiny Tim,
She put him in the bathtub
To see if he could swim.
@e drank up all the water,
@e ate up all the soap,
@e tried to eat the bathtub,
But it wouldnDt go down his throat.
Miss Lucy called the doctor,
Miss Lucy called the nurse,
Miss Lucy called the lady
2ith the alligator purse#
It#"<:it#" S$i)er
The itsy!bitsy spider
'limbed up the water spout
8own came the rain
&nd washed the spider out
"ut came the sun
&nd dried up all the rain
&nd the itsy!bitsy spider
'limbed up the spout again
.' Re Mi
8oe ! a deer, a female deer,
<ay ! a drop of golden sun,
Me ! a name % call myself
>ar ! a long, long way to run,
Sew ! a needle pulling thread,
La ! a note to follow so,
Tea ! a drink with :am and bread,
That will bring us back to doe, oh,oh,oh..
B 7e%eat (2 1)
8o!<e!Mi!>a!So!La!Ti!8o, So!8o.
Y'u0,e G't a Frien)
:" Car'!e Kin(
2hen youDre down and troubled
&nd you need some lo#ing care
:INGO
Tere 4a# a *a%er a) a )'(
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
:INGO; :INGO; :INGO
66
&nd nothing, nothing is going right
'lose your eyes and think of me
&nd soon % will be there
To brighten up e#en your darkest night
/ou :ust call out my name
&nd you know where#er % am
%Dll come running to see you again
2inter, spring, summer or fall
&ll you ha#e to do is call
&nd %Dll be there
/ouD#e got a friend
%f the sky abo#e you
9rows dark and full of clouds
&nd that old north wind begins to blow
;eep your head together
&nd call my name out loud
Soon youDll hear me knocking at your door
%Dll come running to see you
&nd %Dll be there
&inDt it good to know that youD#e got a friend
2hen people can be so cold
TheyDll hurt you, and desert you
&nd take your soul if you let them
"h, but donDt you let them
%Dll come running to see you again
&nd %Dll be there
/ouD#e got a friend
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
(+la% when yo( see a B )
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
DINGO; DINGO; DINGO
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
DDNGO; DDNGO; DDNGO
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
DDDGO; DDDGO; DDDGO
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
DDDDO; DDDDO; DDDDO
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
DDDDD; DDDDD; DDDDD
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
:INGO; :INGO; :INGO
an) :in(' 4a# i# na%e<'
Practice 2
Writin( Para!!e! L"ri&#
L'n)'n :ri)(e
London Bridge is falling down,
>alling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
Ta1e te 1e" an) !'&1 er u$;
L'&1 er u$; !'&1 er u$;
Ta1e te 1e" an) !'&1 er u$;
L'&1 er u$; !'&1 er u$,
My fair lady.
67
a7 The following phrases are also sung similar to the wordings of the #erse
in bold.
1. Build it up with iron bars
3. %ron bars will bend and break
B. Build it up with sil#er and gold
'an you come up with other e)amples for the #erse+
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
b7
I* Y'u0re 6a$$"
%f you-re happy and you know it,
+la% your hands 43 )7
Then you-ll really want to show it,
+la% your hands.
"ther e)amples of the first #erse
1. Stamp your feet
3. (od your head
B. Turn around
0. Say ,2e areM.
G. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
1. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
Practice 3
.i#&u## an) #are "'ur ,ie4#
1# Browse through the internet and select one from each genre of songs
below for the following groups of students
Students- background Song genre
& classroom of /ear 0 low proficiency students
in the rural area.
pop
ballad
& classroom of /ear 1 high proficiency students
in a SBT in ;uala Lumpur.
pop
ballad
68
2# Austify your choice of selection based on the following principles of
te)t selection
! 'riteria
! $urposes
! Techni*ues
! Learners- Le#el
! 'ultural considerations
3# /ou may ha#e to adapt the songs classroom use. Austify
your adaptation 4refer to 1.B.B7.
4# Suggest suitable acti#ities based on the songs you ha#e selected and
describe in simple teaching steps how you would carry out the
acti#ities.
Re*eren&e#
'o), '.4355I7. Teachin! 'an!(a!e )rts* ) St("ent-centere" +lassroo, 41
th
ed7.
QS& &llyn E Bacon.
9atbonton, E. E SegalowitF, (. 416II7. 'reati#e automatiFation $rinciples for
promoting fluency within a communicati#e framework. TESOL
Euarter!"; 33, 0LB!063.
@ubbard, $. et al416617 ) Trainin! +o(rse /or T-F'.")ford ")ford Qni#ersity
$ress.
Little, A. 416IB7. $op and rock music in the ESL classroom. TESL Talk, 10 407,
05!00.1
69
Malaysian $rimary Syllabus ;SS< Syllabus 'urriculum Specifications
Medina, SuFanne L, The Effect of Music on Second Language Pocabulary
&c*uisition, C(ational (etwork for Early Language Learning-, Pol 1!B, 166B.
Murphy, T 416637, The 8iscourse "p $op Songs, TES"L Wuarterly 31.407, LL5!
LL0.
(uttall, '.416I37 Teachin! 7ea"in! S$ills in a Forei!n 'an!(a!e. ")ford
@einemann %nternational.
Showalter, E. 435537. Teachin! 'iterat(re. ")ford Blakewell $ublishing.
Tomlinson, '.M. and Brown, '.L.435537 -ssentials o/ +hil"rens 'iterat(re.
Boston, QS& &llyn and Bacon.
We2#ite#
http==bussongs.com=songs=wheels!on!the!bus!go!round!and!round.php
http==www.eslbase.com=articles=songs
http==digitaldreamdoor.com=pages=bestJballadsddd.html
http==www.kidsmusictown.com=
http==songsandpoetryforesl.weebly.com
http==www.englishclub.com=teaching!tips=music!classroom.htm
http==www.teaching#illage.org=3515=5B=30=teaching!young!learners!with!songs!
by!matt!richelson=
70
http==www3.#obs.at=ludescher=9rammar=teachingJgrammarJthroughJsongsJa.ht
m
http==www.usingenglish.com=articles=using!songs!with!young!learners.html
TOPIC /: PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION AN. A.APTATION OF POEMS
/.0 SYNOPSIS
Topic 0B highlights on the principles of selection and adaptation of
poems. This session will focus on the principles of selection of poems
for young learners by looking at the purposes for using poems in the
ESL classroom, the principles of poem selection and the techni*ues of
using poems in the classroom. %t will also highlight on the adaptation of
poems for the language classroom.
71
/.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic 0B, you will be able to
identify the principles of selection and adaptation of poems for
use in the primary ESL classroom
:ustify choice of poem selection using the criteria of te)t selection
adapt and :ustify poems collected using the principles of te)t
simplification
/.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS
CONTENT
CONTENT
TOPIC FOUR (3 HOURS)
Students should be e)posed to different types of poetry in the language
classroom. This e)posure will enrichen their knowledge and e)perience of the
target language as it e)poses students to authentic language use. Through
poetry, students are also e)posed to a form of language that can pro#ide new
insights through imaginati#e and beautiful e)pressi#e language.
/.- SELECTION OF POEMS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
72
$"EMS
Selection &daptation
'riteria of
Te)t
Selection
$urposes
Techni*ues
The following section will focus on purposes of using poems in the classrooms,
the criteria of te)t selection and techni*ues or acti#ities that could be used in
using poems in the language classroom for young learners, including learner
le#els and cultural considerations.
/.-.1 Pur$'#e# *'r U#in( P'etr" in te Lan(ua(e C!a##r''%
2hy do teachers use poems in the classroom+ List at least G reasons.
2hat are the ad#antages of using poems in the teaching and learning of
English classroom+ List at least G ad#antages.
$oems can be used for a number of purposes and there are many reasons why
poems are used in the classroom. $oems can help young learners impro#e their
listening skills and pronunciation, therefore potentially helping them to impro#e
their speaking skills. $oems can also be useful tools in the learning of
#ocabulary, sentence structures, and sentence patterns. %n selecting poems, you
should consider your students- potential de#elopment of the following areas
$ersonal 8e#elopment
&esthetic 8e#elopment
'ultural 8e#elopment
Language Learning 8e#elopment
Moral Palues 8e#elopment
There are many reasons for teaching and using poetry in ESL language
classroom. Some of the key reasons include the following
73
poem pro#ides en:oyment ? some poems are amusing and
entertaining
the reading and recitation of poems helps to de#elop confidence in
using English
reciting poetry encourages the use of correct stress and intonation in
English speech
poems help to de#elop interest in words and word usage in new ways
to achie#e certain effects
poems helps to introduce new #ocabulary and word order
poems present the use of ordinary words in new ways helps to
sharpen pupils- senses and appreciation of language
the rhythm and repetition in poems helps pupils to remember and
memorise them easily
poems help to e)pand students- knowledge about the world
poems help students to identify with people and situations
poems e)press moods familiar to pupils
poems gi#e insights into pupils and their feelings
()"a%te" /ro 6ario, '.,.(8989).6ays o/ Teachin! .riary -n!lish. 'on"on an"
4asin!sto$e* MacMillan)
/.-.2 Criteria *'r P'etr" Se!e&ti'n
74
2hich poetry genre4s7 would attract young learners+
2hat topic would interest young learners+ List at least G topics.
/.-.2.1 Learner Le,e!#
Learner le#els is the most important criteria that must be considered in the
selection of a teaching learning material, in this case poems. Learner le#els is
also an important consideration in designing teaching learning acti#ities. Much of
this ha#e been elaborated earlier in the section <eadibility of Te)t.
%n selecting poems, a teacher needs to select poems that suit their students- le#el
in terms of te)t difficulty and language comple)ity 4#ocabulary, structure7. The
most basic childrenDs poetry can sometimes too difficult for students in the rural
areas. @ence, they might need to be adapted.
/.-.2.2 Cu!tura! C'n#i)erati'n#
$oems reflect culture and by using these poems can gi#e your students the
opportunity to ac*uire a better understanding of the culture of the target
language.
%n choosing poems, you ha#e to consider the following factors
'ultural Biasness
Sensiti#ity to the impact of culturally!induced beha#iour
>amiliarity to learners- background knowledge
The use words or e)pressions which are percei#ed as inappropriate,
offensi#e or #ulgar in the conte)t of the students
The poems must present the world through a child-s perspecti#e and focuses on
li#es and acti#ities as well as on acti#ities to which the child can relate. The
e)pression of the ideas and feelings, howe#er, must be uni*ue, often causing the
student to percei#e ordinary things in new ways. The poem needs to appropriate
to the e)periences of a child and does not preach to them. %f you decide that the
75
poetry is well selected, consider the illustrations and the appearance of the book.
Beautiful illustrations do not ensure a good collection of poems within the co#ers.
/.-.2.- Stu)ent#0 Intere#t
/oung children prefer narrati#e poems o#er lyric poems as compared to free
#erse and haiku. They also like humorous poems, poems about animals, and
poems about en:oyable familiar e)periences. Limericks are children-s fa#oured
form. They also prefer poems that ha#e pronounced sound patterns of all kinds,
but especially en:oy poems that rhyme. 'hildren prefer poems with regular,
distincti#e beats 4rhythm7. 9enerally, the elements of imagery and figurati#e
language are not well recei#ed by young learners because it is not easy to
understand poems figurati#e language.
(So(rce* T(nnell 5 3acobs, 8999)
/.-.2./ Oter C'n#i)erati'n#
There are different types and genres of poems you can choose from for use in
the language classroom. %n selecting poems for your students, the following
factors could also be useful for consideration
rhyme, humorous narrati#e, and content based on familiar e)periences
enthusiasm declines as children get older
fa#our contemporary o#er traditional poems
use of minimal comple) imagery and subtle emotion
Some other criteria that must also be considered when selecting the poems are
76
poems that are li#ely, with e)citing meters and rhythms, are most likely to
appeal to young children.
poems for young children should emphasiFe the sounds of language and
encourage play with words.
sharply cut #isual images and words used in fresh no#el manners allow
children to e)pand their imaginations and see or hear the world in a new
way.
poems for young children should tell simple stories and introduce stirring
scenes of action.
the poems selected should not ha#e been written down to childrenDs
supposed le#el.
the most effecti#e poems allow children to interpret, to feel, and to put
themsel#es into the poems. They encourage children to e)tend
comparisons, images, and findings.
the sub:ect matter should delight children, say something to them,
enhance their egos, strike happy recollections, tickle their funny bones, or
encourage them to e)plore.
poems should be good enough to stand up under repeated readings.
(SO27+- * htt%*::hoe%a!es.startin.e"(:/ac<sta//:belin"a:%oetry.htl)
(uttal 416I33G7 outlines a list of criteria as guidelines for selecting a te)t for
classroom use. These are
the readability of te)t
the suitability of content
the e)ploitability of the authentic te)t
The abo#e selection criteria are discussed in the following sections.
77
A. Rea)a2i!it" '* TeCt
<eadability means that the te)t should be at the right le#el. 2hen we try to find a
readable te)t, we ha#e to assess the le#el of its structural and le)ical difficulty.
Still, we should not forget that the students can deal with more difficult te)ts,
pro#ided the task is not too difficult 4(uttal, 16I37. <eadability is a measure of
the comprehensibility of written te)t. %n other words, it is the combination of
le)ical 4i.e. #ocabulary7 and structural difficulty found in a te)t. There are some
measures on readability that you can use to find out the difficulty le#el of the te)t
for e)amples the SMO; in"e1, the F7C rea"ability estiate and +loDe Test
4(uttal,16I37.
%n terms of readability of te)t, poems chosen should be at the right le#el of
difficulty for your students. Therefore, select the ones that are appropriate at your
students- le#el of proficiency in terms of sentence length, word length within
sentences and comple)ity of sentence structure. Sometimes, presentation
factors unrelated to the language of the te)t also affect readability for e)ample
choice of te)t siFe, layout, illustrations and colours.
The Table below shows three poems of three le#els of difficulty and an analysis
based on the criteria of te)t selection
1. SIMPLE 2. MORE .IFFICULT -. MOST .IFFICULT
&pples, $eaches
&pples, peaches,
$ears, plums,
Tell me when your
Birthday comes
Sing /our 2ay @ome
Sing your way home
&t the close of the day.
Sing your way home
8ri#e the shadows
away.
8ecember Lea#es
The fallen lea#es are
cornflakes
That fills the lawn-s wide
dish,
&t night and noon
78
Smile e#ery mile,
>or where#er you roam
%t will brighten your road,
%t will lighten your load,
%f you sing your way
home.
The wind-s a spoon
That stirs them with as
wish.
The sky-s sil#er sifter
&!sifting white and slow
That gently shakes
"n crisp brown flakes
The sugar known as snow
Ver#e 1 Ver#e 2 Ver#e -
simple and short
theme is easy
few syllables
repetition
learners can say it
o#er and o#er
again, in a circle
game.
longer lines
more comple)
ideas
imagery is easy
to grasp
rhythm helps
learners
learn it
,8ecember Lea#es.
is about the same
length as ,Sing
/our 2ay @ome.
metaphors are
more comple)
imagery demands
more of the reader
a poem by literary
definition
(So(rce* .innell,;.S. 5 Fo(ntas, A.+. (200E).Sin! a son! o/ .oetry* ) Teachin!
7eso(rces /or .honics, 6or" St("y, an" Fl(ency.2S) * ,eineann).
&#oid choosing poems which are too long and in#ol#ed. 8escripti#e poems
should be reser#ed for ad#anced students in the upper primary classes. 'hoose
poems which are short because children, the younger they are, ha#e #ery short
attention span. The poems also need to ha#e a clear message depending on the
maturity le#el of rhe students. Students need to ha#e the maturity of thought in
order to understand more sophisticated themes. &#oid choosing poems with
words outside the e)perience of your students. %f you must choose a poem from
distant cultures, then you must a"a%t it to the needs of your students.
79
:. Suita2i!it" '* C'ntent
Suitability of content means that the te)t should be interesting and informati#e.
The students- preferences should not be neglected and a sur#ey of their tastes
might help the teacher *uite a lot 4(uttal, 16I37. Students- interest is considered
the first re*uirement you should take into consideration in poem selection. This
can be de#eloped through a regular and #aried e)posure to poetry, thus creating
and sustaining students- interest in this area. P'e%# #'u!) 2e &are*u!!"
&'#en. Te" %u#t a,e #'%e a$$ea! an) 2e intere#tin( t' rea). /ou can
help students to appreciate and understand poems better by pro#iding
illustrations #ia drawing diagrams or ha#ing collections of pictures which help
them to #isualiFe the content of the poems more meaningfully.
The poem should be of interest to your students and perhaps amuse and
entertain them 42ario, 16I67. Below is an e)ample of a poem that your students
might find interesting
I Ta!"#t $% Cat T& C'ea( $% R&&)
A ta(!ht y cat to clean y roo,
to (se a b(c$et, br(sh an" broo,
to "(st y cloc$ an" %ict(re /raes,
an" %ic$ (% all y toys an" !aes.
,e %(ts y %ants an" shirts away,
an" a$es y be", an" A wo(l" say
it sees to e itFs only /air
he %(ts away y (n"erwear.
An /act, A thin$ heFs !ot it a"e.
AF not as ha%%y with o(r tra"e.
,e ay %ic$ (% y shoes an" soc$s,
b(t A clean o(t his litterbo1.
80
The poem you choose must be relevant to the conte)t in which students are
familiar with and meet their needs and hopes. %t should not o#erstretch students-
imagination. %t should be related to your students- e)perience, or be within their
reach 42ario, 16I67. Look at this poem. %s it rele#ant to your students+
*#at +&!', %&! 'i-e t& .e/
A" li$e to be a /arer
!rowin! aiDe an" wheat.
A" li$e to be a other
an" coo$ !oo" thin!s to eat.
A" li$e to be sho%$ee%er
with a lot o/ thin!s to sell.
A" li$e to be a chil"rens n(rse
an" a$e sic$ chil"ren well.
A" li$e to be a sol"ier
an" learn to arch an" shoot
A" li$e to be a tailor
an" sew a "ress or s(it.
A" li$e to be a %olicean
catchin! thieves at ni!ht.
A" li$e to be a teacher
an" show to yo( how to rea" an" write.
C. EC$!'ita2i!it" '* te Autenti& Materia!
E)ploitability means that the te)t should facilitate the de#elopment of reading
skills in order to help the students become competent and independent readers
4(uttal, 16I37. & good selection of te)t is the one you can e)ploit in your
teaching. %n selecting poems, you are asked to use your own :udgement on
making the best choice of poems for yo(r st("ents. 2hen you e)ploit poem, you
make use of it to de#elop your students- competence in achie#ing their learning
outcomes.
81
The poem chosen should ha#e a strong rhythm and also contain some re%etition
42ario, 16I67. 'an you notice these two features in the poem that follows+
*e01e 2!3t .ee( t& Nair&.i
6eve G(st been to Hairobi.
Tell (s what yo(ve seen.
4icycles an" trains,
+ars an" aero%lanes.
.eo%le stan"in!, %eo%le wal$in!.
.eo%le stan"in!, %eo%le tal$in!0
.eo%le "oin! everythin!0
,i!h b(il"in!s, cloc$ towers,
Trees, !ar"ens an" /lowers.
The poem chosen should tell a story and possibly be suitable for acting
42ario, 16I67. Look at this poem. 2hat story does it tell+ %s it suitable for
acting+
*#at +&!', %&! 'i-e t& .!%/
A li$e to b(y a bicycle
)n" ri"e alon! the roa"s.
A" li$e to b(y a "on$ey
To carry heavy loa"s.
A" li$e to b(y a blan$et
)n" %(t it on y be".
4(t Ave only !ot /ive %ence %iece
So All b(y a loa/ o/ brea"0
A" li$e to b(y a %retty "ress
)n" !ive it to y other.
A" li$e to b(y a ra"io
)n" !ive it to y brother.
A" li$e to b(y a new scar/
)n" tie it aro(n" y hea".
4(t Ave only !ot ten %ence %iece
So All b(y a %en instea"0
82
/.-.- Te&ni5ue# in U#in( P'e%# in te C!a##r''%
The following are some techni*ues you can employ in the language classroom
using poetry
i. Marching to <hymes
marching around the room while chanting a poem will help students
feel the rhythm.
ii. Listening to <hymes
ha#e students clap or snap their fingers when they come to a
rhyming word. They can also say it softer 4or louder7or mouth the
word without making a sound.
iii. <hyming 'loFe
read poems, asking students to :oin in only on the rhyming words.
$ut highlighter tape on the rhyming words.
i#. $oem $ictures
after reading a poem aloud at different times of the day, ha#e
students make pictures to go with it and display them with the
poem. 8uplicate indi#idual copies of a simple poem and ask each
student to illustrate it.
#. 2ord Endings
write the poem in large print on a chart or on strips for a pocket
chart. &fter many readings of a poem on a large chart, help
students notice words that rhyme and specific #ocabulary. They
can use a masking card or highlighter tape to mark these words.
#i. $oem $erformances
students can perform the poems after they learn them, sometimes
adding sound effects with rhythm instruments such as sticks and
drums or by clapping and snapping their fingers
#ii. $oetry $lay
83
lead students in saying their fa#ourite poems while they line up, as
they walk through an area in which their talking will not disturb other
classes.
#iii. >inger poems and &ction $oems
make finger plays from poems. 8o poems with motions in in#ol#ing
the entire body.
i). $oem $osters
use art materials4coloured and=or te)tured paper, pens, crayons,
paints7 to illustrate poems on charts for the whole group to en:oy, or
indi#idually in personal poetry books.
). $oem $uFFles
ha#e the students cut a poem into strips, mi) them up, order them,
and glue them on paper in the correct order. Then ha#e them use
art materials to illustrate the te)t. /ou can create a simple template
to photocopy for many different poems.
)i. $oetry and $rose
take a poem and create a Cprose- #ersion of it. $lace the two
#ersions of the story beside each other so that the children can see
and talk about differences in language, form, punctuation, mood
etc.
)ii. 2ord Match
place one line of apoem in the pocket chart and ha#e students
rebuild the line by matching indi#idual words under the line.
(So(rce* .innell,;.S. 5 Fo(ntas, A.+. 200E).
/.-.-.1 Ti$# 'n Carr"in( Out A&ti,itie# U#in( P'etr"+
Below are some tips on how to successfully carry out the abo#e poems acti#ities
in I.B.B
i. <eading $oetry &loud to 'hildren
84
The most important rule to keep in mind is that poetry should be read for
its meaning. Stress the meaning elements of the poem :ust as you do
when reading prose. "ften, the words in poetry are phrased in such a way
that you must continue past the end of the line before pausing. %n other
words, the breaks must be determined by the meaning units of the poem,
not by the lines.
The first rule is that as a reader, you should not o#eremphasiFe the beat of
the poem. 8oing so results in an annoying singsong effect. The natural
rhythm of the poem will be felt in a more interesting way if you a#oid an
unnatural, meaningless reading and let the poetic language pro#ide the
rhythm.
$oetry should be enunciated clearly. Each sound and each syllable of a
poem are important and must be heard to be appreciated. This often
means that you will need to slow down your normal reading pace to gi#e
full #alue to each sound.
$oetry needs to be performed and dramatiFed. Take some chances and
try out different effects 4using different #oices, singing, shouting,
whispering, pausing dramatically, and so on7 as you read poems aloud.
/our #oice is a powerful tool. /ou may change it from louder to softer to
only a whisperO you may start at a deep, low pitch and rise to a medium
and e#entually high pitchO you may speak #ery *uickly in a clipped fashion
and then slow down and drawl out the words.
$oems may need to be read aloud a number of times because their many
meanings may be percei#ed only after the literal sense is known. &lso,
fa#ourite poems can be en:oyed again and again, as you and your
students sa#or one more reading. &nother way to pro#ide students with
opportunities to listen to poems is by recording audiotapes of poems for
the listening center and making them a#ailable along with the poem in
print, on a chart or in a book for the student to listen to and read.
85
'ommercially made tapes with popular poets reading their works,
accompanied by music, are a#ailable and are *uite popular with children.
&fter reading a poem aloud, some form of response is usually en:oyed.
Sometimes the response students ha#e to a poem is simply the desire to
hear it again. "ther times, students need :ust a few moments to reflect
silently on the poem. Some poems warrant discussion, and students can
take the opportunity to tell how the poem made them feel or what it made
think about.
ii. 'horal $oetry
'horal $oetry is another techni*ue you can employ in your language classroom.
The following are some tips on the arrangement on how you can add #ariety to
this acti#ity
%n unison choral speaking, the students learn the poem and recite it
together as a group. Two!part or three!part choral poetry is usually based
on arranging students into #oice types 4for e)ample, high, medium, and
low7 to achie#e different effects and by selecting lines of the poem for
each group to recite or read.
Solo #oices can be added to either of these presentations and are
sometimes used for asking a *uestion or making an e)clamation.
Some poems lend themsel#es to cumulati#e build!up presentations. &
cumulati#e build!up is affected by ha#ing, for e)ample, only two #oices say
the first line, and then two more :oin in on the second, and then two more,
gradually building to a crescendo until the entire class says the last line or
stanFa.
$oems can be presented by simultaneous recitation, which forms a
presentation similar to a musical round. %n this case, group one begins the
poem and recites it all the way through. 2hen group one begins the third
line, for e)ample, then group two starts the first line, and the two groups
86
recite simultaneously until the end. "ther groups can, of course, be
added.
$oetry selected and arranged for dramatic choral readings on a particular
theme infuses an interesting #ariation into choral poetry. The poems can
be read aloud by two readers at once, one reading the left half of the page
and one reading the right half. &t times, the readers read certain line
simultaneously. $airs of students may each take a different poem from the
collection for presentation.
iii. Learning to 2rite $oetry
&fter teaching your students about a kind of poetry, work with them during the
writing process on de#eloping moti#ations. Let them begin by sharing ideas.
@a#e students compile personal and class anthologies of their own
poems or their fa#ourite poems.
8esign bulletin boards with poetry displays of students- own poems as
well as copies of poems by fa#ourite poets.
Let students rework a narrati#e poem into a different genre, such as a
newspaper article or a letter. %n turn, students may attempt the
re#erse! taking a newspaper article and putting it to #erse.
Suggest to students that they design posters, indi#idually or in groups,
to illustrate a fa#ourite poem. $osters are then displayed around the
school for a few weeks.
Encourage students to model the works of professional poets by
attempting imitation of a whole poem or of specific techni*ues.
<ead aloud many poems of one poetic form then analyFe the form
with the students to re#eal the characteristics of its structure.
Wuatrains, cin*uanis, haiku, concrete poems, and limericks can all be
used as models with students once they ha#e an appreciation for
poetry and for the specific poetic form.
(So(rce* Tolinson, T. M. 5 4rown, +. '. (2002))
87
/./ A.APTATION OF SONGS
The following section will focus on factors to consider when adapting
songs for use in the language classroom.
Sometimes we find oursel#es in a position whereby we need to adapt
some of the songs we would like use.
List at least G reasons why we might need to adapt some of the songs.
/ou may ha#e to adapt, simplify or reduce most carefully some of the poems
chosen, to meet to the needs of your students. The following are factors of
consideration in adapting songs
Le)ical %tems
Sentence Structure
'ontent
More practice...
Practice 1

G. %dentify the poems below according to their genres
Alphabet * %imerick * +in,uain * Acrostic * -ma"ery * .aiku
) yo(n! !irl was wal$in! in the rain.
4(t her (brella "i"nFt o%en.
+o(l"nFt r(n, co(l"nFt h(rry,
&resse" in new shoes,
-ntere" a ho(se /(ll o/ chocolates.
Fo(n" all her /rien"s enGoyin! the.
+ris% an" colo(r/(l
)"orable an" cr(nchy
Hice an" tasty
&elicio(s an" te%tin!
C(y an" best
88
i. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ ii. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
F.en!(insF
.en!(ins
4lac$, white
Swiin!, G(%in!, /ishin!
)ll the %en!(ins G(% "own into
the water.
Tall %en!(ins
by ;enneth Miller
AF the /airy o/ y !ar"en
My white win!s an" !ol"en crown
a$e e charin!.
A can weave a!ic
with y a!ic wan".
AF the /airy o/ y !ar"en.
iii, JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ i#. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
FHi!ht an" &ayF
The stars are shinin!
they will shier an" theyFll !low
(ntil the s(n shines
by Mattie M.
IThere was an ol" an /ro .er(
6ho "reae" he was eatin! his shoe
,e awo$e in the ni!ht 6ith a terrible
/ri!ht
To "iscover it was totally tr(e.I

#. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ #i. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
1. Qsing one of the poems in the pre#ious task, decide on the class you are
going to use for your language classroom.
i. Think of a few acti#ities to carry out based on the poem.
ii. Austify your choice in terms of
! your learners- le#el
89
Practice #

NTe :r'1en<Le((B) ManN
% saw the other day when % went shopping in the store
& man % hadnDt e#er, e#er seen in there before,
& man whose leg was broken and who leaned upon a crutch!
% asked him #ery kindly if it hurt him #ery much.
N(ot at allMN said the broken!leggDd man.
% ran around behind him for % thought that % would see
The broken leg all bandaged up and bent back at the kneeO
But % didnDt see the leg at all, there wasnDt any there,
So % asked him #ery kindly if he had it hid somewhere.
NThen where,N % asked him, Nis it+ 8id a tiger bite it off+
"r did you get your foot wet when you had a nasty cough+
8id someone :ump down on your leg when it was #ery new+
"r did you simply cut it off because you wanted to+N
N2hat was it then+N % asked him, and this is what he said
N% crossed a busy crossing when the traffic light was redO
& big black car came whiFFing by and knocked me off my feet.N
N"f course you looked both ways,N % said, Nbefore you crossed the street.N
NThey rushed me to the hospital right *uickly, Nhe went on,
N&nd when % woke in nice white sheets % saw my leg was goneO
ThatDs why you see me walking now on nothing but a crutch.N
N%Dm glad,N said %, Nyou told me, and % thank you #ery muchMN
by 3ohn Mac$ey Shaw
1. Suggest T@<EE suitable acti#ities and describe in simple teaching steps
how you would carry out the acti#ities using the poem.
3. Austify your choice of selection of both the poems and the acti#ities based
on the following
90
Practice 3
.i#&u## an) #are "'ur ,ie4#
1. Browse through the internet and select one poem for each of the following
groups of students
Students- background
& classroom of /ear B low proficiency students in the rural area.
& classroom of /ear G high proficiency students in a SBT in ;uala
Lumpur.
3. Suggest T@<EE suitable acti#ities and describe in simple teaching steps
how you would carry out the acti#ities using the poem.
B. Austify your choice of selection of both the poems and the acti#ities based
on the following
91
Re*eren&e#
'o), '.4355I7. Teachin! 'an!(a!e )rts* ) St("ent-centere" +lassroo, 41
th
ed7.
QS& &llyn E Bacon.
Malaysian $rimary Syllabus ;SS< Syllabus 'urriculum Specifications
(uttal, '. 16I3. Teachin! 7ea"in! s$ills in a /orei!n lan!(a!e. ")ford
@einemann
$innell, 9.S. E >ountas, %.'. 435507.Sing a song of $oetry & teaching
<esources for $honics, 2ord Study, and >luency.QS&
@einemann.
Showalter, E. 435537. Teachin! 'iterat(re. ")ford Blakewell $ublishing.
2ario, L.@.416I67.6ays o/ Teachin! .riary -n!lish. London and Basingstoke
MacMillan $ublishers
Tomlinson, T. M. E Brown, '. L. -ssentials o/ +hil"rens 'iterat(re
Brown 435537 Boston &llyn and Bacon

Tunnell, M. "., E Aacobs, A. S. 416667, 'hildren-s Literature, Briefly 3
nd

Edition $rentice @all
We2#ite#+
http==www.buFFle.com=articles=types!of!poems!for!kids.html
http==www.gigglepoetry.com=poetryclass=limerickcontesthelp.html
http==homepages.stmartin.edu=facJstaff=belinda=poetry.html
http==www.teachingideas.co.uk=english=limerick.htm
http==#olweb.utk.edu=Schools=bedford=harrisms=limerick.htm

92
TOPIC =
ACTIVITIES AN. MATERIALS TO ENCOURAGE
AEST6ETIC .EVELOPMENT T6ROUG6 SONGS
AN. POETRY
=.0 SYNOPSIS
Topic G
This topic intends to help course participants to select materials and design
acti#ities to encourage aesthetic de#elopment through songs and poetry.
=.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic G, you will be able to
To select and create acti#ities and materials for the primary ESL
classroom to suit learning outcomes
To adapt acti#ities and materials for different le#els
To select materials and conduct acti#ities to encourage reader response
=.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS
93
CONTENT
=.2 A&ti,itie# an) %ateria!# t' en&'ura(e ae#teti& )e,e!'$%ent 7- 6'ur#9
G.3.1 Se!e&tin( an) Creatin( A&ti,itie# an) Materia!# t' Suit Learnin(
Out&'%e#
/oung learners will en:oy singing a song or reciting a poem which they could
easily associate the content closely to their e)isting world knowledge, culture and
tradition. Qsing songs and poetry to achie#e the learning outcomes prescribed in
the ;BS< and ;SS< syllabus for Malaysian primary schools re*uires the
teachers to select appropriate materials and create rele#ant acti#ities. &esthetic
#alues and fun element in language learning e)perience can be achie#ed if
teachers plan their teaching points stage by stage to suit specific learning
outcomes. To do this, teachers need to highlight the aesthetic elements in songs
or poems and take into considerations criteria such as
&re the materials suitable and appropriate in e#ery possible way+
8o they possess any aesthetic #alues+
%f yes, what , type and le#el of aesthetics+
%f no, how to adapt the material to add this #alue+
@ow does a teacher help instil and de#elop aesthetics among students+
@ow to create acti#ities in the lesson plan that connect and enhance this+
%magine if you plan to use a poem that enables your /ear 3 students to
achie#e the following learning outcomes
1.1.B &ble to listen to, say aloud and recite rhymes or sing songs
3.1.1 &ble to recognise and articulate initial, medial and the final sounds in single
syllable words within gi#en conte)t
3.1.3 &ble to blend phonemes into recogniFable words and read aloud
2hat you could do is to design an acti#ity that re*uires the students to read and
en:oy doing the designed tasks and at the same time appreciate the poem that
they read. Let-s ha#e a look at the e)ample below.
94
E)ample 1 Qsing a poem
&cti#ity
'lass
Le#el
Theme
>ocused Skill
%ntegrated Skills
<ole $lay
/ear 3
Beginning and %ntermediate
2orld of Story
Listening
Speaking, <eading
%n the following e)ample, the basic idea of e)posing onomatopoeia is to gi#e
children insights into themsel#es and imitate sounds familiar to them. Some
students may be familiar with the sounds of fire crackles, water siFFles, crunching
potato chips, tent poles cracking together, smoothing sleeping bag and cricket
chirp. These sounds might e#oke their inner feelings that camping is not a creepy
moment or a terrifying e#ent but they get to listen to different sounds in the
surrounding at night.
To promote appreciation of literariness of a poem does not mean the poem
chosen has to be an established one. & simple start is students are put into
groups. The teacher distributes the following poem to each group and asks them
95
Ca%$in(
'rackM 'rackM
The fire crackles under the stars.
SiFFleM SiFFleM
The water siFFles abo#e the fire.
'runchM 'runchM
The campers crunching on potato chips.
'lickM 'lackM 'lickM 'lackM
The tent poles clicking and clacking together.
<ustleM <ustleM
&s we prepare our sleeping bags to go to sleep.
'hirpM 'hirpM
The crickets say, ,good!night..
By (atasha (iemi
http==www.mywordwiFard.com=onomatopoeia!poems.html
to read the poem for 15 minutes focusing on the literary element which is
onomatopoeia. 'oncurrently, the teacher could emphasiFe the initial and the
final sound of =k= in single syllable words such as crac$, cr(nch, clic$, and clac$
as the students recite the poem. Learning sounds performed by specific #erbs in
a conte)t, for e)ample during camping, enables the students to relate their
e)isting knowledge of sounds. %n fact, the teacher could ask students to come up
with their own other familiar sounds in the form of one syllable word too.
<eading the poem at this stage gi#es the opportunity for the students to realise
the first two learning ob:ecti#es. &fter this acti#ity is completed, each group is
re*uired to role!play the poem using precise #oice pro:ection and appropriate
style. <ole play gets the students to blend phonemes into recogniFable words
and read aloud the poem thus internalise the input on onomatopoeia e)posed to
them in the earlier stage. This acti#ity subse*uently leads the students to
accomplish the third learning ob:ecti#e.
So long as a teacher identifies certain aesthetic features of a poem which match
with areas specified in the curriculum specification, then the poem could be used
as the basis for a lesson which e#entually increases students- awareness of
these features. %n short, selection of rele#ant materials and appropriate acti#ities
designed by the teacher to suit learning outcomes not only enhances students-
aesthetic de#elopment but it is also a way to impro#e language knowledge.
96

Tut'ria! Ta#1
E)cercise 1
<ead the following song and suggest one acti#ity to enable young learners
de#elop their aesthetic knowledge based on one learning outcome from the
;BS< or ;SS< curriculum specification.

97
Y'u are M" Sun#ine
/ou are my sunshine
My only sunshine
/ou make me happy
2hen skies are grey
/ouDll ne#er know dear
@ow much % lo#e you
$lease donDt take my sunshine away.
The other night, dear
&s % lay sleeping
% dreamed % held you in my arms.
2hen % awoke, dear
% was mistaken
&nd % hung my head and criedO
Lyrics and Music by
Aimmy 8a#is and 'harles Mitchell
E)cercise 3
Based on the learning standards from ;SS< /ear 3
i. 8esign one acti#ity to teach this song
ii. 9et the students to change the lyrics below to create a new song from the old
tune of C%-m a Little Teapot-.
G.3.3 A)a$tin( A&ti,itie# an) Materia!# *'r .i**erent Le,e!#
Students- language proficiency is one of the principles that a teacher has to take
into account when it comes to selecting materials to teach songs and poetry for
young learners. %t is crucial for the teacher to adapt e)isting poems or songs
and design acti#ities suitable for mi)ed abilities class for aesthetic de#elopment.
Qsing e)isting materials can sa#e time, effort and e)pense in ac*uiring language
materials or materials for teaching or learning. @owe#er, adaptation of materials
has to be done meticulously so that beginners do not feel awkward to read
different te)ts compared to intermediate or ad#anced students. There is also a
danger that they will instantly realise they ha#e been labelled as weak or low
proficiency students. %n the case of de#eloping aesthetic #alues among
beginners, labelling affects their moti#ation to appreciate songs or poems gi#en
to them. Therefore, adapting materials should not be neglected by any teacher
98
IB% a Litt!e Teapot
%Dm a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle, here is my spout
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out!
I'm a clever teapot, yes it's true
Here's an example of what I can do
I can change my handle to my spout
Just tip me over and pour me out.
$oem by Betty @arris
in ensuring that none of the students in the class feels neglected. @ere are
e)amples of adapting a poem for a class with mi)ed abilities.

&s a starting point for the class, the teacher could pre!teach difficult #ocabulary
such as the words Cwent up-, Cfell down-, Ctumbling- and Ccrown- to the low
proficiency students. Then, the teacher can ask the students to sing the rhyme
and share their e)perience with their peers. %ntegrating speaking and listening
skills or e#en three language skills concurrently adds elements for dicussion in
which students could associate their newly ac*uired classroom e)perience to the
world of knowledge.
&s for the intermediate students, the teacher may use the following poem to
challenge their e)isting knowledge.
99
Fu#t tin1 a2'ut it
/our low proficiency students may not realise that hill!Aill, down!crown
and water!after are actually rhyme. @ow would you adopt this rhyme to
encourage its aesthetic #alue among this group of students+
The teacher now di#ides the students into small groups and includes the low
proficiency students in the groups. 2ith the help of intermediate students , they
now need to identify the se*uence of what actually happens to Aack by drawing
the list of e#ent on a drawing block.
&lternati#ely, the teacher may ask the whole class to copy down the first stanFa
and change the nouns in the rhyme to produce a new or nonsense #ersion.
<ewriting a new #ersion encourages students of any proficiency le#el to engage
with the poem and respond to it personally without worrying about getting the
Cright and sensical- meaning. @ere is an e)ample
"riginal <hyme (ew Persion
Aack and Aill
went up the hill
to fetch a pail of water
Aack fell down
and broke his crown
and Aill came tumbling after
Aenab and Ao:o
went up the ;iliman:aro
to fetch a kilo of laughter
Aenab fell down
and broke her crystal gown
and Ao:o came tumbling after
100
Fa&1 an) Fi!!
Aack and Aill
went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Aack fell down
and broke his crown
and Aill came tumbling after
Qp Aack got
and home did trot
&s fast as he could caper
2ent to bed
and bound his head
2ith #inegar
and brown paper
There are some key considerations for selecting literary te)ts before you could
adapt a#ailable materials for different type of students. To summarise the
criteria, you may use the checklist below by LaFar, 9. 4166B7
Selection of task or suitable acti#ity to cater the needs of different le#els plays a
ma:or role in ensuring that young learners en:oy and appreciate the aesthetic
#alues of songs and poems. Teachers are encouraged to adapt and modify
a#ailable materials to let the students see how poems and songs are structured
and webbed together using literary and linguistic features.
101
Ce&1!i#t *'r &''#in( !iterar" teCt#
TYPE OF COURSE
Le#el of students
Students- reasons for learning English
;ind of English re*uired
Length=intensity of course
TYPE OF STU.ENTS
&ge
%ntellectual maturity
Emotional understanding
%nterests=@obbies
'ultural background
Linguistic proficiency
Literary background
OT6ER TEGT<RELATE. FACTORS
&#ailability of te)ts
Length of te)t
E)ploitability
>it with syllabus
Tut'ria! Ta#1
E)ercise 1
Look at the following song. /ou plan to use ,@ere 2e 9o <ound the Mulberry
Bush. tune to e)ploit specific language features. 2ith what le#el of students do
you think it could be used+ 8ecide one literary feature in this song that can be
e)ploited and design a suitable acti#ity for your students.
102
Ti# I# Te Wa"
This is the way we wash our face,
2ash our face, wash our face,
This is the way we wash our face,
"n a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we clean our hands,
'lean our hands, clean our hands,
E)cercise 3
&dapt the poem C>i#e Little Ladybirds- to teach a group of beginners. $repare
one pre!acti#ity, while!acti#ity and post!acti#ity based on the poem below.
G.3.B A&ti,itie# an) Materia!# t' En&'ura(e Rea)er Re#$'n#e
Songs and poetry guide readers to construct meaning based on their common
daily e)periences. 'onstruction of meaning can be done by letting young
learners respond to the te)t. To get learners #oice out their responses, a teacher
can ask them to write down what they thought about the te)t and discuss this
idea in the class. This perspecti#e is known as reader!response. %t #iews that
readers are acti#ely engaged in the construction of meaning while reading a te)t.
'arter 4355L7 argues that ,there is no single Ccorrect- way of analyFing and
interpreting the te)t, nor any single correct approachH# Thus, how young learners
make meaning from their own e)periences with a te)t will make them e#entually
appreciate the aesthetic #alues of songs and poetry.
;nowing how young learners respond is essential in using songs and poetry to
encourage aesthetic de#elopment. $rimary school students in Malaysia normally
103
Fi,e Litt!e La)"2ir)#
>i#e little ladybirds, climbing on the door
"ne flew away and then there were four.
>our little ladybirds, sitting on a tree.
"ne flew away and then there were three.
Three little ladybirds, sitting on a shoe
"ne flew away and then there were two.
Two little ladybirds, looking for some fun
"ne flew away and then there was one.
"ne little ladybirds, hiding behind the sun
"ne flew away and then there was none.
http==www.kidsfront.com=rhymes=fi#eJlittleJladybirds.html
respond to literary te)ts whene#er they are engaged in acti#ities that in#ol#e
*uestioning, making association, e)plaining and performing. This is because
answering *uestions, gi#ing reasons and acting out the te)t gi#en become the
springboard for the young learners to mo#e from understanding information in a
te)t to appreciating and en:oying the content stated in the English language.
<osenblatt 41660, as cited in 'o), 355I7 argues that children should take the
aesthetic stance to en:oy and appreciate literary te)ts be it poetry, songs and
e#en stories so that the importance of meaning and e)pressing feeling will not be
reduced. Therefore, the role to allow students to construct the meanings and
e)press their feelings precisely relies on the teachers. %f students fail to
comprehend the content of a te)t, they will not be able to pro#ide necessary
response no matter how much the teacher tries to e)plain the meaning of the
songs or poems gi#en to them. @ere is an acti#ity to use with students when
e)ploiting a poem to encourage reader response.
<ead the poem below and do the following suggested acti#ities.
a. Sing with actions
b. 8raw and colour the pictures
c. 2rite a dialogue based on the poem
d. 2rite your response for the following prompts 4personalised *uestions7
i. @ow would you feel if your pet could help you to clean your bedroom+
ii. @as anything like this e#er happened to you+ Tell about it.
iii. 2hat else do you wish to happen in the poem+
104
I tau(t %" &at t' &!ean %" r''%
% taught my cat to clean my room,
to use a bucket, brush and broom,
to dust my clock and picture frames,
and pick up all my toys and games.
@e puts my pants and shirts away,
and makes my bed, and % would say
i#. 2hat would you do or say if you were the persona in the poem+
#. Tell anything you want about the poem.
There are numerous songs and contemporary children-s poems to teach colours,
manners, animals, sounds and almost any concept that we can incorporate in the
aesthetic de#elopment. Music can change the learning atmosphere in a
classroom. &ccording to @armer 4355L7, music can amuse and entertain
students as it ,...can make a satisfactory connection between the world of leisure
and the world of learning in the classroom.. Music and poetry can be interwo#en
in a lesson pro#ided that the teacher selects suitable acti#ities and marries it with
language acti#ities to enhance a child-s inner de#elopment. The selected
materials should be sufficient to co#er acti#ities that can be used to e#oke reader
response when they work indi#idually, in pairs, in small groups and as a whole
group.
&esthetic 8e#elopment can be enhanced
&. Through #arious kind of acti#ities
Singing ? solo, duets, small groups, chorus
Singing and Mo#ement= 8ancing
? simple solo mo#ements and gestures
? group mo#ements = marching =#ariety
<ole!play ? drama, acting, miming
$icturiFations ? drawing, painting, colouring
'artoon creations ! fa#ourite scene or an entire story
@andworks ? using play!dough, recycle things
9ames ? simple in!door = out!door games
Music ? adding = adapting= changing tunes
%mpro#isation
<eader-s Theater
Make a puFFle depicting a scene or a character.
'reate a crossword puFFle based on the story.
'reate a scrapbook.
105
B. Through #arious language acti#ities
'ursi#e writing e)ercises
'haracter identifying
2ord = picture match
<eading ? tone, #oice pro:ection, style
Story!telling
<etell a story.
2ords!linking =poem puFFles, :igsaw
2ord!choices ? ad:ecti#es eg. good, cle#er
SummariFe song lyrics or a poem
2rite a re#iew.
2rite a letter to a character.
Literature 'ircles
'ompare and contrast characters from two te)ts
'reate an alternate ending.
<eader <esponse Aournal
'reate a book :acket.
'reate a poem about the te)t.
'. By Qnderstanding a 'hild-s %nner 8e#elopment
E)pressions ! emotions
$hysical beha#iour E Mannerism
>eelings = moods
%doliFing ? wanting to be the hero = superhero
<ole!models ? teachers = others
%nterpersonal E %ntrapersonal skills
'haracter formation E de#elopment
2hen songs and poems are properly introduced to young learners, it will
ine#itably establish strong connections between en:oying literary style and
responding to the te)t based on one-s world knowledge. The choice of te)ts and
106
acti#ities is crucial to make the difference between passi#e reading and acti#e
in#ol#ement with a literary te)t.
(ow that you ha#e been gi#en the list of acti#ities to to encourage reader
response and de#elop aesthetic #alues, try to do the e)ercises below.

Tut'ria! Ta#1
E)cercise 1
Look at the outer look of this shape poem. Suggest one suitable acti#ity to
encourage the young learners to read and discuss the uni*ue characteristics of
this poem as well as its impact to the them.

N'te+
2hen students recite this poem and the teacher utilises the language content of
the poem, it may e#oke the emotion or feelings hidden in this poem.
107
&
#olcano.
& huge rock,
shooting la#a up into
the airM E#eryone runs for
co#er. Lots of thick, black smoke
pours out of the top, gi#ing you a warning
before the e)plosions start. (othing can stand in its
way. Sometimes they don-t blow up for hundreds of years.
Still thousands in the world but they don-t all work, some are e#en underwater.
S'ur&e+ tt$+HH444.%"4'r)4iIar).&'%H#a$e<$'e%#<*'r<1i)#.t%!
E)cercise 3
Select a nursery rhyme = song
'reate a hand!made puppet using recycle items to represent a character found
in the rhyme. $resent to the class a brief reflection on your own emotional
changes doing the puppet.

E)ercise B
Select=adapt a song and a poem for any le#el. 'reate acti#ities based on the
song and poem focusing on aesthetic de#elopment and reader response.
Surf the net. Search for more information on this topic.
Take a break and mo#e on to topic 1 when you are readyM
108

Re*eren&e#
5arterA <# I2007)# L*terat(re a&d La&'(a'e Bea.h*&'# 198622006+ 6 rev*e"#
International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 17A 3213#
'o), '. 4355I7. Teachin! 'an!(a!e )rts. & student!centred 'lassroom. 41
th
ed7.
QS& &llyn E Bacon.
@armer, A. 4355L7. The .ractice o/ -n!lish 'an!(a!e Teachin!. 40
th
ed7. Esse)
$earson Education Ltd.
We2#ite#+
http==firstgradecce.blogspot.com=3511=5I=:ack!and!:ill.html
http==www.teachingenglish.org.uk=sites=teacheng=files=mi)edability.pdf
http==www.busyteacherscafe.com=literacy=readersJresponse.html
http==www.teslcanada:ournal.ca=inde).php=tesl=article=#iew>ile=1561=615
tt$+HHeC&an(e#.#tate.(',Hen(!i#tea&in(H*'ru%Har&i,e#H)'&#H0@</><-<
2.$)*
109
TOPIC 8 LANGUAGE .EVELOPMENT T6ROUG6
SONGS AN. POETRY
8.0 S"n'$#i# +
This topic introduces to course participants how songs and poetry
contribute to
language de#elopment.
8.1 Learnin( 'ut&'%e#
To select, adapt and create acti#ities and materials for use in the
primary ESL classroom for language de#elopment ! listening, speaking,
reading and writing
through songs and poetry.
To create acti#ities for the de#elopment of #ocabulary and grammar
through
songs and poetry.
To adapt acti#ities and materials for different le#els.
8.2 Fra%e4'r1 '* T'$i&+
110
LANGUAGE .EVELOPMENT T6ROUG6 SONGS
AN. POETRY
8.2.1 Intr')u&ti'n
'hildren lo#e singing. %n fact, children grow up with songs and rhymes.
They ha#e ac*uired their mother tongue or first language by listening and
reacting to nursery rhymes spoken and acted by their parents. &ccording to Lo
and Li 4166I7, songs are able to change the monotonous mood in the classand
with the soothing effect of music, they pro#ide a comfortable class en#ironment
for learning. Language teachers should therefore use songs and poetry as part of
their teaching repertoire for language learning.
8.2.2 :ene*it# '* u#in( #'n(# an) $'etr"
Songs and poetry can be used for a number of purposes and there are
many reasons why songs and poetry can be considered #aluable pedagogical
tools 4Murphy, T, 16637. The benefits can be summarised under two main
categories
Lin(ui#ti&+
X To enlarge the #ocabulary background of children
X To de#elop pupilsD listening and speaking skills
X To introduce and familiariFe children with the target language culture
111
Selecting, adapting and
creating acti#ities and
materials to suit
learning outcomes
&dapting acti#ities
and materials for
different le#els.
Teach sound
system, #ocabulary
and grammar
X To impro#e childrenDs pronunciation
X To teach #arious language functions
X To recall grammatical points
X To de#elop auditory discrimination
A**e&ti,e+
X To add fun to learning
X To moti#ate children to participate !! e#en shy ones
X To help teachers get closer to their children
X To stimulate childrenDs interest in the new language
X To create a li#ely atmosphere in the language classroom
Pery young learners, as early as two! year olds 4at times e#en younger than
that7 can recognise and respond to certain rhymes or simple nursery songs
through their repeated listening. The simpler the songs= rhymes and the beats
are, the faster they are able to pick up the rhyme. That is why rhymes like Jone,
two, three or Ja, b,c," are able to attact the toddlers. 2e can witness these
toddlers humming the tune or e#en uttering bits and pieces of these rhymes.
The repetition of these rhymes of course helps them to remember better.
Pery simple gestures like clapping their hands or pointing their fingers to the
nose also encourage their sense of timing. @owe#er, as they grow older they
begin to lose interest in #ery simple forms of rhymes and would prefer more
comple) ones. They also prefer other forms of input to increase their knowledge
and sustain their interest to learn.
8.2.- Se!e&tin(; a)a$tin( an) &reatin( a&ti,itie# an) %ateria!# t' #uit
!earnin( 'ut&'%e#
112
'riteria for selection and creation of acti#ities and materials ha#e been discussed
in depth in the pre#ious topics. &n important aspect would be that these acti#ities
and materials are designed to suit the learning outcomes. %t is important that the
teacher knows what the learning outcomes are to enable him= her to plan suitable
acti#ities and materials for the class.
Criteria *'r #e!e&ti'n '* #'n(# an) $'etr"+
Pocabulary within the le#el of the sudents- ability
Should present some musical challenge
<hythm should be straightforward and repetiti#e
Topics should be within the e)periences of the students
Should contain language compatible with that used in the classroom
Should allow for dramatisation, role!play and other enrichment acti#ities
%f the teacher would like the students to learn a certain sound!system or
pronunciation, the teacher may probably pick a simple song like the one below.
&lthough the song may not con#ey any proper meaning, it does not matter as the
intention of the teacher is only to teach pronunciation and sound!system.
Try this >irst sing the song. 9i#e emphasis to the sound!system.
Then change the tune to some of your fa#ourite tune. Sing again.
113
A Ru% Su% Su%
& <um Sum Sum
& rum sum sum,
& rum sum sum.
9uli guli guli guli guli rum sum sum.
& rafi, a rafi
9uli guli guli guli guli rum sum sum.
%f the students are of the ages 11!13, communicati#e speaking acti#ities can be
carried out. 'ommunicati#e speaking acti#ities re*uire careful planning. Before
doing any producti#e work, gi#e students plenty of pre!reading acti#ities so that
they are ade*uately prepared. &s a way into a poem, play some background
music to create the atmosphere, show some pictures to introduce the topic, and
then get students to think about their personal knowledge or e)perience related
to this topic.
They then talk about the poem, first with a partner and then in small groups,
perhaps coming together as a class at the end to share ideas. 9i#e brief
feedback on language used and note any language problems to be dealt with at
a later date. $repare worksheets for pre!reading speaking acti#ities which might
in#ol#e a *uiF, a *uestionnaire, sentence stems to be completed and discussed.
The students might predict endings to #erses, the whole poem=song, or e#ents
occurring after the end of the poem. Later, the students could talk about their
personal response to the poem=song, discuss the characters and theme or
debate the moral issues.
%f youD#e e#er recited a nursery rhyme, played N%tsy!Bitsy SpiderN or sung N%f
/ouDre @appy and /ou ;now %t,N youD#e been preparing the student for learning
to read. >amiliar songs and poems can strengthen a child-s ability to hear the
sounds of a language V a skill that will ser#e him well when he learns to connect
sounds with letters 4phonics7 in school.
Learning how to make music and keeping rhythm are important listening
skills.
These acti#ities teach children how to make sounds that are en:oyable and how
to listen to them. 'reate a noise routine that can be choreographed into a
fa#orite song. Make it into a rhythmic pattern using claps, knocking, stomping
and mouth noises. /ou can also help children in#ent their own musical
instruments by building ob:ects out of things like bo)es, strings, and pebble
114
shakers. @a#e the child play with all of the made!up instruments to e)plore the
different sounds.
(ursery rhymes are especially powerful, because they are so memorable.
<esearch has found that children who are familiar with nursery rhymes often
ha#e an easier time learning to read. when they enter school This is probably
because rhyming helps them disco#er many common word patterns such as
those in ?(ic$:stic$ or "own:crown. &nd the more familiar these patterns become
in oral language, the more easily children will recogniFe them when they begin to
encounter them in print.
Songs with rhyming lyrics are also terrific de#ices for teaching your child about
the patterns of sounds. 'reate songs on the spur of the moment about whate#er
you are doing. Try NThis is the way we wash our hands . . . N <emember that you
donDt need to ha#e a good singing #oice. 'hildren will lo#e it because itDs fun.
'ombine rhyming with rhythmic clapping or mo#ements. Select rhymes that are
especially helpful for an acti#e child who needs to in#ol#e his entire body in the
acti#ity. Students can follow directions when you sing songs like NThe @okey
$okeyN. This kind of play in#ol#es your childDs whole body in absorbing the
sounds of speech, which may make it easier for him to connect to the
mo#ement =motion with the words you say.
115
The @okey $okey
/ou put your right hand in,
/ou put your right hand out,
/ou put your right hand in,
&nd you shake it all about,
/ou do the hokey pokey
and you turn yourself around
That is what itDs all about.

8.- A)a$tin( a&ti,itie# an) %ateria!# *'r )i**erent !e,e!#.
/ou can help children learn English as a second language by adapting
your lessons to their needs and enthusiasm. Qse language suited to their age
le#el and topics that interest them. %ncorporate listening and speaking with
games, action and music. Teach reading and writing by using a #ariety of
techni*ues and acti#ities.
8.-.1 Ora! 3 aura! #1i!!#
Listening to songs and rhymes are a part of oral ? aural skills. Songs and
rhymes that teach certain grammar skills should be taken into consideration
during selection. >or e)ample, the rhyme C @ickory 8ickory 8ock- can be used to
teach the Co- sounds such as "oc$, "own, cloc$ and o(se.
Students can also be trained to listen for specific purposes. >or e)ample,
students can be trained to repeat letters and words to ensure correct
pronunciation. %n the rhyme abo#e, words such as hic$ory, "ic$ory and "oc$
re*uire correct pronunciation as well as enunciation to enable the rhyme to
produce the correct sound. The NAack and AillN nursery rhyme is a fun way for
young children to learn phonetic awareness. >ocusing on the predominance of
the letter NA,N the teacher can show children how to write and pronounce NA..
Teachers can also ask children to think of other words that begin with the NAN
sound
116
Aack and Aill
2ent up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Aack fell down
&nd broke his crown
&nd Aill came tumbling after
&cti#ities such as sing alongs can help students to learn timing. Students will
learn to sing on cue and learn to pause at appropriate :unctures. &s students sing
along, it will increase their memory and they will remember the words that they
ha#e said out loud.
'horal= 'horus = small groups singing will teach students about turn taking as
well as tone and pitch. Students can be di#ided into groups and asked to sing the
song or rhyme. >or e)ample, in the rhyme C@ickory 8ickory 8ock-, each group
can sing one line of the rhyme. The students will learn to sing their line as per
turn and be silent when it is the turn of the other group.
Learning rhythm and rhyme is an important pre!reading skill, (ursery rhymes,
including NAack and AillN offer children an entertaining way to e)plore rhyme
schemes and rhythmic awareness. @a#e children sit in a circle with their hands at
their knees. The teacher can recite NAack and AillN while children clap their knees
to the beat. The children can then discuss the rhyming pairs within the nursery
rhyme. @a#e children think of other words that fit the rhyme scheme. The
students can also learn to use different tones and pitch when singing the song in
a group.
9uided singing that makes use of lyrics and music can help the students to learn
about melody and rhythm. Musical elements such as steady beat, rhythm,
117
melody, and tempo possess mathematical principles such as, se*uencing,
counting, patterning, and one!to!one correspondence. &s such, students will be
able to connect with numbers which will in turn help in their mathematic lessons.
8ramatiFation can also help in language de#elopment. Students can act out the
song in order to better understand it. Early childhood learning is a time for
whimsical e)ploration. Qsing nursery rhymes, such as NAack and Aill,N allows
children the opportunity to e)plore language and themes in a way they will en:oy
and remember.
8.-.2 Litera&" #1i!!#
There are #arious ways of using songs in the classroom. The le#el of the
students, the interests and the age of the learners, the grammar point to be
studied, and the song itself ha#e determinant roles on the procedure. &part from
them, it mainly depends on the creati#ity of the teacher. Students will learn new
#ocabulary through acti#ities such as word maFe, crossword puFFle and :umbled
up words. The nursery rhyme CBaa baa Black Sheep- teaches the students new
#ocabulary and this can be done through the usage of a crossword puFFle.

Surf the net. Search for more information on this sub:ect matter.
118
Baa Baa Black sheep
@a#e you any wool+
/es sir, /es sir, three bags full
"ne for my master and
one for the dame
2ho cries down the laneM

9rammar can be taught through filling in the blanks or word scrabble acti#ities.
>or e)ample, based on the rhyme CBaa Baa Black sheep-, *uestions such as Baa
baa Black sheep, ha#e you any JJJJJJJJJJJJJ+ can be asked. 2ords like
Cblack- can be scrambled to Clbcka- and the students can be asked to unscramble
them.
119
Students from the ages of 15!11 can be asked to write a story based on
the nursery rhymes that they ha#e learnt. The story can be written in cursi#e
writing which enhances their writing skills. %n doing so, their confidence le#el will
boost and they will also learn to present their new knowledge aestheticly.
Below are some of the acti#ities that may help in language de#elopment. /ou
may want to try out some of these acti#ities in class.
Types of &cti#ities ? reading= writing
2ord search = maFe = :umble
Matching words = Aoining words
>ill in the blanks
2ords scramble = Boggle
Make sentences = 'ursi#e writing
Story writing = <ewriting
Pocabulary de#elopments
9rammar can be taught through filling in the blanks or word scrabble
acti#ities. >or e)ample, based on the rhyme CBaa Baa Black sheep-, *uestions
such as Baa baa Black sheep, ha#e you any JJJJJJJJJJJJJ+ can be asked.
2ords like Cblack- can be scrambled to Clbcka- and the students can be asked to
unscramble them.
Students from the ages of 15!11 can be asked to write a story based on
the nursery rhymes that they ha#e learnt. The story can be written in cursi#e
writing which enhances their writing skills. %n doing so, their confidence le#el will
boost and they will also learn to present their new knowledge aestheticly.
Below are some of the acti#ities that may help in language de#elopment. /ou
may want to try out some of these acti#ities in class.
Types of &cti#ities ? reading= writing
2ord search = maFe = :umble
Matching words = Aoining words
>ill in the blanks
2ords scramble = Boggle
120
Make sentences = 'ursi#e writing
Story writing = <ewriting
Pocabulary de#elopments
Aokes = $uFFle sol#ing
Types of &cti#ities ! "ral E &ural
Listen to songs, rhymes
Listening for specific reasons
eg. for words, letters, pronunciation
Sing along 4 indi#idual7
'horal = 'horus = small groups singing
9uided singing eg. with lyrics = music
'hanging or adapting lyrics
'hanging tones, pitch etc.
8ramatiFation = <ole play
8./ C'n&!u#i'n
Songs and poetry are a #aluable teaching and learning tool. Songs and
poetry can help learners impro#e their listening skills and pronunciationO they can
also be useful for teaching #ocabulary and sentence structures. Songs and
poetry combine the holistic, lingual and conte)tual approach with fun, acti#ity and
moti#ation 48ale, 16637. &ll teachers should see this big ad#antage and use
songs and poetry as a part of their lessons for young learners. 2e need to reflect
and act on what Shakespeare says in his famous play, Twel/th Hi!ht, C%f music
be the food of lo#e, play on.. 4@ardisty, 166B7. %f Shakespeare li#ed in the 31
st
century, he would ha#e fully agreed that music is not only the food for lo#e but
also a meal for language learning.
121
A #a%$!e A&ti,it" < La2e! te Ti%e

T' tea& 'ra!<aura! #1i!!#
To teach Sound system ! 4 Co- sounds 7
Eg. @ickory, 8ickory, dock, down, clock E mouse
$ronunciation E Enunciation
122
6i&1'r" .i&1'r" .'&1
6i&1'r" .i&1'r" .'&1
Te %'u#e ran u$ te &!'&1;
Te &!'&1 #tru&1 D t4e!,e
Te %'u#e ran )'4n
6i&1'r" .i&1'r" )'&1.
7D 'ne; t4'; Je&t9
Timing E <hythm E &esthetics
Tone = pitch = Poice modulation
$roper articulation of words = Pocabulary
(umbers 4 one, twoYY.twel#e7 4 also connected to maths7
9rammar 4 ran up, ran down7 E repetition
2ords List ! Csame sounds- or ending with same alphabets
'lock Mouse <an
eg. block house man
&cti#ity B ! older students
2rite an imaginati#e composition.
/ou are the mouse. 2hy are you going up and down the clock+
2rite a short dialogue between the clock and the mouse.
123
M'n)a"
Today is Monday, today is Monday.
Monday string beans.
&ll you hungry children, come and eat it upM
Today is Tuesday, today is Tuesday.
Tuesday spaghetti, Monday string beans.
Today is 2ednesday, today is 2ednesday.
2ednesday soup, Tuesday spaghetti,
Monday string beans.
Today is Thursday, today is Thursday.
Thursday roast beef, 2ednesday soup,
Today is >riday, today is >riday.
>riday fresh fish, Thursday roast beef,
2ednesday soup,
Today is Saturday, today is Saturday.
Saturday chicken, >riday fresh fish,
Today is Sunday, today is Sunday.
Sunday ice!cream, Saturday chicken, >riday fresh fish,

Task 9roup 8iscussion.
@ow can you use the rhymes abo#e 4Monday7 and
the one below 4This old man7 for language de#elopment among
young learners+
124
This old man
This old man, he played one
@e played knick!knack on my thumb
2ith a knick!knack paddywhack, gi#e a dog a bone
This old man came rolling home
This old man, he played two
@e played knick!knack on my shoe
This old man, he played three
@e played knick!knack on my knee
This old man, he played four
@e played knick!knack on my door
This old man, he played fi#e
@e played knick!knack on my hi#e
This old man, he played si)
@e played knick!knack on my sticks
125
This old man, he played se#en
@e played knick!knack up to hea#en
This old man, he played eight
@e played knick!knack on my gate
This old man, he played nine
@e played knick!knack on my spine
This old man, he played ten
@e played knick!knack once again
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

TUTORIAL TASKS
Task 1
Select=adapt a song and a poem for any le#el
'reate acti#ities based on the song and poem focusing on any language
de#elopment ? sound system=#ocabulary= grammar= language skills
8ramatiFe the song =poem.
Task 3
Select=adapt a song and a poem for any le#el
2rite out two acti#ities that can be used for language de#elopment
among young learners

A #a%$!e A&ti,it" < La2e! te Ti%e
<eferences
'o), '. 4355I7. Teachin! lan!(a!e )rts* ) St("ent-centere" +lassroo, (@
th
e").
QS& &llyn E Bacon.
8ale, T.9. 416637. Son!s in action. (ew /ork $rentice @all.
@ardisty, 8. 4166B7. M(sic lives- live (sic in the classroo. Modern English
Teacher, 34B7 GB!GG.
Lo, <. E >ai Li, @.'. 4166I7. Son!s enhance learner involveent. English
Teaching >orum,4B17 I!11.
Mitchell, 8iana. 4355B7. +hil"rens 'iterat(re* )n invitation to the worl". (ew
/ork $earson $ublication.
Murphy, T. 416637. M(sic an" son!. @ong ;ong ")ford Qni#ersity $ress.
Showalter, E. 435537. Teachin! literat(re. ")ford Blakewell $ublishing.
126
Malaysian $rimary Syllabus ;SS< 'urriculum Specifications
htt%+,,h*'h/a&d#h*t.ho#.o!#a(,%oe!or!s#%d
htt%+,,"""#so&'sortea.h*&'#.o!,&(rser$rh$!es#ht!
htt%+,,"""#*Gea#or',art*./es#ht!/
htt%+,,"""#s.r*bd#.o!,do.,80755012,Lear&*&'2ro!2Yo(&'25h*/dre&2<esear.h2*&2
Ear/$25h*/dhood24(s*.
TOPIC > LESSON PLANNING USING SONGS AN. POETRY
>.0 SYNOPSIS
Topic L highlights the key factors in lesson planning, cohesion in the de#elopment of
stages, integration of skills using songs and poetry, and lesson e#aluation. %t is aimed to
help you through the process of lesson planning and to know what constitutes a
Csuccessful- lesson. 9ood planning leads to good teaching and successful learning is the
product of a well!planned lesson.
>.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic L, you will be able to
identify the key factors in lesson planning
link the stages in lesson de#elopment
plan and implement ESL lessons using songs and poetry
e#aluate the lesson plan 4for its strengths and weaknesses7
>.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS
127
CONTENT
SESSION SE4EN (15 H&!r3)
>.2 Intr')u&ti'n
.The key to good teaching, purposeful class management and the achie#ement
of sustained educational progress lies in effecti#e planning. Learning does not
occur by chance.. 49raham Butt, 355I7 E#ery teacher who takes pride in his
teaching will put in time and effort to plan his lessons well, regardless of his
e)perience or status as a teacher. The effecti#e teacher re*uires a sound
understanding of pedagogical principles as well as the skills needed in planning
and managing the lesson.
%n this section, you ha#e to think about the lesson ob:ecti#es, content, materials,
se*uencing, acti#ities using songs and poems, and timing. /ou will need to refer
to your scheme of work, the curriculum syllabus, a selected te)t or song that
matches the needs of your students and some other materials as resources
before you plan your lesson. /ou ha#e to be selecti#e in your choices of songs
and poetry to suit the language needs of the students while fulfilling the
re*uirements of the syllabus.
128
L.3.1 Ke" Fa&t'r# in Le##'n P!annin(
$lanning a lesson re*uires time and effort. %f you want to be an effecti#e teacher,
you need to know your pedagogical principles, approaches, strategies, as well as
the sub:ect content of your area of e)pertise. Aust knowing what to plan is not
enough for any effecti#e teacher, but knowing how to cater to the language
needs of #arious groups of students of di#erse abilities and le#els of proficiency
is the key to planning effecti#e lessons. 2hat you should know is how to plan an
ideal lesson for your particular class.
Lessons should be structured for ma)imum learning. >or this purpose, lesson
planning is based on ,a scheme of work which is essentially an o#erall plan for a
term or half a term of the academic year for teachers to follow outlining the
content, methods and resources that will be used to deli#er the sub:ect
curriculum. 4Butt, 355I7. & number of indi#idual lesson plans are de#ised from
this scheme of work to co#er the specific sections of the national curriculum or
specifications of the syllabus.
Lesson planning is a skill that in#ol#es de#eloping ob:ecti#es based on a
curriculum, or specified goals, and then se*uencing a number of acti#ities in
which the teacher and students interact in the teaching!learning process. & good
lesson plan usually consists of an assessment at the end to find out whether the
aims or ob:ecti#es of the lesson ha#e been achie#ed. This feedback is
constructi#e for the teacher to plan the ne)t lesson so that there is continuity in
the learning process.
Before you plan your lesson, there are se#eral considerations to take before the
process of disseminating information and knowledge to your students can take
place.
The pre!planning stage re*uires you to think about
X learners- profiles 4who your students are7
X syllabus re*uirements 4what they need to learn from the syllabus7
X lesson outcomes 4what lesson ob:ecti#es you want to achie#e7
X sub:ect matter 4what grammar focus or language input you want to
gi#e7
X integration of skills 4which skill=s your students need to de#elop7
X selection of materials= teaching aids 4what type and which song or
poem
you want to select7
X the types of teaching and learning acti#ities=techni*ues=approaches
to use
X the strategies employed to induce collaborati#e and interacti#e
participation
>irst of all, you should know the profiles of your students and their abilities, and
129
decide on the le#el of difficulty of contents from the syllabus, select the
appropriate type of songs or poetry to cater to their le#els of proficiency and
decide what approaches, strategies, techni*ues and skills you want to use in the
lesson plan. <emember to pitch the input to the learners- le#els of abilities and
different learning styles.
Secondly, you need to write clear beha#ioural ob:ecti#es or learning outcomes of
the lesson. These should be specific, measurable, achie#able, realistic, and
timed!based. 4<emember the acronym SM&<T7. The use of beha#ioural
ob:ecti#es ser#es as a criteria for a teacher to gauge whether he has been
successful in achie#ing his teaching goal and also whether the students ha#e
been able to achie#e the e)pectations of the learning outcomes.
K) well-constr(cte" behavio(ral obGective "escribes an inten"e" learnin! o(tcoe
an" contains three %arts, each o/ which alone eans nothin!, b(t when cobine"
into a sentence or two, co(nicates the con"itions (n"er which the behavio(r
is %er/ore", a verb that "e/ines the behavio(r itsel/, an" the "e!ree (criteria) to
which a st("ent (st %er/or the behavio(r. A/ any one o/ these three co%onents
is issin!, the obGective cannot co(nicate acc(rately.L
4;iFlik, B., 35507
%n other words, the three parts of a beha#ioural ob:ecti#e are
1. 'ondition 4a statement that describes the conditions under which the
beha#iour is to be performed7
3. Beha#ioural Perb 4an action #erb that connotes an obser#able student
beha#iour7
B. 'riteria 4a statement that specifies how well the student must perform the
beha#iour7
4;iFlik, B., 35507
Thirdly, you should select your acti#ities, strategies, techni*ues and materials
appropriately to match your learning ob:ecti#es. Be ready to ad:ust or amend for
impro#ement based on the feedback from students or colleagues. %t is important
that you ensure cohesion and continuity of contents and de#elopment of the
specific or integrated skills in the progression of stages when you plan your
lesson.
Lastly, the format of the lesson plan is not fi)ed to a particular pattern. /ou can
decide whether you want to use the con#entional model of Set %nduction!
$resentation!$ractice!$roduction 4$$$7 model, or the skills!based model 4Set
%nduction 4$re!7 ! %ntroduction! 8e#elopment and $ractice 42hile!7 ?
130
'onsolidation= Enrichment=<emedial 4$ost!7 model7. @owe#er, it is imperati#e
that you remember to include key details in your plan while you decide on the
most suitable format to use. Be comfortable to use either format according to
your purpose and needs.
A&ti,it" 1+ $ractise with a partner
1. 2rite a beha#ioural ob:ecti#e each to teach the concept of numbers
1!15 to a /ear Three class using a song. Share with your partner.

Su%%ar"+
>actors that you need to remember to include in the planning process
profile of the target students 4age, needs, capabilities, le#els of
proficiency7
selections of syllabus items= topics to be co#ered
purpose of the lesson 4aims, ob:ecti#es and learning outcomes from
syllabus7
sub:ect matter 4knowledge, understanding and skills7
integration of language skills
methods of the lesson 4strategies, techni*ues and acti#ities to ensure
learning7
e#aluation and assessment of the lesson 4of student learning and teacher
teaching7
L.3.3 .e,e!'$in( Le##'n Sta(e#
The most important thing to remember is that you must ensure the
cohesion 4continuity or connection of ideas7 in the progression of stages as you
implement your teaching plan. This is to allow your students to grasp your
teaching point step by step as you guide them through the stages until you
achie#e the desired or e)pected learning beha#ioural ob:ecti#e or outcome. /ou
will need to plan how one acti#ity leads into another and how the stages or parts
of a lesson are linked. The rationale for this is to enable your students to identify
when a stage ends and when another begins. /ou need to think carefully what to
put into the stages of a lesson plan and how to get from one stage to another as
smoothly as you can.
The stages of a lesson plan comprise the following
Set %nduction = $re! 4skill selected7
Establish e)pectations =set the learning e)perience
$resentation = 2hile !
%ntroduction of topic = sub:ect matter
$ractice = 2hile!
131
>ocus on the learning e)perience hands!on. tasks
$roduction = $ost!
<einforce the learning e)perience with e)tended tasks= apply what
they ha#e learnt
&n e)ample of how lesson stages are de#eloped could be like this
Theme 2orld of ;nowledge
Topic &nimals
'lass /ear B
$roficiency le#e %ntermediate
8uration 15 minutes
>ocused skill 2riting
%ntegrated skills Listening, Speaking and <eading
9rammar focus (ouns! The young of animals
Learning ob:ecti#e To compose poems using at least one of the
nouns taught within the stipulated time limit of 35
minutes.
Sta(e#H Ti%e+ C'ntent#+ A&ti,itie#+ Re#'ur&e#HN'te#+
Set %nduction
4G mins.7
(ursery <hyme
,Mary had a
little lamb.
Wuestions
17 2hat is the
song about+
37 2hat is the
animal in the
#ideo called+
17 Teacher shows a
#ideo clip to the
class and asks them
some *uestions.
37 Students sing
along as the lyrics
appear on the
screen.
Pideo clip from the /ou
Tube 4(ursery <hyme
,Mary had a little
lamb.7
$resentation
415 mins.7
Pocabulary
1. sheep!lamb
3. goat!kid
B. cow!calf
0. hen!chick
G. dog ? puppy
1. cat ? kitten
L. duck!duckling
17 Teacher shows a
slide on $owerpoint
with the picture of an
animal and asks if
the students know
what the young of
the animal is called.
37 Students respond
to the slides shown.
$owerpoint pictures of
tame animals and their
young.
Z&cti#ating the
students- prior
knowledge and
schema.
$ractice
435 mins.7
(ursery
<hyme -.Mary
had a little lamb.
Eg.4adapted
#ersion7
,'ik Sitii had a
furry cat, furry
cat, furry cat,
17 Teacher instructs
the students to write
their own #ersions to
the tune of the song
,Mary had a little
lamb. using their
choice of the young
animals :ust learnt.
Pideo clip
,Mary had a little lamb..
132
'ik Siti had a
furry cat, %ts fur
was furry light
brown..
37 Students
compose their
#ersions of the song
and share with their
partners.
$roduction
435 mins.7
$resentations
%ndi#iduals sing
their #ersions of
the nursery
rhyme
4<andom pick7
17 Teacher selects or
in#ites students at
random to sing their
#ersions aloud in
front of the class.
Pideo camera= %!$ad to
capture presentations
of the select few.
'losure
4G mins.7
<e#iew
The young of
animals learnt.
%ntegration of
moral #alue ?
'aring for the
young
17 Students recall
the names of the
young of animals
shown earlier.
37 They sing the
nursery rhyme in
closure to the
lesson.
Z Enrichment
=<emedial
acti#ities can be
gi#en as homework.

L.3.B P!annin( an) I%$!e%entin( te Le##'n
&ccording to Lewis and @ill 416IG7, a lesson should ha#e a beginning, a
middle, and an end. The beginning can consist of a warm!up acti#ity to catch the
attention of the students or to arouse their curiosity. This can be :ust a *uestion 4,
2here did you go for your holidays+7 or a statement [, /esterday, something
happened to me..7 or anything that can arouse their interest and prepare them for
the ne)t stage and acti#ity. The end can be a *uick recap, a re#iew, a
comprehension check or a brief summary while the middle will depend on what
you intend to teach and your approach to teaching.
%n each lesson, you will need to plan time to
133
8iscuss in groups of four
1. %s the learning ob:ecti#e achie#ed+
3. 'omment on the progression of skills, acti#ities and content.
B. 2hat do you think of the selections of contents and acti#ities+
0. List the strengths and the weaknesses of this lesson plan.
G. Suggest some impro#ements that you would like to make to this
plan.

ask about and re#iew pre#ious learning
present new language
practise new language
produce new language
impro#e language skills

2e also need to plan each lesson to include a balance between
teacher talking!time and student participation
learning and practising both new and pre#iously learned language
listening, speaking, reading, and writing acti#ites
knowing about language and learning how to use it
4Baker and 2estrup,
35557
%t is important to ha#e #ariety and balance for effecti#e learning. /ou need
to ha#e a good #ariety of learning e)periences for the students- learning
process. This means you ha#e to in#ol#e them acti#ely to keep them
focused and interested. <emember to plan acti#ities which will allow the
students to practise the language as much as possible.
Some tips to moti#ate your students during the implementation of your
lesson include
using students- own opinions, ideas and e)periencesO
encouraging student contribution and letting them speak or write without
fearO
gi#ing positi#e praiseO
planning learning in easily achie#able stepsO
recognising and openly acknowledging indi#idual and class progressO
making best use of learning opportunities, both in and out of the
classroom
gi#ing attention to all the students, not fa#ouring the best, or the loudestO
carefully managing learning acti#ities so that all students are in#ol#ed, not
:ust the *uick and confident onesO
making sure that any pair or group work benefits most of your classO
encouraging all students and gi#ing lots of praise, especially to students
who are working hard and trying to impro#e, and students lacking
confidence. 8o not use
negati#e words or a discouraging tone of #oice.
4Baker and 2estrup,
35557
134

L.3.0 E,a!uatin( te Le##'n P!an
E#aluation is an important factor in getting feedback to impro#e lessons
for the teacher. %t tells how much the students ha#e understood the concepts
taught or how much they understand the instructional acti#ities to achie#e the
e)pected outcomes of the lesson. To rate a successful lesson, students would be
able to carry out the acti#ities as planned in the learning outcomes or ob:ecti#es
of the lesson.
&ccording to Butt 4355I7, Ka lesson eval(ation is not erely a "escri%tive
acco(nt o/ class ana!eent or o/ events that ha%%ene" in the lesson* rather it
is a eans o/ analysin!:%roble solvin! the ways /orwar" /or /(t(re teachin! an"
learnin!.L @e reiterates that all aspects of the lesson planned and taught should
be e#aluated and impro#ements to be made in future lessons. Lesson e#aluation
is central to a teacher-s professional de#elopment. The key to effecti#e lesson
e#aluation 4on whate#er aspect that is being e#aluated7 is professional
:udgement made according to agreed standards.
Basically, the process of lesson e#aluation can be illustrated below
135
%ndi#idual practice
17 8e#ise a lesson plan using a song or poem to teach a class
of
intermediate /ear >our students.
! think about what you want to teach
! think about the learning ob:ecti#es
! decide which skill=s you want to de#elop
! select your song or poem to suit your sub:ect matter
! check the cohesion and de#elopment of your lesson stages
! check the continuity and rele#ance of your acti#ities and
see if they match your learning ob:ecti#es of the lesson
! think of how you want to assess your lesson

Fi(ure 1+ $rocess of lesson e#aluation
The o#erall aim of a lesson e#aluation is to measure what learning
e)periences worked for you and what did not. This feedback is essential because
it gi#es you important information on how much the students ha#e learnt and
what you need to focus for future lessons.
%n relation to e#aluating lesson plans using songs and poetry, you must
employ the appropriate assessment strategies to e#aluate student performance
which are as #aried as the tasks to which students are assigned. & Csuccessful-
lesson is usually measured by the ability of students to carry out the instructional
acti#ities and learning e)periences and achie#e the learning ob:ecti#es desired.
Some of the common strategies used in assessing student performance are
*uestions
reflections
presentations
oral inter#iews
simulations of acti#ities
worksheets =handouts
obser#ations 4during=after7
oral and written descriptions
136
plan
do
re#iew
/ou will ha#e to select the appropriate assessment tool to e#aluate the
effecti#eness of your lesson. 2hat is important is that you should consider how
you will monitor the performance and progress of your students during the lesson
itself. This is essential in helping you as well as your students identify the
strengths and weaknesses in your planning as they learn and to help them
impro#e in those areas in future lessons.
The following checklist of *uestions may be useful to you
1. &ims and
ob:ecti#es
2ere the aims=ob:ecti#es wholly or partially achie#ed+
8id you manage to co#er the content of the lesson+
'ould the students understand and use the
contents=skills=knowledge you introduced+
2hat do you think they actually learnt+
2hat did any assessment show+
3. Methods Wuestion and &nswer techni*ue
Pisuals E "@$
%'T
%ndi#idual, $air work, 9roup work
9ames, <ole plays, Simulations
$racticals
B. Management 2as the start and finish of the lesson orderly+
2as the change of acti#ities orderly+
2ere students organised into effecti#e learning groups+
2ere instructions clear+
2as a good learning atmosphere created+
2as the preparation of resources sufficient+
2ere interruptions dealt with effecti#ely+
0. 'ontrol and
discipline
Type and use of reward=praise 4smile=
look=encouragement7
Tone and approach adopted towards class and indi#iduals
G. <esources Qse of boards, te)tbooks, worksheets, "@$, %'T
2ere the resources used effecti#ely+
1. >ollow!up 2hat should be planned ne)t+
<e#ise= re#iew= or teach something new+
Marking of books and feedback
Specific targets for ne)t lesson
4Source Butt 9. 4355I7. Lesson $lanning. London
'ontinuum7
137
Fi(ure 1.1 & framework for lesson e#aluations
%t is recommended that you use the abo#e checklist when you plan and that you
make it a habit to reflect after each lesson to gauge the degree of its effecti#eness. (ote
the problems and constraints encountered and think of solutions or ways to o#ercome
each challenge. $lan wisely and realistically for the benefit of all.
%n conclusion to this chapter, it is good practice for teachers to plan their
lessons before they teach. 2hate#er form a lesson plan takes, it is an important
tool that can help teachers make decisions, sol#e instructional problems, deal
with classroom management issues, record progress, and be accountable to
peers or super#isors.

<eere&.es
JakerA K# L Westr(%A H# I2000)# The English language teacher's handbook: How to
teach large classes with few resources# Lo&do&A :M+ 5o&t*&((!#
138

Si%u!ate) Tea&in( 7Gr'u$4'r19
In (r'u$# '* tree; $!an a 80<%inute !e##'n u#in( eiter a #'n( 'r a $'e%
t' tea& a &!a## '* %iCe)<a2i!it" #tu)ent#. .' te *'!!'4in(+
1. .i#&u## )ra*t# '* "'ur !e##'n $!an# in "'ur (r'u$# an) re,i#e area#
tat nee) i%$r',e%ent.
2. Se!e&t an) $re$are #u$$'rt %ateria!# *'r "'ur !e##'n#.
-. Ce&1 *'r !an(ua(e err'r# an) &'e#i'n '* &'ntent#.
/. U#e te &e&1!i#t t' e,a!uate "'ur !e##'n $!an#.
=. Carr" 'ut a #i%u!ate) !e##'n in "'ur (r'u$# an) (et "'ur $eer# t'
(i,e "'u te *ee)2a&1 *ir#t 2e*'re (ettin( te *ina! 'r ',era!!
*ee)2a&1 *r'% "'ur !e&turer.
Practice makes perfect!
Butt, 9raham. 4355I7. 'esson .lannin!* 2n" edition. 'hennai 'ontinuum
$ublishing Ser#ices.
;iFlik, B. 435507. Five +oon Mista$es in 6ritin! 'esson .lans (an" how to
avoi" t#e) )6 At

http==www.educationoasis.com=resources=&rticles=fi#eJcommonJmistakes.h
tm
@uraian Sukatan $ela:aran Bahasa %nggeris S; Tahun B. 4166I7. ;urikulum
Bersepadu Sekolah <endah, $$;?;$M.
139

Lga 3102

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Lga 3102

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

TSL3102 SONGS AND POETRY

S-ar putea să vă placă și