There are of course thousands of ways of beginning the lesson. This is an example – just to give an idea. The teacher wishes Class One a good morning (first speaking, then humming, then singing these words):
Good morning, Good morning!
Oh, what a sunny morning.
We’ll work and play and laugh all day,
This sunny morning.
or if you want a verse for when it’s raining:
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter!
Listen to the rain.
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter!
On the window pane.
Finger Plays
Finger Plays are action rhymes performed with just the fingers. The texts are spoken by the whole class in chorus using the five fingers
(actually four fingers and a thumb) as “actors”:
Where is Thumbkin? (Knock – knock – knock!)
Where is Thumbkin?
(The sound of a huge sigh, somebody waking up and stretching.)
Thumbkin sleepily says:
Here I am. Who are you?
How are you today, sir? / madam?
Thumbkin (awake): Very well, thank you!
The four fingers in this verse are Pointer, Middleman, Ringman, Pinkie.
“Where is Thumbkin” can be done in desk pairs later and it can be sung to the tune of “Frère Jaques”. They fingers can also have other names:
Peter Pointer…Bobby Big …Ruby Ring …Tiny Tim
Sammy Thumb
(Index finger knocks on closed fist).
Sammy Thumb, Sammy Thumb!
Knock, knock, knock. Are you there?
(Sammy doesn’t answer because he’s asleep).
Louder: Sammy Thumb, Sammy Thumb!
Knock, knock, knock. Are you there?
(In a sleepy voice): Mmmm, I’m asleeeep …
(Louder still): Sammy Thumb, Sammy Thumb, are you there? (Sammy Thumb pops up out of fist. (Sleepily he says):
Here I am! What can I do?
(or: How do you do?)
Variant: Sammy Thumb, Sammy Thumb, are you there?
Thumb pops up out of fist.
Sleepily: Here I am! What can I do?
We also recoomend:
How to get Children to speak English
Teaching Foreign Languages in Blocks
The above article is from the book:
English All In available here:
