Theory

Songs

Songs are useful to relax, to learn vocabulary, to practice pronunciation and linguistic structures.

They are easier to memorise thanks to the combination of music, rhythm and repetition.

Routines are easily maintained using songs and rhymes, welcome and farewell.

Start by teaching the words, then invite them to do it themselves and finally add the music.

By using visual aids, gestures and dances, it helps them to understand the lyrics and to associate the songs with specific routines or content.

Poems

They are attracted by the musicality and rhythm of the poetry, and through it they stimulate their imagination and the habit of reading, so important in their later learning.

They are a perfect resource for them to learn vocabulary and know the environment around them, and they also help them to learn more easily the concepts and content we want to work with.

They are easy to memorise, if we encourage them to dramatise by making little theatres or to dress up as some of the characters. 

They develop their command of language and their ability to communicate and express their emotions.

Poetry exercises oral expression, as it helps to acquire more vocabulary that the child will be able to use when speaking.

Storytelling

They must always have the same place in class, they must be comfortable and in a circle, always in front of the teacher to capture their attention, they must see the book while you read it, they can repeat and participate in the story.

You have to start telling familiar stories.

The books should be short with large pictures so that they associate what we tell them with what is happening in the picture.

This is a good tool to stimulate the development of oral language through listening and imitation.

After reading the story, you can do some related activity such as drawings, masks, handicrafts.

TPR Method (Total physical response)

Developed by Jams Asher, a psychology professor, it is about coordinating language with physical movement, giving each word a specific movement to make it easier to understand the word.

The benefits are:

It is easier to associate new words and concepts with the appropriate movements, it helps children understand the lesson material better and faster.

They perform all the movements with pleasure, without realising that they are actually studying.

It prevents children from getting bored. 

A lot of new words and concepts are learned through play.