One of the best things you can do for your lessons is sing kindergarten EFL songs with your preschoolers. I learned this the hard way when ten years ago I first started teaching kindergarten children. Back then I was too nervous to use EFL songs and I avoided singing for months. I instead filled my lessons with flashcards drills & games, book work, and some easy crafts. To be honest, my lessons sucked and were a drag for the students. Even short, thirty minute lessons seemed to drag from one disengaging activity to the next. Without songs I also lacked the tools I need to manage my students or impress their parents.
Happily, I’m here today to say that I love using EFL songs with my preschool students. I want you to love them as well.
However scary as it might be, using songs in your EFL lessons is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your very young learners.
In my first of several posts about singing I want to give you a brief list of reasons for why you should sing not once but many times in each of your lessons.
Engaging Variety
Young children all over the world naturally love music and singing. You’ll see this when a good song boosts your students’ moods and interest in your lesson.
Songs can easily be combined with actions & visuals to pump up the engagement & meaning for very young learners.
I’ve watched many teachers use energetic songs like “If You’re Happy” to wake up their sleepy classes or refocus restive ones and lead into more active participation afterwards.
Kindergarten EFL songs are also just a great additional option classroom activities. If you refuse to use songs in your lessons then you’re limiting your choices and you will probably be left with dreary, dull lessons and bored students.
Brainy Benefits
Like you, I’ve got a bunch of songs stuck in my head from childhood. There are camp songs such as “Herman the Worm” that came right back to me as a teacher, even though I hadn’t sung them in nearly 20 years.
The songs you sing with your students will have the same demonic power e.g. “Baby Shark” to stay with them for years and years after they leave your classroom.
This is because many studies have shown music’s benefits for memory, concentration, and brain connectivity. When you combine language skills, physical skills like gross or fine motor control (with song actions), and music you get a potent combination that works across brain regions and creates long lasting memories.
Kindergarten EFL songs will help your students retain vocabulary, grammar, tone, and more.
Solid Structure
Songs can give your lessons structure, effective routines and improved classroom management as well.
You can start lessons and get students excited with a hello song and let students know it’s time to go with a goodbye song.
Teachers around the world make cleaning up classrooms fun with clean-up songs.
A quick song for sitting down, settling, or getting in a circle turns transitions into fun learning opportunities.
Routine songs tell students what is going to happen and what they need to do. When students learn these songs they also feel ownership of their lessons and build their comfort and confidence.
Meaningful Practice
Correctly used kindergarten EFL songs also provide great opportunities for students to use English meaningfully. Great songs provide natural contexts for language or even tell interesting stories. This gives students exposure to important vocabulary and language chunks.
Students build their understanding of English as they figure out the meaning of these lyrics through repetition. We can increase their understanding by including props, pictures, actions, and video.
In addition, children intrinsically want to sound like whoever the original singer is – be that you or a recorded singer. They get lots of repetitive practice with improving their pronunciation and intonation patterns without the stress or pressure that might come from other activities.
Showing Off
Songs also help you and your students connect with their parents.
Early on most very young EFL learners go through a “silent period”. They don’t talk independently in class and rarely show much learning back at home. This worries many parents as they want to see what their children are learning.
Fortunately, songs can bridge that gap between the classroom and living room. Your students will often spontaneously sing chunks of songs as they leave class and meet their delighted parents.
You can also work with your school to organize an event or performance for your students to sing and show their progress. It can be stressful but also really rewarding for everyone involved.
Home Connection
Finally, kindergarten EFL songs are a great way for children to continue their learning at home in a fun & enjoyable way.
I often use popular songs from Youtube that come with attractive videos. The links can then be sent home to the parents so they can let their children watch & sing along with the videos on their own time.
I generally avoid playing the videos for students to watch in class but I think it’s a good option to increase their language exposure outside the classroom.
What are your favorite songs for preschool?
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I particularly like the idea of using songs to signpost the different parts of the lesson, as part of the classroom management routines.