Ten Apples Up On Top!

You can not stop the apple fun! The apples will not drop. Not one. The English children’s book Ten Apples Up On Top! is a funny story and a good foundation for maths with apples. Besides, Halloween is next week. We also learn about witches, what they do and how they do it.

The soup is boiling up is a great song to support the witch topic, and all kids’ favourite is Stirring stirring stirring the pot. They are learning English so fast with me!

Are you my mother?

Yet another wonderful story for very young learners of English. Are you my mother? Follow the story of a baby bird that is looking for his mother. He can not fly, but he can walk. But wait! He doesn’t know what his mother looks like! “Are you my mother?” – he asks all the animals he meets. But they all turn him down. Can he find his way back home? And can he find his mother?! After the story we talk about family and what we know about our family members, and where everyone lives.

Apart from the story and family relations, we started to prepare for Halloween. It will be here at the end of the month. There are new songs and rhymes to learn. The pumpkins are already on the doorstep.

My friends

How did you learn to walk? How did you learn to jump? How did you learn to climb? How did you learn to run? How did you learn to march? How did you learn to nap? How did you learn to smell the flowers? How did you learn to hide? How did you learn to explore the earth? How did you learn to kick? How did you learn to watch the night sky? How did you learn to sing? How did you learn to read? How did you learn to study? How did you learn to play? And most importantly, how did you learn to love?

This book is so sweet, no wonder the kids love it. I have to read it out every day. Plus it’s a great opportunity to learn about animals. What do they say? Where do they live? What colour are they? And what do they do?

I like me

The weather is rainy this week, very fitting to our repertoire: The hat song, If all the rain drops, Come under my umbrella, Itsy bitsy spider, I’m going to wear a sweater, It ain’t gonna rain no more no more, Little raindrops falling down, It’s raining it’s pouring, Rain rain go away, Stuck in the mud and The wind is full of tricks today. I read out the children’s book I like me every day. In craft we make an umbrella from paper plates. Some cutting, some gluing, some colouring, and it’s ready.

Icky sticky bubble gum

Ok, so there is one new girl in the group who bursts out laughing every time we sing Icky sticky bubble gum. This song by the way is a great way to practise body parts. The kids don’t even realise that they are learning, but they are! There is lots of singing during circle time and a lot of free play in the garden. During physical education we will have a shoe changing contest. Can you tie your shoelaces?

The little mouse, the red ripe strawberry, and the big hungry bear

Children’s book for beginners: The little mouse, the red ripe strawberry, and the big hungry bear. The little  mouse wants to pick a red, ripe strawberry. But how about the big, hungry bear? It will find the strawberry, no matter where it is hidden, or who is guarding it, or how it is disguised. So what can be done? Hm. Do you have any idea?

Teaching English to beginners is so much fun!

Baby shark is the new favourite

We have added new songs to the list, as we do every week. Baby shark is the new favourite! The children love it. We also made up our version of The wheels on the bus – with body parts.

Another thing I find amusing is how the kids try to guess what season comes after what season. They’ll learn it.

We also practise scissor skills during craft.

10 Little Rubber Ducks

We have a new children’s book for this week: 10 Little Rubber Ducks. I find it funny that the story begins with a rubber duck machine. They are then transported across the wide sea to faraway countries. In the storm 10 little rubber ducks fall into the sea. Where will they swim? What creatures will they meet? Will they see each other again? Quack! It’s also a nice opportunity to practise ordinal numbers.

Body parts

We are reviewing the seasons and the weather in English this week, and started learning about body parts. For the new kids even some nouns are new, for the bigger ones I introduce some body part related verbs, to keep everyone busy. Flashcard games and action songs are mainly on the menu this week. These are classics for beginners.

The kids share with each other their memories from their summer holidays. It’s nice to listen to them…

The new group

So, I will have a new group. Some kids (4 to 5 year old) from the previous semester come back, and there will be some new faces (3 to 4 year old) as well. It’ll be good to have some kids who are already familiar with my methods, my instructions and my games. It’ll be easier for the rest of the group to catch up. The new kids are really proud now that they can be in the big group. Okay, let’s begin. English for beginners! Well, almost beginners.