Singing, Chanting, Playing with Words

Digital resource kit: four classroom activities from songs and poems for primary ESL learners

Includes the poster Why These Songs and Poems?

1. Target learners

Year level / age
Year 4, aged 10 (Malaysian national primary school, KSSR)
English level
Approximately CEFR A1 to A2 (Pre-A1 to A2 band, Malaysian curriculum Year 4). Learners understand simple sentences and words about familiar topics, and can produce short phrases and simple sentences with support.
Language needs
Vocabulary on body, animals, weather and school; correct pronunciation of final consonants and vowel length; rhythm and word stress; simple present and imperatives; confidence to speak in front of peers; practice with listening for gist and detail.

2. Selected songs and poems

SongAction song

S1. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Content and theme
Traditional children's song. Singers touch body parts named in the lyrics, with the tempo getting faster each round. Theme: my body.
Linguistic features
Concrete nouns (body parts), repeated phrases, regular beat, one syllable per beat, final consonants (/z/, /s/), imperative forms in adapted version.
Cultural relevance
Widely known across Malaysian classrooms and also present in many languages, so learners connect to prior knowledge and enjoy cross-cultural sharing.
Aesthetic features
Strong rhythm, repetition, gesture, humour from speeding up, and shared pleasure of singing together.
Language-learning benefits
Links words to actions (Total Physical Response), builds listening and recall, and lowers anxiety through movement.
Adaptation
  • Changed: added face parts (eyes, ears, mouth, nose) and a fourth line with commands (touch, clap, turn). Why: the original lexicon is below the learners' Year 4 target. Support: challenges Year 4 learners and revises commands.
  • Changed: added a "silent word" game (skip one body part but do the action). Why: to give a listening and memory challenge. Support: trains attention to sound and meaning.
SongCumulative folk song

S2. Old MacDonald Had a Farm (Kampung version)

Content and theme
Traditional folk song listing farm animals and the sounds each makes. Theme: animals and the farm.
Linguistic features
Animal vocabulary, onomatopoeia, repeated chorus pattern, question and statement frames ("With a ... here"), rhyme in the chorus.
Cultural relevance
Original setting is a Western farm. Adapted to a Malaysian kampung with buffalo, goats, chickens and ducks, making content familiar.
Aesthetic features
Playful sound effects, melody that learners can sing easily, and pleasure from inventing new verses.
Language-learning benefits
Spoken fluency through chorus, vocabulary recycling, pronunciation of vowels in animal names, and creative substitution.
Adaptation
  • Changed: replaced cow, sheep and horse with kerbau (buffalo), goat and ayam (chicken) in English labels. Why: to match learners' environment. Support: strengthens schema and meaning.
  • Changed: the sound lines were left as optional and replaced by a sentence frame ("It has ___ legs"). Why: to extend beyond sounds. Support: moves from words to simple sentences.
PoemRhyming nursery rhyme

P1. Rain, Rain, Go Away (Monsoon version)

Content and theme
Short traditional rhyme in which a child asks the rain to go away so they can play. Theme: weather and play.
Linguistic features
Couplet rhyme (away/day), imperative, short lines, sound patterns, simple weather words.
Cultural relevance
Rain is a daily feature of Malaysian life, so learners can relate it to monsoon, floods and school break time.
Aesthetic features
Rhyme, rhythm, personification of the rain, and a playful mood.
Language-learning benefits
Awareness of rhyme and phonemic patterns, reading aloud, expressive speaking and vocabulary on weather.
Adaptation
  • Changed: the pupils write a new second couplet about what they will do when the sun comes out (e.g., play football, fly a kite). Why: to personalise and extend the poem. Support: practises rhyming and the future "I will".
  • Changed: rhyme words are gapped for choral reading. Why: to build confidence. Support: prompts prediction using sound.
PoemAcrostic poem

P2. "MY SCHOOL" (model acrostic)

Content and theme
A teacher-made model poem where each letter of SCHOOL starts a short phrase about the school. Theme: my school.
Linguistic features
Nouns and adjectives, short phrases, initial letters and sounds, simple present.
Cultural relevance
School life is a shared experience; learners can mention canteen, surau, padang and friends.
Aesthetic features
Visual shape, free choice of colour, layout and imagery, personal voice.
Language-learning benefits
Spelling, vocabulary selection, writing in phrases, creativity with low writing load.
Adaptation
  • Changed: only the word SCHOOL (6 letters) used, with word-bank support. Why: manageable length. Support: allows A1 to A2 learners to succeed.
  • Changed: pupils illustrate each line. Why: to connect text with image. Support: supports meaning and aesthetic response.

3. Classroom activities

Activity 1: Body Beat Challenge (from S1)

Target learner
Year 4, A1 to A2, 30 pupils
Language focus
Body-part vocabulary, imperatives, listening, pronunciation of plural -s
Objectives
  1. Name at least 8 body parts correctly while singing.
  2. Follow 5 spoken commands accurately.
  3. Pronounce plural -s in 4 words clearly.
Procedure
Pre: Show a body picture and elicit words; teach 4 new face words with gestures.
While: Sing slowly with actions; sing faster; play "silent word" in groups; then pupils give commands in pairs ("Touch your ears.").
Post: Groups perform one round for the class; pupils sing a short reflection: "I like the part when ..."
Materials
Body chart, audio or teacher voice, word cards, slides
Assessment
Formative: teacher checklist (actions match words, pronunciation of plural -s) and peer thumbs-up.

Activity 2: Kampung Verse Makers (from S2)

Target learner
Year 4, A1 to A2, groups of 4
Language focus
Animal vocabulary, "It has ___ legs / It lives in ___" frames, spoken fluency
Objectives
  1. Name 6 farm animals.
  2. Compose one new verse using the sentence frame.
  3. Perform the verse with correct rhythm and sounds.
Procedure
Pre: Flash animal cards and play "What am I?" with sounds.
While: Listen to the song; mark known animals on a sheet; groups choose an animal and write a verse with the frame; rehearse.
Post: Groups perform and class guess; vote for the best sound effect.
Materials
Animal flashcards, verse templates, markers, audio
Assessment
Formative: rubric on accuracy, fluency, and creativity (3 levels).

Activity 3: Rainy Day Rhyme Rewrite (from P1)

Target learner
Year 4, A2, pairs
Language focus
Rhyming words, weather vocabulary, "I will" sentences, expressive reading
Objectives
  1. Identify 3 rhyming pairs in the poem.
  2. Write one original couplet with a correct rhyme.
  3. Read it aloud with suitable intonation.
Procedure
Pre: Show a rainy picture; elicit weather words; listen to the rhyme twice.
While: Choral reading with gapped rhyme words; pairs sort rhyme cards (day/play, sun/run); pairs write a new couplet.
Post: Gallery walk with sticky-note feedback; read aloud with sound effects (drum drops).
Materials
Poem on chart, rhyme cards, sticky notes, paper
Assessment
Formative: couplet checklist (rhyme, meaning, spelling) and peer feedback.

Activity 4: My School Acrostic Gallery (from P2)

Target learner
Year 4, A1 to A2, individual
Language focus
School vocabulary, adjectives, spelling, short phrases in the present tense
Objectives
  1. Write an acrostic with 6 lines on SCHOOL.
  2. Use at least 3 adjectives correctly.
  3. Present and illustrate it with colours and symbols.
Procedure
Pre: Model poem on board; brainstorm school words on a mind map.
While: Pupils write with word bank; teacher conferencing; pupils illustrate each line.
Post: Gallery display; each pupil reads one line to a friend and receives a "star and wish" comment.
Materials
Word bank, mind map, colour pencils, A4 paper or tablets
Assessment
Summative: analytic rubric on content, language accuracy, and creativity (4 bands).

Why These Songs and Poems?

Selection → Principle → Adaptation → Activity → Learning benefits

Pedagogical principlesMultisensory, repetition, low anxiety, meaningful context
Selection and adaptationSuitable level, relevant culture, add / simplify / replace
Language developmentListening, speaking, vocabulary, pronunciation, writing
Aesthetic developmentRhythm, imagery, creativity, shared performance

S1 Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

SelectionAction song, familiar and short
PrincipleMultisensory learning and TPR
AdaptationAdded face words and commands
ActivityBody Beat Challenge
BenefitsVocabulary, listening, confidence, joyful rhythm

S2 Old MacDonald (Kampung version)

SelectionCumulative folk song with repeats
PrincipleRepetition and cultural relevance
AdaptationMalaysian animals and sentence frames
ActivityKampung Verse Makers
BenefitsFluency, sentence building, creativity

P1 Rain, Rain, Go Away

SelectionShort rhyming nursery rhyme
PrincipleSound awareness and meaningful context
AdaptationGapped rhymes and new couplet
ActivityRainy Day Rhyme Rewrite
BenefitsPhonemic awareness, reading aloud, expressive voice

P2 "MY SCHOOL" acrostic

SelectionStructured acrostic with a model
PrincipleScaffolding and learner creativity
AdaptationSix letters, word bank, illustration
ActivityMy School Acrostic Gallery
BenefitsSpelling, vocabulary, writing, aesthetic response