Young learner songs
Songs can be an effective way of teaching children and can encourage them to become actively involved in their learning. Check out our selection of fun songs and activities right here!
Why use songs with young learners?
- Children like songs.
- Songs can be integrated into language learning – listening, singing and doing activities around the songs.
- In many cultures songs are used to introduce or practise mother tongue with young children, so this is a medium that children are very comfortable with.
- Songs are memorable and often include a lot of repetition that helps to make the language itself memorable.
- Songs contain chunks of language that children can remember and use.
- Because songs must be sung at a reasonably fast speed, they encourage natural phonological features like linking and weak forms.
- Children will be actively involved in their learning, even at a very young age, rather than passively learning.
- Children have energy and want to make noise. Songs will channel these natural inclinations positively.
- Parents will enjoy hearing their children singing in English.
- Singing is a happy and stress-free activity that will add to a positive classroom learning environment.
What songs should teachers choose for the classroom?
Choose songs that:
- Contain simple, easily understood lyrics.
- Link with a topic or vocabulary that you are studying in class.
- Are repetitive.
- Children can easily do actions to (to help emphasize meaning) .
Where can I find songs on onestopenglish?
Look below for a selection of individual songs and lessons using songs. Don't forget, too, that if you're looking for song videos, we have two great series.
- M-Tunes is an old onestopenglish favourite: a set of 60 stand-alone song videos with interactive games.
- The magic cat is a new set of eight animated song videos that tell the story of Puzzleberry the magic cat and children Tom and Jess, and is accompanied by a host of worksheets for you to use with your students.
Pages in this section
Children's songs: Heads, shoulders knees and toes
This is a lesson plan based on the popular children's song Heads, shoulders, knees and toes which is aimed at pre-readers under six years' old.
Children's songs: It's raining it's pouring
Song words and audio for this popular song, plus an activity to bring the song alive.
Children's songs: My present is a black sofa
Song words and audio for this popular song, plus activities to bring the song alive.
Children's songs: Old MacDonald had a zoo
Song words and audio for this popular song, plus activities to bring the song alive.
Children's songs: She'll be coming round the mountain
Song words and audio for this popular song.
Children's songs: The alphabet song
Song words and audio for this popular song, plus activities to bring the song alive.
Children's songs: The snowman
Song words and audio for this popular song.
Speaking and listening: Sing the colours
This illuminating lesson plan by Lisa Dold helps young learners to understand and produce the colours, to learn the structure I can..., to sing the nursery song I Can Sing a Rainbow and to complete a listening activity based on the vocabulary.
Young learner topics: Don't forget your toothbrush
A listening acitivity and chant to practise holiday vocabulary, times and family vocabulary, available at two difficulty levels.
Young learner topics: Family chants
In this song activity with accompanying audio, students read and recite a chant about a family, then write their own chant and draw a picture to accompany it.
Young learner topics: Five little speckled frogs
A song to practise animal vocabulary and numbers, available at two difficulty levels with an accompanying audio file.
Young learner topics: I've got the whole world in my hands
A song activity with accompanying audio, available at two different difficulty levels.
Young learner topics: The body song
A song to practise vocabulary for parts of the body, available at two difficulty levels with an accompanying audio file.
Young learner topics: The farmer wants a wife
A simple song to help students practise singing a song in English, available at two difficulty levels with an accompanying audio file.
Young learner topics: The wheels on the bus
An activity with audio where students sing a song about a bus.
Young learner topics: When Goldilocks went to the house of the bears
A song with accompanying audio about the Goldilocks story, available at two difficulty levels.
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