Action Song Routine
listeningvocabularypronunciationaccuracymainwhole-classlow prep10-15 min
A short song is learned through repeated singing with matched actions (one gesture per key word). The combination of rhythm, melody, and movement produces exceptional retention of vocabulary and chunks.
Procedure
- Choose a song with clear actionable content: "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" / "If You're Happy and You Know It" / "The Wheels on the Bus".
- Pre-teach key vocabulary with gestures.
- Listen and watch: play the song; teacher performs all actions. Students watch only.
- Listen and do: play again; students copy actions silently.
- Sing and do: students sing and act simultaneously. Play 2–3 times.
- Variations: change speed, drop a word (hum the action only), change words (adapt to lesson vocabulary).
Why It Works
- Rhythm + melody aid memory: songs are often remembered verbatim when pure prose is forgotten.
- Action anchors meaning: children don't need translation when they're doing the meaning.
- Authentic repetition: repeating a chorus six times would be boring as a drill; it's fun as a song.
- Chunks stay together: songs teach "head and shoulders" as a single linguistic unit, not as separate words.
Good Action Songs for ELT
| Song | Target language |
|---|---|
| Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes | body parts, rhythm |
| If You're Happy and You Know It | emotions + actions |
| The Wheels on the Bus | routines, present continuous, transport |
| Old MacDonald Had a Farm | animals, onomatopoeia |
| This Little Light of Mine | imperatives, simple present |
| Five Little Monkeys | numbers, present continuous |
| Walking Walking | verbs of movement, adverbs |
Variations
- Student-led actions: after a song is learned, a student leads new actions. Original hand gestures → student innovations.
- Vocabulary swap: "Head, knees, and elbows and cheeks..." — students invent their own versions.
- Slow-fast-silent: sing once slow, once fast, once silent (actions only).
- Stand-sit alternation: verse 1 standing, verse 2 sitting, verse 3 standing. Physical reset.
Tips
- One song per week. Repetition across the week (5 min/day) embeds it; one-shot singing teaches nothing.
- Record videos of the class singing. Parents love it; students remember the song forever.
- Works past primary — adapted songs work with teens and adults too, just without the marketing as a "song."
Source
British Council LearnEnglish Kids action-song library; jazz chant tradition starting with Carolyn Graham (1978) Jazz Chants. Research on music and memory (Wallace, 1994) supports use of melody for linguistic retention.