Teaching English to Children: Fairy Tales, Rhymes, and Music
Fairy Tales in the Classroom
A fairy tale is a type of folktale or fable. These stories feature witches, queens, giants, elves, princes, dragons, talking animals, ogres, princesses, and fairies.
- Examples: Little Red Riding Hood (set in a forest) and Cinderella (set in a prince’s castle).
- Character Types: Good characters (Cinderella, fairy godmother) and evil characters (stepsisters, the witch in Hansel and Gretel).
Why Teach Fairy Tales?
Fairy tales provide excellent opportunities for teaching English. They offer specific vocabulary sets and allow children to identify with characters, relating stories to their own experiences. Repetitive storytelling helps children acquire language implicitly and encourages participation.
Cinderella Vocabulary
- Family: sisters, stepmother, father, godmother
- Clothes: glass slippers, dress
- Adjectives: big, small, ugly, beautiful
- Time: midnight, early, late
Benefits and Stereotypes
Fairy tales make learning fun, improve communication, and encourage creativity. However, be aware of stereotypes: girls are often portrayed as weak or valued for beauty, while boys are depicted as brave, strong, and heroic.
Storytelling Techniques
Storytelling is the process of using a narrative to share information, teach, or connect emotionally.
Non-Linguistic Elements
- Puppets and masks: Little Red Riding Hood
- Props and real objects: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- Story sequencing cards: The Three Little Pigs
Why Storytelling Matters
Developing a love for stories builds a foundation for literacy. It improves receptive and expressive language, sequencing, problem-solving, attention span, and imagination.
Storytelling Activities
- Before the story: Show pictures and ask, “What do you think this is about?”
- During the story: Ask simple questions like “What is happening?” or “How does the character feel?”
- After the story: Have children retell the story, draw their favorite part, or discuss what they learned.
Nursery Rhymes
Nursery rhymes are short, rhythmic, and repetitive poems or songs that help teach English by improving pronunciation, vocabulary, and phonological awareness.
Benefits
- Practice pronunciation and numeracy.
- Develop fine motor skills through actions.
- Build vocabulary in a fun, engaging way.
Activity: Five Little Monkeys
- Pronunciation: Focus on the /m/ sound and rhythm.
- Vocabulary: Numbers (five to one), action verbs (jumping, falling), and objects (bed, doctor).
- Grammar: Present continuous and imperatives.
Classroom Integration
Music Benefits
Music relaxes students, builds community, and helps children internalize the rhythm of English. Use background music during tasks or specific listening activities like “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”
Video Features
Videos help students retain information and make curriculum connections. Ensure videos are age-appropriate, engaging, not too long, and not overly complex.
Phonics and Literacy
Phonics is a method for teaching reading and writing by developing phonemic awareness and the correspondence between sounds and spelling patterns.
- Jolly Phonics: Each sound is paired with an action, song, and story.
- Sight Words: High-frequency words that are not phonetically regular (e.g., was, you, said, the).
- Structure: Sounds are taught in seven groups, with digraphs introduced from group four.