ESL Songs for Children

Home 3-5 Games and Stories 1-10 Preschool Stories 11-20 Success Stories FAQ

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31 ESL Songs for beginners

Teaching English with Songs

ESL Songs 1 to use alone or with stories 1-10.

ESL Songs 2 to use alone or with stories 11-20.

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Thank you very much for the disc. It's incredible. Kids just love the music and games. Thank you.

Oxana Alekseeva, Russian Federation

Hi Shelley, I have had your materials for a couple of weeks now (3-5 stories and 4-12 games) and I feel like a kid with a new toy...! Not only are the kids in my classes enjoying them but so am I. I even bought a laminator! My own children find it highly amusing....

Sallyann Barbero, France

Your games are such great fun and adaptable for all ages. The kids enjoy them immensely.

Dominique Guihenneuc, Italy

I really like the way you have set up the 3-5 resources... and the way the books review, recycle and develop vocabulary and grammar. These resources stand alone and can be used without supplementary materials or books.

Shelley Prestney, USA

I love the short repetitive stories, the illustrations are great and I had absolutely no problems down loading the material.

My classes are on Friday afternoons and in the beginning it was hard work to keep the children's attention!! Your game suggestions have been extremely valuable and have really helped me to keep my children interested, entertained and eager for the next lesson.

My children have no exposure to english at home and are absolute beginners but are learning very quickly and having a lot of fun - so am I!!! I have received a lot of positive feed back from the parents and would like to thank you for putting together such a great resource.

Shaleen Frauendorf, Germany

This cowboy mask goes with one of the songs.

You get it in black and white for the kids to cut out and colour.

And you also get it in colour LIFE size!

indian masks

And here's his buddy the indian!

Sixteen masks with CD1 and Seventeen with CD2

cat mask

And here's a full face CAT mask! This is the same cat from the story Cat and Mouse.

"ESL Songs for Children Learning English Aged 3 to 8"

For Beginners With Games and Actions for Every Song!!

Teaching English Songs 1 Teaching English Songs 2

Songs are a FUN way to learn English

You can't expect young children to learn English without a LOT LOT LOT of repetition...Making this repetition fun is down to the skill of the teacher and the resources you choose.

Songs are absolutely IDEAL for language learning as children love them and will want to hear them over and over again - perfect for vocabulary acquistion and language learning.

You may have noticed that if you expect your child or pupils to sit still and listen to you while you show them flashcards, you will not have their attention for long!

Successful ESL teaching is all about variety, movement and using resources that appeal to young children. Young children love games, they love stories and they love songs.

That's why I created these particular songs, as they go hand in hand with the first ten preschool stories, and this was really a missing element in the toolbox. However let me add right now that you can use these songs alone, without the stories too - more on that at the bottom of this page.

Too many words for ESL

One problem with English songs is that very often there is far too much vocabulary and language for ESL learners - after all they were conceived for native speakers.

If you want to get your pupils to the point that they can actually SING along to these songs then you need simple ones, not too many words, and it's even better if the words match up with what you are already teaching in class.

Using games, stories, drama and songs you are now equipped to tackle any topic with the variety that young children need. Otherwise they have a tendency to be bored in two minutes flat.

Teaching English Songs Review

So now for a quick review of the songs themselves - then you may want to listen to the extracts further down...

	Simple and repetitive, written especially for young ESL / EFL learners.
	The vocabulary and language in the songs matches stories 1 to 10 - Use to sing, move to and act out the stories.
	Suitable for teaching individuals, small groups and classrooms
	Downloadable activity sheet included for each song. Sing along, dance, do special actions and play suggested games to use during the song.
	Activity sheets include ways to act out each song - for individuals and small groups.
	With English learners you want to get to the point where the children can sing along, not just listen, and you can do that with these songs.
	Enjoy the groovy animal noises and sound effects!
	32 Tracks on CD1! 16 full songs and 16 backing tracks that you can sing along to. Put different vocabulary to the same melodies. 30 Tracks on CD2. 15 songs and 15 backing tracks for karaoke.
	The backing tracks can also be used for shows to parents where the children do all the singing, with no help.
	Musical development in the songs - it's not "tin-can" looping because instrumentation varies as the song moves along making for more satisfiying listening and appreciation, and keeping the song interesting for a long time.
	Varied musical styles - give the children a musical education as well as teaching English.
	Most songs are originals with some classics with words adapted for ESL and fresh arrangements.
	The songs are written to go hand in hand with the two sets of preschool stories. HOWEVER they work on their own too.

Songs and Language CD1

ESL Song 1 How Are You? Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Here comes an ant, a spider, a bird, a cat, a fox, a lion. How are you? (Goes with "I'm Hungry" story one)

ESL Song 2 Funky Monkey Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language:Monkies, ponies, cats, lions go like this and they go like that. Funky! (Bridge from story one to "Anna at the Zoo" story two)

ESL Song 3 Anna At The Zoo Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Anna and her daddy are at the zoo and Anna sees, one snake, two ponies, three elephants, four giraffes, five bears, six ducks, seven lions, eight monkeys, nine birds, ten fish. (Goes with story two)

ESL Song 4 Colours Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and langauge: Red and yellow, green and blue, what colour are you? Orange and purple, pink and brown. ("Archie and His Poney" story 3)

ESL Song 5 On The Path Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Who is on the path / In the bush / In the pond / In the grass / On my head? It's me the spider, the monkey, the snake, the lion, the bird. Oh hello! (Second song for "Hide and Seek" story 4)

ESL Song 6 Where Are You Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Where are you little bird? On the path, in the bush, in the pond, in the grass, on the flower, on my head. Oh no it's the spider, monkey, snake, lion, fly. Oh there you are! ("Hide and Seek" story 4)

ESL Song 7 The Marching Ants Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: The ants are marching down the path. The purple ant falls asleep. Goes through ten colours. Revision song for colours. New words are marching and falls asleep. ("Marching Ants" story 5)

ESL Song 8 Catch The Ball Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Catch the ball, run and catch the ball, on the path, in the grass, in the bush, in the pond, in the lady's garden, good girl (Story 6, "Volka and the Pink Ball")

ESL Song 9 Six Ducks Swimming Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Six ducks swimming, swimming in the pond, and if one duck stops swimming in the pond, there'll be five ducks swimming... (Story 7, "Volka and the Ducks")

ESL Song 10 The Ducks In The Pond Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: The ducks in the pond go quack quack quack while they swim around. Volka in the pond goes woof woof woof. (Second song for story 7)

ESL Song 11 Bear And Teddy Bear Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Let me read you a story, sing you a song, play you some music, give you your teddy bear, give you a kiss goodnight, you'll be asleep before long. (Story 8)

ESL Song 12 Teddy Go To Sleep Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Teddy go to sleep, read a story, sing a song, play some music, drink some milk, kiss goodnight (Second song for story 8)

ESL Song 13 Apples Bananas Oranges Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Apples, bananas, oranges, get ready to touch something...red, blue, green, yellow, pink, black, brown, a friend (Story 9 "Hetty and the Lion and revises colours)

Use the backing version for ANY vocabulary!!

ESL Song 14 Hetty And The Lion Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Lion, would you like some apples? pears, oranges, milk, bananas. Oh yes Hetty, I would. I'd like the ice cream.

ESL Song 15 Gerard The Giraffe Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Hello Gerard, how are you. I am hungry. I'm still hungry. Eat some ice cream, oranges, drink some milk, grass. I'm fine thanks. (Story 10 "Gerard the Giraffe")

ESL Song 16 Calypso Jump! Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Jumping like a pony, swimming like a duck, running like a giraffe, eating like a lion, hiding like a spider, jumping a monkey. Oh yes we can jump, swim, run, eat, hide. (General revision song - animals and action verbs)

ESL Songs

P.S. Listening to the music, hearing the words, singing the words, doing the actions, playing games to the music, acting out the stories in the songs...

...these are all things children love doing and they are the BEST ways for them to learn English, remember it, and love doing so. Plus they will bond with each other and the teacher while having fun and learning.

So you can be sure to have more fun in class with these songs.

Order Teaching English Songs 1

Included for 16 euros, 12.50 UK pounds or 23 US Dollars:

	16 songs (9 are original, 6 are familiar tunes with new words and arrangements)
	16 backing tracks for those songs
	Activity sheet for each song with actions, games and how to act it out.
	16 Animal Masks! Provided in black and white for the children to colour and also already coloured. Print off as often as you like.

If you already have stories 1-10 or you teach children aged 7 or 8

Order ESL Songs (CD1) and Activities (download)

If you are teaching groups of children aged 3 to 6 the preschool stories are the perfect fit and highly recommended compliment to these songs.

The advantage of having the stories is that you already have all the vocabulary flashcards for the words in the songs, black and white vocab. flashcards for colouring and the story illustrations. The children know the stories and the characters and the song relates to them.

The games are only suitable for small groups while the stories can be used with all group sizes.

Order stories 1-10 (download) WITH ESL Songs (CD1) and Activities (download)

Do you prefer to order by post? Click here to print out an order form.

Do you prefer the download version of the songs?

Download Only (slightly cheaper): Songs & Activities

Prefer to order by phone? Please email to arrange a call that suits both our time zones. (Email is on the contact page below)

The songs are shipped by regular postal mail - if you need them fast please email me.

Songs and Language CD 2

ESL Song 1 Father Frog Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. Family members, hot sun and cool water, jump into the pond and swim (Goes with "Frog Family" story eleven)

ESL Song 2 Cowboys and Indians Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language:Original song. Cowboys and Indians are fighting in different rooms of the house but really they are friends ("Cowboys and Indians" story twelve)

ESL Song 3 The Train is Coming Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Well known tune. Archie's train goes through all the rooms of the house, great sound effects (Goes with story thirteen)

ESL Song 4 Cat and Mouse Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and langauge: Original song. The cat and mouse run around the house, through the different rooms and go to sleep at the end. ("Cat and Mouse" story fourteen)

ESL Song 4b Extra download Cat and Mouse - Slow Training Version

This is a slow spoken version with sound effects as the cat and the mouse scamper about the house.

ESL Song 5 We Live On The Beach Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Renaissance song - a bit different so the children discover other styles of music. The song tells some of story fifteen about living on the beach, in the desert, in a field.

ESL Song 6 Dark Is The Night Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. The night is dark and the farm animals are asleep, but in the moonlight the little field mice are playing. ("Farm" story sixteen)

ESL Song 7 Old MacDonald Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Well known tune. To go with vocab covered in "Farm" story along with song 6. It's quite fast so build up to this speed for singing along and use it as background for games to brighten up the class.

ESL Song 8 Here Comes Thomas Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. Thomas is walking along the path and falls over and hurts different body parts - he needs bandages on all of them (Story seventeen, "Thomas")

ESL Song 9 A Bandage On My Tail Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. The animals are playing and each put a bandage on a different body part (Story eighteen, "Bandages")

ESL Song 10 The Yokey Cokey Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Well known song. Body parts and well known action song.

ESL Song 11 Who Will Put the Hat On? Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. This is a dressing up song. The children have to put on the item of clothing in the time allowed. Using the karaoke version allows you to practise with different items of clothing. (Stories nineteen and twenty)

ESL Song 12 Grown Up Now Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. You are hiding in your parent's bedroom and dressing up in mother and father's clothes so you look grown up. (story nineteen)

ESL Song 13 The Princess and the Pirate Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. The cat wants to become a pirate and the mouse wants to become a princess. So they dress up in the clothes the fairy gives them. If you don't like fairies it can be a person! (Story twenty)

Use the backing version for ANY vocabulary!!

ESL Song 14 Colours of the World Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. Revises colours from earlier stories.

ESL Song 15 Angels Listen to mp3

Vocabulary and language: Original song. A sweet song about angels. Good for your/his/her and present tense You can't hear them, he can't hear them, she can't hear them. You know, he knows, she knows.

ESL Songs CD back view

Order Teaching English Songs 2

Included for 16 euros, 12.50 UK pounds or 23 US Dollars:

	15 songs (11 are original, 4 are familiar tunes with new words and arrangements)
	15 backing tracks for those songs
	Extra training version of Cat and Mouse. A slow spoken version of the song with sound effects to help children prepare for the musical version.
	14 Masks of the characters in the songs! Provided in black and white for the children to colour and also already coloured. Print off as often as you like.