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Established since 1993

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NURSERY RHYMES - 2

THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE

• ESL notes (scroll to next box)

• Wiggly Woo

• Old King Cole

• The Happy Song

USING NURSERY RHYMES TO TEACH

• With the help of nursery rhymes and other simple songs, very young children can be introduced to English in a fun, yet beneficial way.

• This page gives the words and action for each verse.

WIGGLY WOO

ACCOMPANYING ACTIONS 

In this nursery rhyme, children waggle one index finger as they sing the words in red. 

PEDAGOGIC NOTES

• Simple Present (is)
• Personal Pronoun (its)
• Articles (the/a)
• Nouns: ( worm, bottom garden)
• Verbs: (wiggle, jump, play)
• Modal verb: (can't)

• There is .....
• ... at the bottom of .......

Wiggly Woo

There's a worm at the bottom of the garden

And its name is Wiggly Woo.

There's a worm at the bottom of the garden

And all that he can do is ...

Wiggle all night and wiggle all day;

It can't jump and it can't play.

There's a worm at the bottom of the garden

And its name is Wiggly Woo.

OLD KING COLE

ACCOMPANYING ACTIONS 

In this nursery rhyme, children can

• pretend to be the king
• show 3 fingers when the number 3 is mentioned. 
• pretend to play the fiddle (similar to the violin) when the fiddlers are mentioned
• pretend to play the cello when the celloists are mentioned

PEDAGOGIC NOTES

• Simple Past (was, called)
• Subject Pronoun (he)
• Personal Pronoun (his)
• Article (a)
• Adjective: (merry, old)
• Nouns: ( soul, pipe, bowl, fiddler)
• Verbs: (call, be)

THEMATIC VOCABULARY

• A fiddler plays a fiddle
• A cellist plays a cello
• A drummer plays the drums
• A flutist plays the flute
• A pianist plays the piano
• A trombonist plays a trombone
• A guitarist plays the guitar

Old King Cole was a merry old soul

And a merry old soul was he.

He called for his pipe

And he called for his bowl

And he called for his fiddlers three.

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Old King Cole was a merry old soul

And a merry old soul was he.

He loved to dance

And he loved to sing

And he called for his cellists three.

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Old King Cole was a merry old soul

And a merry old soul was he.

He loved to dance

And he loved to sing

And he called for his (drummers, pianists, flutists, trombonists, guitarists) three.

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Continue the nursery rhyme, by repeating the above verse;  however, change the word in red with the ones given.  Add others if you wish.

The Happy Song

ACCOMPANYING ACTIONS

Children change their actions according to the verse they are singing.

 PEDAGOGIC NOTES:  Language to Exploit

• Conditional construction: (simple present AND simple present) + (imperative)

• Verbs of action (clap, stamp, wave, turn, shake)

• Parts of the body (hands, feet, arms, hands)

The Happy Song

Verse 1

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (x2)

If you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it,

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands

Repeat the above verse, but change the words in pink as follows:-

• Verse 2 stamp your feet
• Verse 3 wave your arms
• Verse 4 turn around
• Verse 5 shake your hands

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