I’m looking for ideas for teaching English through dance to elementary kids, more than just teaching dance in English. Particularly, if anyone has any effective ways of teaching grammar through dance/a dance lesson, I would love to hear!
Your best bet is probably to teach songs with some gestures/movements that somehow portray the meaning of what’s being said during that time in the song. Not dance, per-say.
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As much of a meme as it is, think “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”. The typical dance is that you touch the body part that is being said at that time.
Trying to choreograph an actual dance is probably not going to help anyone’s English.
Has anyone ever?
There was a time in Japan when “Dansinglish” (“Dancenglish”?) was a thing in schools, maybe some 15 to 20 years ago now?
I think you can find a video or two from that time on YouTube.
Look up Zukin English on YouTube for inspiration .
I have seen it. I have also seen people try to get money from teaching English through cooking, acting, working out, skateboarding, driving, and a bunch others that I don’t remember. What do they all have in common? They don’t work.
Look at ECC’s YouTube channel. Some of the teachers there did some dance.
There is one school in particular that specializes in this.
I use songs by Super Simple
There’s the hello song (clap, stomp, turn)
Open Shut them (open/shut, big/small, loud/quiet, fast/slow)
Pinocchio (left/right, arm/leg)
My kids love the wheels on the bus and seem to understand what’s happening.
The colors song (x2) (touch pink)
The shapes song (make, then find)
Recently started Wag Your Tail
Eensy weensy spider after learning what big vs small is
Twinkle twinkle (thanks to the pika pika hand motion being opening and closing, they get twinkle, wonder is a miss, up and diamond is easy they just make a diamond with their fingers and make it go up)
Most teachers do! They don’t call us standing monkeys
Dancing is one of the main teaching tools for kindergartners. Younger elementary kids also love to move. On the other hand, older elementary kids might enjoy games and action activities more
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Your best bet is probably to teach songs with some gestures/movements that somehow portray the meaning of what’s being said during that time in the song. Not dance, per-say.
​
As much of a meme as it is, think “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”. The typical dance is that you touch the body part that is being said at that time.
You can also think “[Cha-Cha slide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZv62ShoStY)” as an example, if you ever did it in school.
​
Trying to choreograph an actual dance is probably not going to help anyone’s English.
Has anyone ever?
There was a time in Japan when “Dansinglish” (“Dancenglish”?) was a thing in schools, maybe some 15 to 20 years ago now?
I think you can find a video or two from that time on YouTube.
Look up Zukin English on YouTube for inspiration
.
I have seen it. I have also seen people try to get money from teaching English through cooking, acting, working out, skateboarding, driving, and a bunch others that I don’t remember. What do they all have in common? They don’t work.
Look at ECC’s YouTube channel. Some of the teachers there did some dance.
There is one school in particular that specializes in this.
I use songs by Super Simple
There’s the hello song (clap, stomp, turn)
Open Shut them (open/shut, big/small, loud/quiet, fast/slow)
Pinocchio (left/right, arm/leg)
My kids love the wheels on the bus and seem to understand what’s happening.
The colors song (x2) (touch pink)
The shapes song (make, then find)
Recently started Wag Your Tail
Eensy weensy spider after learning what big vs small is
Twinkle twinkle (thanks to the pika pika hand motion being opening and closing, they get twinkle, wonder is a miss, up and diamond is easy they just make a diamond with their fingers and make it go up)
Most teachers do! They don’t call us standing monkeys
Dancing is one of the main teaching tools for kindergartners. Younger elementary kids also love to move. On the other hand, older elementary kids might enjoy games and action activities more