ABC English & Me proven classroom tips: Repetition with a twist increases learning

Jane Denizot is an ABC English & Me Educator in Calvados, France. This week, she shares a few tips on how she incorporates repetition with a few activity twists in the ELL classroom for young children.

I find it is essential to have repetition and the proof is that they are learning fast. I just try to spice up things that are repeated to change it a little. I am on week two “1, 2, 3, GO!” and have followed the units as prescribed, just adding in an extra song when I thought we needed more movement.

Jane’s tips on giving repetition a twist in the ABC English & Me classroom

• Add simple play props. At first we had no steering wheels for the Grandad’s farm activity, then later, we added coloured paper plates.
• Repeat familiar movement and language concepts with a new song. I used the “Blue Danube” to follow on from “Clever Cows” repeating the “Up, Up” and “Down, Down” in time to the music with our scarves and they loved it.
• Add in some silly moves for the “Hello” and “Goodbye” songs.
• Play a new song. I also added in another activity, “The Morning Sun has Risen,” with instruments and lots of cock a doodles!

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