MASARYK UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

English language course for preschool

children

Diploma thesis

Brno 2015

Supervisor: Author:

Mgr. Bc. Šárka Dohnalová Bc. Petra Humlíčková

Declaration
I hereby declare that I elaborated this diploma thesis independently and that I have
acknowledged all sources which have been used in this diploma thesis.

....................................................

Bc. Petra Humlíčková

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my supervisor, Mgr. Bc. Šárka Dohnalová for her patient guidance and
valuable advice she provided me with during the working on this thesis. I would like to thank
my director who gave me the opportunity and let me teach a group of wonderful children,
who have been a great inspiration for me. I would also like to thank my parents and the whole
family for their support throughout the whole period of my studies.
 Anotace

Diplomová práce "Kurz anglického jazyka pro děti předškolního věku" se zaměřuje na
výuku angličtiny pro skupinu dětí předškolního věku. Práce je rozdělena na část teoretickou a
praktickou. Teoretická část poskytuje obecný pohled do výuky cizích jazyků předškolních
dětí a jejich vývoj. Jsou zde vysvětleny základní pojmy, principy výuky velmi malých dětí a
vhodné metody a aktivity pro tuto věkovou skupinu. Praktická část popisuje všechny nezbytné
kroky pro návrh jazykového kurzu pro děti předškolního věku. Tento kurz se skládá z
jednadvaceti učebních plánů, které jsou prakticky aplikovány a analyzovány pomocí metody
akčního výzkumu - reflexí učitele. Hlavním cílem je navrhnout nejvíce prospěšné a zábavné
aktivity pro děti předškolního věku a vyhodnotit jejich účinnost v procesu osvojování
anglického jazyka. Výzkum ukazuje vhodnost aktivit, osvojovací schopnosti předškolních dětí
a podmínky, které mohou ovlivnit proces jejich učení.
Klíčová slova

předškolní dítě, vývoj dítěte, raná výuka anglického jazyka, vhodné metody a aktivity,
tvorba kurzu, akční výzkum, reflexe

Abstract

The diploma thesis “English language course for preschool children” focuses on
teaching English to a group of preschool children. It is divided into the theoretical part and the
practical part. The theoretical part provides a general look into language teaching to preschool
children and their development. It also explains the basic terms, principles of teaching very
young learners and the suitable methods and activities for this age group. The practical part
describes all the necessary steps for designing a language course for preschool children. This
course consists of twenty-one lesson plans that have been practically applied and analysed by
the use of the action research method – teacher’s reflections. The main aim is to suggest the
most beneficial and enjoyable activities for preschool children when learning English and
evaluate their effectiveness in the acquisition process. The results show the suitability of the
activities, acquisition ability of preschool children and what conditions can influence the
process of their learning.
Key words

pre-school child, child development, early language learning, suitable methods and
activities, course design, action research, reflection
 Content
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
I. THEORETICAL PART ...................................................................................................... 2
1. Preschool child ................................................................................................................ 2
1.1 Characteristics of preschool child ............................................................................ 2
1.2 Development of preschool child .............................................................................. 4
1.2.1 Physical development ....................................................................................... 5
1.2.2 Cognitive development ..................................................................................... 5
1.2.3 Language development ..................................................................................... 6
1.2.4 Developmental psychology theories ................................................................. 6
1.2.5 The theory of learning versus language acquisition ....................................... 10
1.2.6 Language input ............................................................................................... 11
2. Preschool child as a learner ........................................................................................... 12
2.1 Various conditions of learning English .................................................................. 14
2.2 Early language learning ......................................................................................... 16
2.2.1 Advantages of early language learning........................................................... 17
2.2.2 Disadvantages of early language learning ...................................................... 17
3. Teaching English to preschool children ........................................................................ 18
3.1 Principles of preschool teaching ............................................................................ 19
3.2 Foreign languages in the Czech Pre-primary education ........................................ 20
3.3 The role of the teacher ........................................................................................... 21
3.4 Classroom management ......................................................................................... 22
3.5 Languages in the classroom ................................................................................... 24
3.6 Syllabus and lesson planning ................................................................................. 25
3.7 Motivation .............................................................................................................. 27
3.8 Error correction ...................................................................................................... 28
3.9 Assessing very young learners ............................................................................... 29
4. Methods and activities suitable for preschool children ................................................. 30
4.1 Using games ........................................................................................................... 30
4.2 Total Physical Response (TPR) ............................................................................. 31
4.2.1 Listen and do activities ................................................................................... 33
4.3 Topic-based learning versus task-based learning .................................................. 33
4.4 Teaching vocabulary .............................................................................................. 35
 4.5 Using rhymes, songs and chants ............................................................................ 35
4.6 Using stories ........................................................................................................... 37
4.7 Using drama ........................................................................................................... 39
4.8 Art and craft activities ............................................................................................ 41
5. Helen Doron methodology ............................................................................................ 41
II. PRACTICAL PART ......................................................................................................... 44
1. Research methodology .................................................................................................. 44
1.1. Background of the research.................................................................................... 44
1.2. The concept of action research............................................................................... 44
1.2.1 Reflective teaching ......................................................................................... 45
2. Course design ................................................................................................................ 46
2.1 The group of children ............................................................................................. 46
2.2 Learner’s needs ...................................................................................................... 47
2.3 Aims of the course ................................................................................................. 48
2.4 Classroom language ............................................................................................... 49
2.5 Classroom management ......................................................................................... 50
2.6 Materials ................................................................................................................ 51
2.7 Classroom activities ............................................................................................... 53
2.8 Lesson planning and routines................................................................................. 55
2.9 Content specification ............................................................................................. 56
2.10 Error correction and assessment ............................................................................ 61
2.11 How to use the course ............................................................................................ 62
3. Lesson plans .................................................................................................................. 62
4. Summary and evaluation of the course ....................................................................... 120
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 123
Resumé ................................................................................................................................... 125
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 126
List of appendices ................................................................................................................... 131
 Introduction

Learning a foreign language, especially English, has become an inseparable and

essential part of our lives. English surrounds us almost everywhere, and so the knowledge of
this worldwide language is more and more important not only for individuals but for the
whole society. Therefore, it is more than obvious that the approach to learning English has
changed over the last decade and it has resulted in a growing demand of English language
education to children from the earliest age. Nowadays, the field of early education is
expanding and there are a lot of institutions that offer teaching English to preschool children,
the Czech Republic in not an exception.
There appeared a very frequent question What is the best age to start learning a
foreign language? Although answers of experts in this field vary, it is a well-known fact that
the best way to learn a foreign language is to be exposed to it as much as possible and acquire
it in the most natural way. If children are in an English speaking environment in which they
feel comfortable and secure, they are able to absorb the English pronunciation and new words
very easily and with a long-lasting effect. On the other hand, teaching very young learners is
not an easy work and needs a professional attitude. Teachers have to be aware of
developmental psychology and understand children’s minds. They should follow the
principles of teaching very young learners and choose activities according to their abilities
and needs. Moreover, they should also possess certain qualities, which contribute to a
successful learning process. If all the conditions of the successful learning process are met,
English as a free time activity can offer teachers a big opportunity to introduce this language
to children in a playful and enjoyable way and to motivate them for their further study.
Therefore, the diploma thesis deals with the suggestions of appropriate activities for a
group of preschool children learning English presented in a six months long course and the
evaluation of their effectiveness on the basis of action research.
The theoretical part of the thesis focuses on the description of preschool children and
the basic framework of their development. It is followed by the issues of early language
learning with the focus on the aspects of language acquisition with attention to the principles
and specific features of teaching preschool child. The methods and activities of the teaching
of English to preschool children are discussed. The practical part of this thesis contains the
methodology of action research, design of the English course for a group of pre-school
children and detailed lesson plans with the teacher’s reflections.

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 I. THEORETICAL PART

1. Preschool child

When preparing an English course for preschool children, it is important to know who
preschool children are and to be aware of their characteristics. Preschool children are very
specific language learners and they differ in behaviour, development and response to teaching
methods to older learners. Teachers should understand the way of their thinking and follow
their specific needs.
There are several definitions explaining the term preschool child in the context of the
learning a foreign language. The term usually refers to a very young learner (the terms
preschool child and very young learner are considered synonyms in this thesis) corresponding
to the children at the age of three to six, usually attending a kindergarten (in the Czech
environment) or nursery school (in the English environment). The most accurate definition is
provided by Reilly and Ward who defines very young learners as children “who have not yet
started compulsory schooling and have not yet started to read. It means children between age
of three and six. The children may be attending state or private nursery schools and they can
learn English at school as the part of the school curriculum or during private lessons outside
the school.” (Reilly and Ward 2)
Authors’ definitions of young learners differ in terms of the age of children. Scott and
Ytreberg divide children into two groups, where the five to seven year olds form the first
group, the eight to ten year olds the second. The first group is then considered the very first
level, the beginners (Scott and Ytreberg 1). Two groups of learners are also identified in the
book English for Primary Teachers by Slattery and Willis who name children under seven
years very young learners, older ones young learners (Slattery and Willis 4). Rixon then
defines young learners as children who are five years old to twelve years old, when at the age
of eleven to twelve children begin to change in their approaches to learning a foreign
language (Rixon 2).

1.1 Characteristics of preschool child

Although the average age of a very young learner has been defined, it is a big
difference between children who are three years old and those who are six, even older. Every
child is different and develops in a different way and pace. Because of that, Phillips (1993)
points out that it is the maturity of children that is more important than their age. She also
mentions a lot of factors that can influence how mature they are, including culture,

2
environment, sex, expectations or their parents (Phillips 1993: 5). Nevertheless, teachers
should be aware of some specific characteristics of preschool children as they can
significantly affect the learning process. The following characteristics can be considered as
characteristics of the average preschool child (Scott and Ytreberg 1).
Firstly, the most obvious is the children’s demand for individual attention. Children at
this age try to get the teacher’s attention as much as possible by using various means, e.g.
talking to them, touching them or hugging them. Secondly, they are not able to pay attention
for a long time and they get bored easily. It is assumed that they have a very short attention
span. This fact should be taken into account when designing a course and preparing activities
for children of this age. Teachers should use short activities that vary according to the pace,
e.g. moving followed by calming activity such as drawing or crafts. Finally, it is important to
realize that children need more time for absorbing language, and so it may take longer before
they actually start producing something. At this point it is important for teachers not to force
them to speak and rather allow them to speak in their mother tongue. This period is known as
the silent period and it may even happen that children do not say anything in the lessons, but
start speaking or saying something in the target language at home (Reilly and Ward 4).
Teachers should accept it as a normal thing, since children have the right for it, and realize
that even if “small children are not actually saying anything; they will still be taking it in”
(ibid.). Therefore, two different kinds of skills have to be distinguished – receptive skills and
productive skills. During the preschool period, the focus is mainly on receptive skills
(sometimes known as passive skills) i.e. listening, because children do not need to produce the
language, they receive and understand it with the help of their teacher. On the other hand,
the main productive or active skill during the preschool period is speaking. A lot of activities
include both receptive and productive skills e.g. listening results in speaking, which means
receptive skills into productive skills (“Receptive skills”). Children are usually able to
produce words by doing repetitive songs, rhymes, games, and plenty of choral work (Reilly
and Ward 4). However, when children do not want to produce anything, it is their right to
remain silent without teachers putting pressure on them.
Other characteristics of preschool child are defined by Scott and Ytreberg:
• Children at this age are self-centred and cannot see things from someone else’s
point of view. This usually results in unwillingness to play in a group or to share.
They prefer playing alone, especially because they have their own playing habits
and do not understand how others play and want them to do.

3
 • They can have difficulty to distinguish between what is fact and what is fiction.
Because of that, it happens that they consider things they have heard, seen
somewhere (e.g. on TV) or dreamt about real and true. Teachers should be aware
of that and do not admonish them for lying or making up stories.
• They know that there are some rules that have to be obeyed and even if they may
not understand some of them, it gives them the feeling of security.
• For understanding, they use mainly hands, eyes and ears, which determines the
physical world as dominant.
• Children generally love playing and games. Learning process is the most
successful when children are enjoying themselves. On the other hand, they also
like when something is done seriously, because it gives them the sense of a real
work.
• Children are positive about learning and want to learn. Therefore, teachers should
encourage them and praise them all the time. It develops their enthusiasm and
establishes a good relation to learning.
• Children’s world is completely different to adult’s world and it is natural that
children have problems understanding adults and vice versa. (Scott and
Ytreberg 2, 3)

1.2 Development of preschool child

This age is characterised by enormous development of children in all the areas of their
personality. It is both physical and mental development that should be considered when
preparing lesson plans for preschool children.
As it was noted earlier, children develop differently. Some of them develop early,
some later. There are also different types of development; children can develop gradually, in
leaps or bounds (Scott and Ytreberg 1). Dunn then mentions periods of rapid and concentrated
development and little advanced periods that can appear at this age (Dunn 8, 9). Although it is
the period of great changes, it is not possible to determine exactly when the changes happen.
Every child is individual and only teachers are those who are able to find “how far up the
ladder individual pupils are” (Scott and Ytreberg 1).
At the age of seven or eight, the children’s world stars resembling the one of adults.
Children understand what adults mean by their utterances or actions and things are much
more meaningful for them (ibid. 4). Scot and Ytreberg present the difference between five
years old and seven years old or older on an example of joke as shown below:

4
 Dad: “Did you get a good place in the exams, Julie?”
Julie: “Yes, Dad, next to the radiator.”

Five years old children would probably laugh even when they do not understand the
point in the joke. The reason why they laugh is because other people laugh, too. On the
contrary, seven years old children find the jokes funny, but may not understand the point.
Older children (about ten years old) are able to understand the point quite easily (ibid. 4, 5).

1.2.1 Physical development

Physical development is connected with typical activeness and liveliness of children of

this age. Children are active; they run, jump and explore the world around them, which results
from children’s natural curiosity. Because of that, Dunn suggests that teachers should let
children move during lessons and so prepare some motoric activities. On the other hand, he
also points out that some activities may be difficult without development of muscular control
(Dunn 14). The quality of their motoric coordination is improving and children are able to
swim, ride a bike, ski and do other activities without problems (Hennová 10).
Their fine motor skills are developed too, including the development of eye-hand
coordination. Children are able to use objects such as a pencil, scissors, spoon, fork, knife and
toothbrush. Therefore, they can do simple actions, e.g. cutting and sticking (Matějíček 144).
They can draw from simple animals or creatures to producing a very creative and detailed
work. Drawing becomes one of the means of their presenting reality. However, it happens
very often that subjectively important features predominate the real appearance of things
(Hennová 10).

1.2.2 Cognitive development

Examining children’s memory at this age, it is rather unintentional. Intentional

memory appears when children are about five years old, otherwise mechanical memory is
prevailing. Children are better at remembering concrete events. If those events are
emotionally marked, long-term memory starts to play an important role. Thus, it is important
to support mental development by constant repetition (Hennová 10).
Intuitive thinking is fully developed at this age, even though it is usually subjectively
distorted, it does not follow the logic laws and influence of egocentrism1 is apparent.

1
Egocentrism – is ”the belief that you are the centre of the universe and everything revolves around you: the
corresponding inability to see the world as someone else does and adapt to it. Not moral "selfishness", just an
early stage of psychological development.“ (Piaget in Atherton)

5
 Thinking is associated with perceived activities, and so children’s active attitude to
acquired words, supported by pictures and other visuals, is necessary (ibid.). Children are
interested in how the world functions, for this reason it is always better to provide real and
authentic aids, especially toys, which they can see, touch and feel (Matějíček 144).

1.2.3 Language development

According to the general concept of language development, children should be capable

of the major grammar rules and syntax in their own language at the preschool age (Scott and
Ytreberg 4). Scott and Ytreberg mention that preschool children should have several abilities
concerning general language development, namely “to understand abstract, understand
symbols and generalise and systematise” (ibid.). In fact, communication in the children’s
mother tongue is important for successful acquiring of the target language. The better children
are able to use their first language, the better they are competent to learn the second language
(Dunn 10). On the other hand, when learning a foreign language, it undoubtedly depends not
only on what degree of the awareness they have, but also which mother tongue the children
speak as well as some emotional and social factors should be involved (Scott and Ytreberg 4).
Furthermore, children are able to recognize what is similar and what is different; they
also understand how to sort, classify and match things. Teachers can include simple jigsaw
puzzles, pairs, and “odd one out” activities. “They are starting to learn to count and to have a
concept of quality, position, size, and amount. They are able to follow a story, predict what
might come next, and ask questions about it. They can use their imagination to invent their
own stories.” (Reilly and Ward 5)

1.2.4 Developmental psychology theories

One of the most important psychologists who devoted his life studying children’s
cognitive development is Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980). His constructivist theory was completed
after long observations of children doing activities and exercises that he prepared for them
(Pinter 8). Children face a problem that they have not encountered before. Cameron points out
that the knowledge after solving the problem is “actively constructed” by the children. Piaget
was concerned especially with “how young children function in the world that surrounds
them, and how this influences their mental development” (Cameron 2, 3).
Piaget’s findings show that firstly some actions involving concrete objects are needed
to solve the problems. In other words “what happened with concrete objects is preceded by
what happens in mind and so thought is seen as deriving from action” (ibid. 3). In that

6
context, a child is seen as an active thinker. Donaldson further describes children as active
thinkers as well as active learners who learn from exploring the world (Donaldson 86).
Piaget distinguishes four stages in which thinking is developed (see the figure 1). It is
a process of gradual growth during which children experience several changes. “At every
stage the child is capable of some type of thinking but still incapable of others.” (Cameron 3)

Figure 1 Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stages

Source: “Piaget’s stages.” Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and
Technology. n.p. 2006. Web. 8 January. 2015.

Pinter provides a description of Piaget’s stages:

1. Sensorimotor stage (birth – 2 years old): they explore the world around them. They
are learning by touching and manipulating objects.
2. Preoperational stage (2 – 7 years old): they do not think logically and are mostly
egocentric.
3. Concrete operational stage (7 – 11 years old): they start to think logically about
concrete objects and they understand the way of adults’ thinking more. They
understand conservation.
4. Formal operational stage (11 +): they can think abstractly, they can do logical
operations. (Pinter 9)
Teachers should be aware of Piaget’s theory since it helps them to realize that children
of different age, and so different stage, have their specific needs according to the development
of thinking. Teachers then adapt lessons and activities to a certain group of children, different

7
for a group of five years olds and different for a group of seven years olds using activities,
methods as well as teaching styles that suit them the most (Pinter 10).
The most famous representative of social constructivism is Lev Vygotsky (1896-
1934), a famous Soviet psychologist. As opposite to Piaget, he considered the role of
language more important in cognitive development (Cameron 3). The main difference
between Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s view is that Piaget emphasized children’s own actions and
the way they solve new problems, but Vygotsky found the presence of other people in
children’s learning crucial (Brewster, Ellis and Girard 9). According to Vygotsky’s theory,
every child is different and so learns certain skills in different ways when compared to
another, depending on their intelligence. Their intelligence then cannot be measured when the
child is alone, but when accompanied by other people (Cameron 6 – 8). Vygotsky sees the
role of other people as integral part of children’s development. Such people assume the role of
educators and help children to do actions they are not able to do alone until they are capable
of doing them on their own (Smidt 32). Vygotsky’s ideas can significantly influence teachers,
especially in the question of lesson planning since they should realize that they are those who
are in charge of a very important decision “what next it is the child can learn” (Cameron 8).
In addition to above, Vygotsky defines the zone of proximal development. It can be
explained as “the difference between what a child can do independently and what he or she is
capable of doing with targeted assistance (scaffolding)” (Lui 2). This concept divides the
knowledge into potential and that achieved with the help of other people (see the figure 2) i.e.
educators (Pinter 17). Cameron then defines scaffolding as a specific kind of talk that
“supports a child in carrying out an activity” (Cameron 8).

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 Figure 2 Zone of proximal development
Source: “Zone of proximal development.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.
Wikipedia – Wikimedia Foundation. 15 December 2014. Web. 8 January. 2015.

Actually, the term scaffolding was first used by Jerome Bruner (*1915), who put
forward his theory of “scaffolding learning”. Bruner considers language “the most important
tool for cognitive growth since talk supports a child in carrying out an activity” (Cameron 8).
When scaffolding a task, teachers or parents help children by making them interested in the
task, simplifying it e.g. breaking it into smaller parts, reminding what the goal is, pointing to
important things and controlling whether they are not frustrated. For successful results of
learning, scaffolding has to be tuned to the needs of the children and transferred to the
classroom (ibid.). There are different ways of scaffolding distinguished (see the table 1).

Table 1: Ways of scaffolding

Teachers can help children to
Attend to what is relevant
Adopt useful strategies
Remember the whole task and goals
Source: Cameron, Lynne. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2001. Print.
By
- suggesting
- praising the significant
- providing focusing activities
- encouraging rehearsal
- being explicit about organisation
- reminding
- modelling
- providing part-whole activities

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 Bruner further stresses the usefulness of the notion of routines and formats, since those
features let scaffolding take place. It allows combination of the security for something
familiar and the excitement for something new (ibid.).
According to Bruner’s research on the cognitive development of children, there are
three modes of representation distinguished (Bruner in McLeod):
• Enactive representation (0 - 1 years) – it involves action based information in the form
of movement. Children represent events through motor responses.
• Iconic representation (1 – 6 years) – it involves image-based information.
Information is stored visually in the form of images (a mental picture in the mind’s
eye).
• Symbolic representation (7 years onwards) - it involves language-based information.
Information is stored in the form of a code or symbol, such as language (Bruner in
McLeod).

1.2.5 The theory of learning versus language acquisition

Krashen claims that there is a difference between learning and acquisition. While
“acquisition is a subconscious process that is identical to the process used in first language
acquisition, learning is conscious knowledge, or knowing about language (Krashen 1989: 8).
According to this theory, Harmer further points out that “language which we acquire
subconsciously is language we can easily use in spontaneous conversation because it is
instantly available when we need it. Language that is learnt, on the other hand, taught and
studied as grammar and vocabulary, is not available for spontaneous use.” (Harmer 71)
Acquisition is then seen as more important since “it is very similar to the process
children use in acquiring first and second languages. It requires meaningful interaction in the
target language natural communication in which speakers is concerned not with the form of
their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding. The best
methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations,
containing messages that students really want to hear.” (Krashen 1989: 8, 9)
Because of the fact that very young children are not able to learn foreign languages,
acquisition is applied there. Krashen considers the results of acquisition more permanent than
results achieved by learning. He is also for including the parameters of acquiring in the formal
education as much as possible (Krashen in Hanušová and Najvar 1, 2). Although the
differences between natural acquiring and formal learning are not reflected, a lot of people are
convinced that children are better at learning languages than adults (Hanušová and Najvar 2).

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 1.2.6 Language input

In the area of foreign language acquisition, it is more operated with the concepts of
language input (reception) and language output (production) than speech skills (Šebestová
38). Experts are still looking for an empirical answer on the question which role is more
important, whether the one of language input or output. Nevertheless, there is a general
assumption that learning a foreign language cannot do without an exposure to the foreign
language (receptive skills), even without opportunities for speech production in the target
language (Dekeyser in Šebestová 38). Considering the silent period of preschool children and
their language development, language input seems to be more important. The importance of
language input was highlighted by Krashen in The Natural Approach, in which he presented
the so called comprehensible input2. Průcha, who is concerned with child speech and
communication, defines the term language input as a complex of all verbal and nonverbal
communication stimuli that children are exposed to from their birth. Subjects communicating
with children are most commonly their mothers, fathers, siblings, relatives or other adults and
children surrounding them (Průcha 93).
The main language input that children are exposed to is maternal speech - the speech
of mothers communicating with children. One of the main characteristics of language input is
the fact that maternal speech oriented towards children, as well as speech of other people
communicating with children, is not the standard speech of those people, but somehow
modified, adapted and simplified speech that is used in order to help children understand and
acquire language easily (ibid. 96). Mothers usually speak slower, use shorter words and
simple structures, repeat questions and there is also a high frequency of diminutives (ibid. 97).
Moreover, mothers are supposed to have a very important ability to adapt their speech to a
stage of children’s language development which they can recognize (ibid. 101). Therefore,
teachers’ speech should resemble the one of mothers in order to achieve successful
acquisition.
Průcha further claims that frequency of words and structures in language input
influences the order of their acquisition. It means that children cannot acquire language that is
not received in the input. When learning a foreign language, passive phrases or structures that
are used rarely are acquired later than those that are used more often (ibid. 95). When a

2
Comprehensible input – “is language input that can be understood by listeners despite them not understanding
all the words and structures in it. It is described as one level above that of the learners if it can only just be
understood. According to Krashen's theory of language acquisition, giving learners this kind of input helps them
acquire language naturally, rather than learn it consciously.” (“Comprehensible input”)

11
teacher repeats particular words or structures often, children start producing them sooner. The
proportion of reception and production of language in the preschool learning is depicted in the
figure 3. The upper part represents a normal teacher talk in the target language, redundancy
refers to information that is repeated and expressed more than ones (e.g. classroom language
or instructions used every lesson) and production is the language children really produce.

Figure 3 Language reception versus language production.

Source: the author

2. Preschool child as a learner

Very young children are generally known as adaptive learners. However, this is
achieved only when optimal conditions for learning are set. It means that children should be
allowed to learn in their own way and pace and they should be given opportunity to follow
their natural curiosity and need of exploring the world (Robinson 145 -147).
Slattery and Willis give a description of children as learners and answer the question
“What learners are children?”:

• they develop very fast as individuals,

• there are various ways in which they learn, e.g. observation, listening or
actions,
• they are not able to understand grammar rules,
• they try to understand the given situation by the usage of non-verbal means,
• they use their mother tongue to speak about things they understand and about
what they are doing,

12
 • they are usually able to imitate sounds they hear,
• they are naturally curious,
• they involve their imagination in learning,
• they accept known and repeated activities well, they like routine,
• they are able to pay attention for a very short period of time, they need
variability in learning (Slattery and Willis 4).

As it was already mentioned, every child is unique and so every learner. Teachers
should realize that every learner learns in a different way, has his/her own learning style.
Learning style refers to “pattern in leaner’s responses and behaviour” (Brewster, Ellis and
Girard 32). Pinter divides learning styles into three main categories - according to the type of
personality there are careful and reflective, impulsive and more interactive types, according to
the cognitive approach analytic and global type are distinguished and according to perceptual
differences there are auditory learners, visual learners and kinaesthetic learners (Pinter 28).
The last distinction seems to be the most commonly used (see the figure 4).
The teaching approach that incorporates all types of learning styles i.e. visual, auditory
and kinesthetic is known as multisensory approach. It is based on the belief that learners learn
best when the given information is presented in different modalities e.g. hearing, seeing,
touching or tracing (Murphy in Moustafa). The multisensory approach is crucial when
teaching preschool children, as it is the one that integrates sensory-motor activities. Thus,
children can use their hands, eyes and ears to learn and understand.

13
 Figure 4 Distinction of learning styles according to perceptual differences
Source: “How learning styles affects language learning.” More Vietnamesee. n.p.
2014. Web. 10 January. 2015.

2.1 Various conditions of learning English

There is a difference between learning English as a second language (ESL) and a

foreign language (EFL). The terms seem to be very similar, but they „do require very different
teaching strategies to meet the aims and objectives of the learners“ (Lake). EFL is where
teachers teach English to students in a country where English is not the native language e.g. a
Czech student learning English in the Czech Republic. On the other hand, ESL is where
English is taught to students in a country where English is the primary language e.g. a Czech
student is learning English in Australia (ibid.) Therefore, the prepared course is aimed for
children learning English as the foreign language (EFL).
In the Czech Republic, children can learn English in various environments and attend
various courses. Most courses take place in kindergartens. There is usually one lesson a week
taught by an external teacher. Alternatively, there are even some English kindergartens, where
English is used as the spoken language or bilingual kindergartens, where there are teachers
who speak L1 (e.g. Czech) and teachers who speak English. Other courses are done in private
language schools outside school. The classes may be of various sizes, from very small classes
of 2 children to very big classes of 15 children. Children may be absolute beginners or have
had some exposure to English (Reilly and Ward 5).

14
 Because of the fact that learning English at preschool age is very common nowadays,
it happens that a lot of teachers of English who are teaching older learners or adults have
become teachers of very young children (ibid.). They may be well trained and aware of
specific teaching methods. However, they usually see their learners once a week (for 45
minutes) and so there is no chance to get to know them properly, their physical and cognitive
development, their skills as well as they do not know what the children usually do with their
class teachers e.g. which games they play and like. Additionally, the time of the lesson is
determined (e.g. Monday at 2 p.m.) and children have to participate even if they are not in the
right mood for learning, or they are even forced by their parents.
At the same time, a lot of preschool classroom teachers who are actually not trained to
teach English are asked to teach English (ibid.). Although classroom teachers have to adjust
their teaching methodology and get to know at least basics of the target language, they have
necessary didactic tools and are usually better at understanding the level of preschool
children’s development. Therefore, the results of their teaching may show greater success
than the ones of external teachers.
In addition to what is said above, different teachers (external and classroom) mean
different attitudes to activities done in the classroom. Horká and Syslová distinguish three
kinds of activities – controlled, semi-controlled and free (Syslová and Horká 42). Whereas
external teachers, who have limited time to teach everything they need, are dependent mainly
on controlled activities, class teachers who are teaching English can include free or semi-
controlled activities. It means that there may be some English games (e.g. jigsaw, pairs), toys,
or books left in the classroom so as children can play with and use them wherever they want.
Alternatively, class teachers can include an English song, chant or use English when
colouring from time to time, depending on children’s needs (from 5 to 45 minutes of using
English). When teachers observe or help different groups of children in the classroom at the
same time, they use so called parallel approach. Thus, children acquire the language through
their interactions with the environment and their own experiences i.e. in a spontaneous way,
which is based on playing games (Syslová and Horká 42).
The classroom can be considered a specific community, in which children experience
influences of the social environment. They need to act and reflect their behaviour. Therefore,
children learn and gain the knowledge and skills in practice (Valenta 64). Lave and Wenger
talk about the theory of situated learning. They claim that learning is a function of activity,
context and culture, in which it appears. This kind of learning has to be contrasted with the
activities done at the abstract level and out of context. For successful results of learning,

15
authentic context is necessary. To a considerable extent, situated learning has unintentional
character (Lave and Wenger 14).
To sum up, it is believed that learning and cognition are most effective when situated
within a meaningful context, culture and the community in which learners live.
Constructivists call this kind of learning meaningful learning. Their view of learning can be
summarized as „a process of developing understanding through problem-solving and critical
reflection. As an active process, learning is most effective and efficient when learners are
engaged in learning by doing.“ (Naidu)

2.2 Early language learning

Although learning foreign languages by very small learners is very common nowadays
and the age of children starting learning a foreign language is decreasing, there is no uniform
opinion whether such an early star is good for children. Some authors and experts are for an
early start and claim that the sooner the better. One of the promoters of an early star is Lojová
(2006) who explains that: “experts endorsing this opinion support the Critical Period
Hypothesis. They believed in brain plasticity at an early age which enables rapid
subconscious learning and developing innate brain capacity. They also suggest that children´s
potential is wasted if it is not being developed sufficiently at an early age. Therefore this
potential, and cognitive capacity in particular, must be stimulated by an enriched
environment, so why not also by a foreign language.” (Lojová 2006: 44) However, the
learning process has to be adapted for children at this age and teachers should make the
leaning attractive so as they could use their active potential. What is more, children can also
develop a very good attitude to foreign languages and learning in general if they find it
enjoyable and pleasing (Brumfit, Moon, and Tongue 7).
On the other hand, some authors and experts account for children’s immaturity and
disability to learn foreign languages. Donaldson considers the best age of starting a foreign
language when children are about ten years old or even later. The reason is because very small
children have not developed their communication skills yet, and they always need to be given
the most attention, which can significantly spoil the learning process. She also thinks that they
are not able to pay attention to a foreign language and so cannot use it properly (Donaldson
70).
Some people then argue that early language learning does not have any effect on
children and there is not point doing it when children come from non-English environment
and have lessons only once a week (e.g. 45 minutes lesson a week). Consequently, such

16
arguments are disproved by Pinter who claims that “although children in non-English
environments have limited opportunities to practise the language outside school and no
immediate need or clear motivation to use and learn English, introducing children to a new
language offers opportunities to widen their horizons and awaken their early enthusiasm and
curiosity about languages.” (Pinter 32)

2.2.1 Advantages of early language learning

Experts arguing for an early start identify several advantages of language learning at
this age. Three years old children have already acquired basics of their mother tongue. Hence,
it is the most suitable and effective time for starting learning the second language and
acquiring its basics. It is also a period when the capacity of brain is highly developing. It
happens that the capacity is not sufficiently used. For its effective development, it needs to be
stimulated, e.g. by learning languages. Preschool children are then able to learn not only one
language, but more languages, at least at an elementary level, but on condition that they are
used in the children’s surrounding at the same time. Children at this age are very good at
imitating, which enables them to catch and reproduce intonation and pronunciation very well.
As a result, they can acquire skills and abilities at the level of a native speaker, when they are
given the opportunity to experience him/her (Lojová 2005: 130, 131). Really and Ward
mention also children’s lack of restraint and their enthusiasm for learning, as opposed to
adults, which help them not to be afraid of using the target language and build a good
relationship to languages (Really and Ward 7). In addition, there have recently appeared some
arguments that early language learning lead to understanding different cultures, their habits
and customs, which results in development of tolerance and sympathy towards other people
(Lojová 2005: 131).
Dunn lists the main advantages of early language learning as follows:

• it has a great impact on improvement of their study skills,

• children learn how to learn,
• children become more adaptable and tolerant,
• it helps them to see their mother tongue from different point of view, i.e. by means of
different grammar (Dunn 16).

2.2.2 Disadvantages of early language learning

On the contrary, there are several authors and experts who discourage parents from
early language learning and point out its disadvantages. It is primarily children’s ability to
17
cooperate that is not fully developed, followed by common changes of mood and so children’s
emotional instability. Sometimes it might even happen that children are misbehaving and
angry in order to achieve what they want. For this reason, their behaviour can significantly
spoil the lesson (Reilly and Ward 8). Lojová (2005) further explains that children’s strong
emotiveness can result in teachers’ loss of control over children’s activity. Children react
immediately to everything, they want to try, see and touch everything and they show their
feelings without restraints. Teachers may fail in managing the children and use some
restrictions (e.g. no playing with toys), which usually lead to children’s negative attitude
towards learning (Lojová 2005: 144). Thus it can be concluded that all teachers of preschool
children must be patient enough even if it means that they spend a lot of time just organising
children (Reilly and Ward 8).
Early language learning does not have always positive results. It depends mostly on
teachers and the quality of their teaching. Although teachers may have a great deal of
enthusiasm and they may love young children, they are usually not well trained in the
methodology of preschool teaching. There is a lack of qualified teachers who devote their
time preparing methodology and organizing special training courses. However, it is the
teacher who is responsible for children’s success since it depends on his/her ability to set up
positive and friendly learning environment for children (Fenclová 41).
Stephen Krashen, who is famous for his theory of language acquisition, also hesitates
whether early language learning (i.e. English in this case) brings benefits. He thinks that when
children do not live in English environment e.g. an English speaking country, they are not
given much opportunity to speak English and the intended effect is not achieved, as well as
native accent that is not acquired (Krashen 2003).

3. Teaching English to preschool children

Teaching preschool children is very specific and so it brings some advantages as well as
difficulties for teachers. Teachers in primary and secondary schools have to follow syllabuses,
write tests, assign homework and asses their students very often. Consequently, it might be
associated with pressure from a headmaster or higher administration. As opposed to that, teachers
of preschool children can enjoy the lessons more. They are not forced to include particular
activities and follow strict curriculum, therefore children’s favourite game or activity can be
repeated several times, even every lesson. Children are also less shy and so “not afraid to be
imaginative and they are not yet bound by the constraints that demand that adults be logical.“
(Really and Ward 7)

18
 Teaching young children depends on their development stage. Activities that demand
some skills that are not yet developed cannot be included. Because of that teachers should
choose activities that are appropriate for the group, not below their intellectual level or too
childish for them (Phillips 1993: 7). Preschool children have also typical characteristics (see
the chapter 1.1) that have to be followed. Children are not in a good mood every lesson, but
they can be selfish and uncooperative. According to Reilly and Ward it happens that “if they
want something, they will push another child over to get it and show little concern for the
other child's feelings. Some of them will use temper tantrums to try and get their own way,
and may scream or bite. Some may need help with going to the toilet and there could be
occasional accidents with incontinence.” (Reilly and Ward 7)
The most important facts that teachers should know about teaching preschool children
are summarized by Phillips (1993):
• “the activities should be simple enough for the children to understand what is
expected of them,
• the task should be within their abilities: it needs to be achievable but at the
same time sufficiently stimulating for them to feel satisfied with their work,
• the activities should be largely orally based. “ (Phillips 1993: 7)

3.1 Principles of preschool teaching

Teaching preschool children should be done in an enjoyable way, because it

determines their attitude towards language learning. Children should feel safe and do not be
afraid of participating in all activities and games. Teachers’ task is to set up a friendly
atmosphere and prepare activities suitable for them – i.e. a lot of games, songs, chants (see the
chapter 4.5) (Slattery and Willis 4). It is worth devoting time to lesson planning, it is not
always an easy task though. According to Henová, when teaching preschool children and
preparing lessons for them, several principles have to be followed:

• adapt activities according to current situation and atmosphere in the classroom,

• revise and repeat everything children have already learnt, it gives them sense of
security and develops their self-confidence,
• change activities very quickly, calming activities are followed by motoric, creative
etc.,
• do not include grammar and grammar rules, children do not understand them,

19
 • do not be angry when children use their mother tongue, but encourage them to use the
target language,
• use authentic songs, rhymes, poems, stories,
• use gestures, mimes and non-verbal expressions that children understand easily,
• make the lesson entertaining, use fantasy to develop natural curiosity of children,
• do not force children to participate if they do not want,
• use familiar topics based on children’ experience, family and home,
• repeat activities and games children know and like (Hennová 12,13).

3.2 Foreign languages in the Czech Pre-primary education

The Nation Plan of Teaching Foreign Languages3, valid in the Czech Republic since
2007, determines the beginning of compulsory foreign language education at the third grade
of primary school. The first foreign language should be then specifically English. Yet optional
learning of English is recommended when children are at preschool age (“Action Plan” in
Hanušová and Najvar 3).
The main educational document for preschool education in the Czech Republic is the
Framework Educational Plan for Preschool Education4 (FEP PE). However, there is not much
about foreign language learning. It only mentions that children should be introduced with the
existence of other nations and languages. Teachers should also present some basis of language
learning (“Rámcový vzdělávací program pro předškolní vzdělávání”).
Methods and forms of teacher’s work become the basics for development of children’s
key competences. The key competencies included in FEP PE are learning competency,
communication competency, problem-solving competency, social and personal competency
and civil and professional competency (Hennová 15). To develop each competency, teachers
can use different activities as illustrated in the table 2.
The key competences should reflect general objectives of foreign language education
stated in FEP PE. Expected output is as follows:
• ability to understand simple instructions in foreign language,
• ability to make simple sentences,
• practical but also theoretical acquisition of vocabulary,
• development of logical thinking,

3
The Nation Plan of Teaching Foreign Languages = in Czech” Národní plán výuky cizích jazyků“
4
The Framework Educational Plan for Preschool Education = in Czech ”Rámcový vzdělávácí program pro předškolní vzdělávání”

20
 • development of individual skills,
• ability to listen to the teacher and solve some concrete problems and task individually
(Hennová 16).

Table 2: Key competencies and their activities in preschool education

Competency Activities
learning competency vocabulary drill, activities focused on both gross and fine
motor skills (especially eye-hand coordination),
introduction to the foreign language learning and its
motivation, revision of vocabulary and things they learn,
using visuals and other aids
communication competency drama and story acting, development of pronunciation
and intonation using songs, chants etc., presenting the
foreign language in the same way as the mother tongue,
imitation
problem-solving competency working with worksheets, using gestures and movements
to express the meaning, finding out the differences (e.g.
two pictures), categorisation of terms
social and personal competency interaction in the classroom (groups, pairs), expressing
own feelings or feelings of characters from stories, using
puppets or other characters from stories, praising and
evaluating children’s results, reminding children’s
birthday and national festivals (e.g. Christmas)
civil and professional working with different materials, using gestures, signals
competency and other symbols in order to change an activity,
beginning and ending the lesson in the same way,
introducing traditional festivals in English speaking
countries
Source: Hennová, Iva. Angličtina pro předškoláky. Praha: Portál, 2010. Print.

3.3 The role of the teacher

Preschool children, who are at their beginnings of learning, are not responsible for
their own learning. It is the teacher who children depend on. The teacher’s task is to transmit
approaches to learning English to children. There is a kind of personal relationship that is
necessary for successful learning process. Teachers present not only language but also culture
that is connected with learning foreign languages (Dunn 16).

“The role of the teacher during these pre-school years is to help the child develop in all these
areas and to prepare the ground for the more formal kind of teaching that will come in primary
school.” (Reilly and Ward)

Teachers of preschool children should possess certain qualities and they should
convey the knowledge as assessable to children as possible (Richards 10). Children demand
teachers who are kind, sympathetic and patient, some children then appreciate when teachers

21
are more friends and temporary mothers and fathers (Musgrove and Taylor 17). According to
Richards, there are both theoretical and practical aspects of the teaching the teachers should
be aware of, namely interpersonal, intellectual, physical, spiritual, and aesthetic. It can be
noted that teaching is a complex activity, in which teachers have to make decisions and are
professionally responsible (Richards 10-13).
According to Horká and Syslová, there are certain qualities preschool teachers should
possess, for they are necessary for development of each individual:
• acceptance (to tolerate others and accept everyone positively),
• empathy (to be able to identify with other people’s feelings and try to
understand them),
• authenticity (to behave truly, naturally, do not hide emotions and be yourself)
(Horká and Syslová 84).
Teachers should be undoubtedly experts in their fields of study and have
corresponding qualification. Their language level should be “advanced” on the ACTFL5 scale
(third level on the four levels scale). Apart from language skills and methodology knowledge,
teachers should be also familiar with development of human beings and theories of language
acquisition (Hanušová and Najvar 12).
Vojtková further points out that the teachers’ level of English should be very high,
preferably C16 according to The Common European Framework. There is no point teaching
some vocabulary, song and chants, but more important is to communicate with children in a
natural way. She also thinks that teachers should not read teachers books in Czech, because
when they are not able to follow lesson plans in English, then their language skills and
vocabulary are not sufficient enough for working with very young learners. Other qualities of
preschool teachers are methodology competence and a good attitude to the target language
and motivation to its studying (Vojtková in Hanušová and Najvar 13).

3.4 Classroom management

Organisation of the learning process plays an important role, since it determines the
course of the lessons and increases children’s concentration and perception (Hennová 15).
Furthermore, organization helps children to feel secure and content.

5
ACTFL - American Council on The Teaching of Foreign Languages
6
C1 - Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced

22
 “Once children feel secure and content in the classroom, they can be encouraged to become
independent and adventurous in the learning of the language. Security is not an attitude or an
ability, but it is essential if we want our pupils to get the maximum out of the language
lessons.” (Scott and Ytreberg 10)

However, it is not always easy to organize a group of preschool children. They are not
used to sitting at the desks for a long time, as they lose their attention very quickly. They
prefer running around the classroom and enjoying themselves. Teachers need to be flexible
and prepared for unexpected things, because it may happen that something e.g. an activity is
not going well and so it is necessary to change it as soon as possible (Holden 6-9). It is
usually better to include something the children like and turn back to the original activity later
or the next lesson (Reilly and Ward 11).
First of all, teachers should consider the organisation of the classroom so as it can be
suitable for children at this age. It should be spacy enough for doing activities like dancing,
moving and active games, but safe at the same time. Classrooms should be coloured and
decorated for children to feel well in a friendly atmosphere. Desks are not necessary, it is
always better to seat the children on a carpet (or cushions) in a circle facing the teacher for
easy communication (Reilly and Ward 11). When doing some art and craft activities, children
can sit at the desks or work on the floor as well. It is necessary to change not only activities
but also their organisation in the classroom. Apart from traditional places for learning,
Hennová suggests using less common ones like different parts of the classroom or going
outside, depending on a particular activity the teacher is planning to do (Hennová 15).
Reilly and Ward point out that “children of this age are not used to pair or group work
and the activities will generally be whole class, choral-type work led by the teacher or done
on an individual basis” (Reilly and Ward 11). Nevertheless, some activities may be done
individually, especially art and craft. If there is a mix ability class, it seems necessary to
divide the children into groups according to their abilities and developmental age (ibid.).
Finally, it is inevitable to set up some class routines. It is thought that without routines
and rules children tend to be anxious, stressed and it can have a negative impact on their
learning (Brewster, Ellis and Girard 36). Classroom routines can include starting and ending
of the lesson with the same song, saying or chant; giving orders; sitting at the table when
drawing; using particular phrases for greetings etc.
Sometimes it happens that children do not want to cooperate or are not willing to join
the group. There are a lot of possible reasons; they may be tired, anxious or hungry. Teachers
should not force them to participate, but wait until they want to join in (Reilly and Ward 12).

23
Another problem can appear when teachers include competitions. There is usually a winner
and a loser, which can stress children who are not very successful. Although it can be a great
fun, Scott and Ytreberg advise teachers not to use competitions as it usually leads to division
of good and bad learners. “Language learning is a situation where everyone can win“, and so
organised competitions as well as physical rewards and prizes should be avoided (Scott and
Ytreberg 11).

3.5 Languages in the classroom

When teaching English to preschool children, teachers have to face an important issue
– which language to use in the classroom. It may seem that preschool children are too young
to be exposed only to English. However, majority of authors dealing with preschool language
learning agree that it is essential to use English as much as possible (Hennová 11, Phillips
1993: 8, Reilly and Ward 5). It is usually the only opportunity to hear the foreign language in
a familiar environment for most of the children (Hennová 11).
On the other hand there are also times when the use of English is counter-productive
(Phillips 1993: 8). Children can feel stressed and frustrated when they do not understand, e.g.
when teachers give instructions of complicated activity in English. In such situations, it is
inevitable to use a couple of words in the mother tongue, which can help to explain how to
make something. Really and Ward stresses the importance of using the mother tongue for the
following reasons:
• security (for some children, learning English can be a very traumatic
experience, compared to swimmers being thrown at the deep, so teacher should
start speaking in the mother tongue and slowly include more and more English
during the course),
• need for communication (some children are eager to speak, especially about
their toys, parents, friends etc., teachers should not forbid them to speak in
their mother tongue, for it may lead to failure of their relationship),
• giving instructions (sometimes giving instructions in English is too
complicated and time consuming that children do not understand and a game or
activity is then spoiled; it is better to give the instructions first in English and
then translate them into the mother tongue; later when the children are more
confident and aware of the games, activities and routines of the lesson, the
mother tongue can be omitted) (Reilly and Ward 5).

24
 Following what was stated above, it is suggested making a compromise between the
mother tongue and English. Teachers should help the children understand and adapt their
language to the age of preschool children, but speak naturally at the same time (Hennová 11).
Dunn points out that the language should resemble the language parents speak with their
children (Dunn 53). Slattery and Willis talk about the so called caretaker talk. Its features
help children acquire language in a more natural way. Teachers should repeat phrases said
earlier, keep children’s attention by asking questions, encourage children and react positively
even if they say something that is not well pronounced and try to improve it (Slattery and
Willis 12). Other characteristics of caretaker talk are reduced speed of speech, shortened and
simple sentences and limited range of vocabulary appropriate for the children (Littlewood 16).
There are a lot of possibilities of making the communication easier, Dunn mentions
body language, different tone of voice, movements, pictures, authentic materials like objects,
books etc. (Dunn 49). Brumfit, Moon and Tongue stress the importance of gestures, facial
expressions and action, because “it gives children clues to the meaning of what they hear and
so draws their attention to and helps them to become familiar with the sounds, rhythms and
stress of the foreign language which are different from those of their first language.” (Brumfit,
Moon and Tongue 221)
Slattery and Willis make a list of advice how languages should be used in the
classroom:
• use English as the main language for communication,
• use gestures, pictures and actions for better understanding,
• let children use their mother tongue, especially at their beginnings,
• translate what children say in their mother tongue,
• try to answer children’s questions in English as much as possible,
• use the mother tongue when explaining new activities and games or when they
do not understand,
• try to use English as much as possible, try to describe pictures or things present
in the classroom, activities you do etc. (Slattery and Willis 12).

3.6 Syllabus and lesson planning

Syllabus is a very important part of teaching, because it gives the idea of “what is to be
taught and what is to be learnt“ (Cameron 28). When designing a syllabus for preschool
children, teachers have to consider its difference from one for older learners. Children at
preschool age cannot read and write and they are still learning some basic skills such as
25
holding a pencil (Reilly and Ward 13). Therefore, it is necessary to know the children and
base the syllabus on their needs and interests so as it can work for them (Dunn 18).
There is no uniform syllabus for teaching English to preschool children in the Czech
Republic, so as in many other countries. It gives teachers freedom to design the syllabuses
according to the children’s interests. On the other hand, teachers usually have no guidelines
and do not know what to include and teach (Reilly and Ward 13). Fortunately, because of a
great interest in preschool language learning, some guide books for preschool teachers are
slowly appearing in the market, Reilly and Ward and their “Very Young Learners: Resouce
Book for Teachers”, Slattery and Willis and their “English for Primary Teachers”, “Teaching
English to Children” by Scott and Ytreberg or in the Czech environment it is Hennová and her
“Angličtina pro předškoláky” are worth mentioning. Their teaching suggestions and presented
activities can undoubtedly help preschool teachers work out and implement their own
syllabus.
According to Reilly and Ward, planning syllabus depends on the teaching situation.
They think that it is a good idea to connect what teachers are teaching in English lessons with
what children are learning in their preschool classes in their own language (Reilly and Ward
13). Dunn shares the same opinion and adds that things from the mother tongue should be
linked to what the children learn in their English classes until they are more mature (Dunn
22). However, it might be a problem for external teachers who spend limited time with the
children or teachers in special courses in which children are from different classrooms and
kindergartens. In this case, class teachers have a greater advantage and planning syllabus and
lessons will be easier for them. It also depends on whether the children have already learnt
English or they are complete beginners. If children have had no contact with English, “it is
important to start off with simple, basic knowledge and to recycle it in as many ways as
possible (Reilly and Ward 13)
Planning lessons is as important as planning syllabus. When a lesson is well and
carefully planned, children feel more secure and confident ant it has a positive impact on their
attitude towards English. They know what to expect and are calmer (Dunn 26).

“Effective lessons tend to be those with a clear structure, with shared understandings about
what is to be learned and why, where all children can do the activities and use the learning
time effectively and where the teacher assesses progress and evaluates the lessons” (Medwell
111).

Reilly and Ward suggest constant repetition. Even if it seems that children understand
and have already learnt something, it cannot be expected that they really have. What is more,

26
young children usually like what is familiar to them, so teacher should not be afraid of using a
favourite game again and again (Reilly and Ward 14).
The most important thing to consider when planning lessons for preschool children is
their short attention span (see the chapter 1.1). Because of that, it is necessary to change
activities every five or ten minutes to keep them interested and stimulated (ibid.). Activities
should vary according to the pace and so a lively activity should be followed by calming or art
and craft and vice versa. It is also a good idea to prepare something extra (toys, jigsaws,
pictures) for children who work faster than others or when teachers manage to do prepared
activities more quickly (ibid.).
It is thought that very useful is to establish a routine (Medwell 107, Reilly and Ward
14). Medwell stresses the important issue of routines, because it contributes to creating well-
balanced, familiar and powerful learning (Medwell 107,109). According to Reilly and Ward,
a lesson plan should contain activities in the following sequence - a familiar song, new
language, craft activity based on the new language, a song/rhyme/chant, a familiar
activity/game, a familiar story (Reilly and Ward 14).
General insturctions how to plan and prepare lessons are summarized by Slattery and
Willis:
• have all the materials prepared before the lesson,
• change activitites, lively are followed by calming,
• establish routines, it gives children the sence of security,
• be aware of how children acquire languages,
• prepare suitable activitites and context that help children learn new language
skills,
• try to devote some time to every individual child,
• plan how to organize prepared activities and in which part of the classroom
you set them,
• include activitites that help children revise what they have already learnt,
• cosider each lesson as a small step before reaching target aims (Slattery and
Willis 131).

3.7 Motivation

Motivation of children at preschool age is not very difficult, but very important,
though (Hennová 11). Pinter stresses the importance of motivation when leaning a new

27
language, since it is a natural part of growing up (Pinter 37). Parents are usually those who
want their children to learn languages, not children themselves. Because of that, learning
should be enjoyable for children, based on playing games and should take place in a pleasant
atmosphere (Hennová 11). When children are motivated, they gain positive attitude to the
target language and it makes the learning easier and more productive (Pinter 37). Harmer
mentions the role of a teacher as one of the major factors in the children’s motivation (Harmer
52). The more children like their teacher, the more they are motivated.

“The youngest age groups are motivated by positive attitudes to English and the learning
context. This means that they want to learn English because they enjoy the activities and the
comfortable atmosphere in class. Very young children also say that they like English because
they like the teacher.” (Pinter 37)

There are several aids teachers can use to motivate the children, especially puppets and
fluffy toys (Hennová 11). Reilly and Ward are promoters of using puppets, which understand
only English, and consider it a very good method for reduction of children’s fear and restraint
(Reilly and Ward 6). What is more, in ESL or EFL classes teachers can wear something
special e.g. hat, cap, apron so as the children can realize there is the time for English (Slattery
and Willis 14). Children can be motivated by external stimuli like class decoration, colourful
pictures, attractive toys and tools. Very important is also permanent positive evaluation,
encouragement to better and better results as well as praises, alternatively small rewards such
as pictures, cookies or stamps (Hennová 11). The best and most effective way how to
motivate preschool children is presenting new stimulating activities, which results from
children’s desire for cognition, their natural curiosity and need for activity (ibid.).
Motivation for learning English at preschool age can be summarized into four steps:
1. setting up a pleasant and supportive environment,
2. showing positive attitudes to learning,
3. including stimulating activities and maintaining cooperation between children,
4. turning evaluation and feedback into positive experience (Dornyei in Pinter 37,
38).

3.8 Error correction

Making mistakes in learning foreign languages is a natural and normal part of learning
process (Edge 36). Children should not be ashamed when they make a mistake, and so it is
very important how teachers deal with error correction. It happens that teachers overcorrect
children who then feel sad or even embarrassed and rather say nothing or give up easily when

28
they are not sure (Halliwell 13). Children at the preschool age are very sensitive; therefore it
can significantly influence their attitude towards learning. On the contrary, children are
sometimes not corrected at all and acquire bad pronunciation, vocabulary or grammar.
Because of that, teachers should find an effective way how to correct mistakes and do it so as
it can protect the positive atmosphere and attitudes towards English.
Sometimes it is better to correct mistakes immediately, for example bad pronunciation
when learning new words, repeat it and practice in some activities. On the other hand,
sometimes it is more effective not to disrupt the activity or speech and do the correction after
it, for example some grammatical errors. When teachers understand what children mean by
their speech, it seems unnecessary to interrupt them.
According to Slattery and Willis, it is always necessary to consider the following:
• correcting mistakes can result in children’s feeling that they are stupid
or have done something bad,
• children should know that teachers help them,
• it is necessraty to praise every efford; teachers should use expressions
like yes, good, very good, much better, well done, excellent, etc.,
• it is necessary to develop children’s self-esteem and give them the
feeling of being successful,
• individual activitites can be finished by any positive evaluation like
that was great, fantastic work etc. (Slattery and Willis 127).

3.9 Assessing very young learners

“Assessment is a general term which includes all methods used to gather information about
children’s knowledge, ability, understanding, attitudes, and motivations. Assessment can be
carried through a number of instruments (for example, tests, self-assessment), and can be
formal or informal. (Loannou-Georgiou and Pavlou 4).

Although it may seem unnecessary to assess children at preschool age, it is usually

useful for teachers to think about the children’s progress and language improvement. Teachers
can make some notes, inform parents and tell the children regularly about their improvement
(e.g. that they know a lot of words and they are doing very well). “From the beginning this
can be done in very simple terms, stressing the positive side of things and playing down what
the pupil has not been able to master. Nothing succeeds like success.” (Scott and Ytreberg 7)
Assessment can be also a good tool for monitoring teachers’ performance and
planning their future work. Teachers can realize whether their chosen methods, materials or

29
activities were successful, and then modify their teaching and change or improve their
techniques to the children’s needs (Loannou-Georgiou and Pavlou 6).
There are several possible ways how assessment can be done, from traditional tests to
self-assessment. However, when assessing children at the preschool age, the choice of suitable
assessment methods is quite limited. The best method seems to be a portfolio assessment. “A
language portfolio is a collection of samples of work produced by the child over a period of
time.” (ibid. 9) It can include drawings, copies of books that teachers use for storytelling,
recordings, a list of stamps teachers put on as a reward or price etc. Portfolio is important for
children as the showcase of their knowledge and ability, and for their parent as well, because
they see what the children do in the lessons and so they can revise with them (ibid.).
Another method that seems suitable in preschool classes is observation. During
observations teachers usually focus on children’s behaviour, attitudes and performances. If
they record observations systematically i.e. make some notes every lesson and keep them on
file, then they can study the development through the time. However, such observations are
usually very subjective and so teachers should combine more methods (ibid.)

4. Methods and activities suitable for preschool children

4.1 Using games

Nowadays, game is considered the main children’s activity. Children are given the
right to it, as declared in the Declaration of children’s rights, accepted in the Czech Republic
in 1991 (Horká and Syslová 51). Furthermore, it is the main source of getting to know
something and a way of satisfying yourself (Lojová 2005: 143).
Game’s variety, which is characteristics for children’s age, is probably related with the
fact that it discharges the function of learning. When playing games, the point is not only to
achieve some external results, but it is primarily about doing an activity as such (Horká and
Syslová 54). Lojová (2005) adds that it is not the result that satisfies children, but the process
of playing (Lojová 2005: 143). Through game, children get information and learn to do
various skills completely spontaneously and voluntarily, according to their own pace and
abilities (Horká and Syslová 58).
As it was noted earlier, children generally love games and playing. Beyond all,
learning foreign languages cannot do without games; moreover games play an important role
there. Phillips (1993) emphasises the importance of games in the language classroom by
saying that “games help children to see learning English as enjoyable and rewarding. Playing

30
games in the classroom develops the ability to co-operate, to compete without being
aggressive, and to be a good lose.” (Phillips 1993: 85)
Games have a positive impact on children and so playing brings mainly advantages to
the language classroom. The lessons are not monotonous, because games add variety to the
range of learning situations and the pace of the lesson is changed. Children are also more
motivated and usually willing to participate in all activities and not afraid of speaking. Thanks
to games, children do not get bored so quickly and their attention span is improved, as well as
their memory and listening skills are developing. In addition, the positive atmosphere is
established and children usually enjoy lessons and have fun (Brewster, Ellis and Girard 27).
Although it is necessary to include games in the lessons, it is not always easy to find
the right games for a particular group of children. There are a lot of games available and
teacher’s task is to choose the ones that are the most appropriate for his/her learners. Games
have to be enjoyable, they should motivate children but at the same time, they have to be easy
for the children. Teachers should also prepare games that can be played by everyone and does
not cause any harm. However, it may happen that some children do not want to participate
(they may feel tired or they just do not like the game). Teachers should not force them to take
part, but rather let them observe until they are ready for joining others (Dunn 70, 71).
When preparing games for children, Khan further suggests considering games that are
played in their mother tongue and trying to incorporate them in the target languages. Such
games will be easily understood and similar levels (cognitive, physical and emotional) will be
developed (Khan 146).
Dunn points out that preschool children like games with an element of luck and do not
approve of games that depend on cleverness. Such games have usually the same winners and
other players have never chance to stand comparison with them. Thus, teachers have to
include both types of games and so satisfy everyone. Furthermore, children can have
difficulty with losing and behave aggressively. Because of that, it is necessary to give
everyone a chance to be successful (Dunn 64).

4.2 Total Physical Response (TPR)

Total Physical Response known worldwide as TPR is a teaching technique established

by James Asher, who is a professor of psychology at San José State University. This method
is based on language-body conversation in the classroom, during which teachers give
commands and learners respond with a motor activity (“What is TPR”).

31
 “In TPR, the instructor becomes a movie director who guides actors - the students - through
complicated scenes much like a parent guiding an infant through intimate caretaking
situations. And just as the infant develops an intricate understanding of spoken language,
students acquire, with pleasure, an in- depth understanding of the target language.” (Asher 35)

The method is considered to be extremely useful, especially with young learners

(Phillips 1993: 19). It is due to the fact that “children learn through direct experience via the
five senses, and do not yet understand abstract concepts” (Reilly and Ward 5). Children do or
mime different instructions given by the teacher. Instructions can vary from simple Touch
your nose to more difficult such as If you are happy, touch your cheek. Although very young
children are not able to produce much, they understand a lot and so this technique “builds on
that capacity” (Phillips 1993: 19). Reilly and Ward point out that the younger the children are,
the more suitable and important TPR is (Reilly and Ward 5). The effect of the method usually
disappears with older learners or adults.
There are some basic features of TPR summarized by Slattery and Willis:
The teacher:
• tells children what they should do,
• pronounces intelligibly and intone naturally,
• helps children understand by using gestures or doing actions.
Children:
• have to understand instructions properly,
• like doing given actions,
• can do the actions as a whole class or individually,
• do not need to talk,
• understand well, because motor activities correspond with given
instructions (Slattery and Willis 24).

TPR can be easily adapted to teaching a lot of things, usually it is used to practice
vocabulary connected with actions (e.g. sit down, stand up, jump, run), classroom language
such as giving orders and instruction (e.g. open the book, take a pencil), but it can be also
used to teach grammatical items or do storytelling. However, it is not the only method that
can be used and teachers should not overuse it. It may become repetitive and children get
bored (Widodo 247).

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 4.2.1 Listen and do activities

Activities that are based on TPR methodology are known as “Listen and do activities”.
Teachers give instructions and children listen to and obey them. The main aim of such
activities is “to develop intuitive listening and present and practise structures and vocabulary”
(Phillips 1993: 19). Teachers immediately see whether the children understand or not. Even if
children do not understand, they can watch others and copy or imitate them. As children learn
more and more language, they can take over the role of instructor (Scott and Ytreberg 22).
Other “Listen and do” activities are “Drawing”, when teachers describe what to draw,
or “Mime stories”, in which the teacher tells the story and children do the actions (Phillips
1993: 23). Very popular action game is also “Simon says” that is used as a revision of parts of
body.

Table 3: Suggestions for TPR

Classroom commands Stand up. Sit down.

Body Touch your nose. Put your hand on your knees.

Verbs - Miming Eat an apple. Drink a glass of water.

Prepositions Put the toy in the box. Put the book on the floor.

Abilities If you can swim, clap your hands.

Likes and dislikes If you like bananas, make a happy face.

Physical description Touch someone who has a red T-shirt.

Comparatives If I am taller that you, touch your leg.

General knowledge If a dog has four legs, clap four times.

Source: Phillips, Sarah. Young learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Print.

4.3 Topic-based learning versus task-based learning

Nowadays, a lot of textbooks are topic-based (some authors use the term theme-
based), it means that “the emphasis of the lesson is on a subject, a topic or a theme, and the
contents of the book are arranged around these topics” (Scott and Ytreberg 84). Topic-based
learning can replace course books and syllabus or it can be used in small amounts. Very
similar are books structured into units, each focused on a particular topic (Cameron 184).
Other possibilities are story-based or activity-based textbooks.

33
 Topic-based learning is considered to be very suitable for preschool-learners, for it
meets their specific needs. It is a natural and exciting way of learning that includes a variety
of activities (ibid.). When choosing the right topic for children, teacher should consider their
experiences and interests. The content of the lessons then becomes more important than the
language itself (Scott and Ytreberg 84). There are some positive sides of using topic-based
approach. First, it may help the learning process, because children can associate words with a
particular topic and memory and understand the structures easily. Secondly, it allows teachers
to present the topic in depth and teach some vocabulary that are not always included in the
textbooks, or make the topic more personal and bring for example some authentic materials.
Furthermore, it gives teachers more freedom and the time they spend on a particular topic
depends on them. If they see the children like the topic, they can add more and more
activities, but on the other hand, they can cut the time shorter if the children are losing their
interest. Finally, activities based on topic-based learning can be both guided and free and it
includes all the language skills (Scott and Ytreberg 84,85).
An example of such topic can be food. The teacher chooses various activities based on
this topic, for example flashcards games on food vocabulary, stories, songs, rhymes, recipes
and making food, preparing menus, going shopping for food, drawing etc. (ibid.)
Different approach, which has characteristics that suit young children’s needs, is task-
based learning. As opposed to topic-based learning, task-based learning “suggests that
language learning can be divided into units called tasks rather than topics or grammatical
forms” ("Experiential Learning Theory"). The term task can have different explanations and
its meaning vary in literature (Ellis in Saucedo 62). Sometimes, it refers to a classroom
exercise; sometimes it is considered any kind of language activity. Dealing with very small
learners, task should be defined as “meaningful and purposeful activity that involves learners
understanding, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language, while their
attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form” (Saucedo 62) Furthermore,
some tasks may overlap with teaching techniques e.g. a role play ("Experiential Learning
Theory").
Brown defines task-based learning as “a set of communicative tasks that are directly
linked to the curricular goals they serve, and the purpose of which extend beyond the practice
of language for its own sake” (Brown in Experiential Learning Theory). There are several
reasons why teachers of preschool children should include task-based learning - it helps to
identify their needs; define the content of the course; organize opportunities for language
acquisition and measure children’s progress ("Experiential Learning Theory"). In addition,

34
including communicative tasks allows children to talk in the target language, even more if
they are interested in the task. Finally, very young learners do not need explicit teaching of
some features of language, but they need to play with the language and be exposed to it as
first. Because of that, language elements such as grammar, phonology and vocabulary are
located secondarily (Numan in Sausedo 63, 64).

4.4 Teaching vocabulary

Although it is known that children are quick to learn words, preschool children can
find it problematic as they still cannot read and write. Therefore, teachers should be aware of
suitable methods for teaching vocabulary. Phillips (1993) points out that “vocabulary is best
learnt when the meaning of the words is illustrated, for example by pictures, actions or real
objects” (Phillips 1993: 74). Then children fix the words in their minds easily, because they
can connect them to a particular context and it helps them to establish their relationship with
the words. It means that they do not just learn the word, but put it into practice (ibid.)
An invaluable way of introducing and revising vocabulary is definitely flashcards
(picture cards). Using flashcards help children relate words and images. It can be used to drill
structures, too (ibid.). Flashcards can illustrate individual words (nouns, verbs, adjectives), but
also topics, situations or functions. Flashcards should be colourful and bright so as they can
attract children’s attention. What is more, children can colour them themselves during the
lesson if they want. There are a of flashcards activities that teachers can include. However,
teachers should not depend only on flashcards as children get bored of them easily. It is also a
good idea to teach vocabulary with the help of real objects like toys, tools (kitchen), small
models, pieces of fruit and vegetables, pieces of clothes etc., depending on the topic. Finally,
it is suggested teaching vocabulary in groups of related words (word families) and creating
so-called mind maps (ibid.).
Learning structures is slower. Children tend to learn structures holistically i.e. they
learn them as single items rather that separate parts. For example the phrase I’ve got is learnt
as a single item Ivegot. Therefore, it is recommended to repeat the same structure many times
in different contexts, using variety of vocabulary (ibid.)

4.5 Using rhymes, songs and chants

Rhymes, songs and chants can be categorised into listen and repeat activities. These
activities are aimed to get the feel for the language – the sound, the stress, rhythm and the

35
intonation. When they are combined with movements, pictures or object, they also help
children establish the link between words and meaning (Scott and Ytreberg 27).
Music and rhythm are essential parts of language learning, especially for young
learners who usually enjoy singing songs and reciting chants (Phillips 100). Reilly and Ward
stress the importance of songs, chants and rhymes for the following reasons:
• “it helps children’s language development, and also their physical development
when used with dancing and miming,
• it extends children’s vocabulary beyond the limited range of their own day-to-
day experiences,
• it encourages children to explore the sounds of words, the use of imagery
enriches their perception of the world and their ability to express what they
feel,
• it improves children’s pronunciation, especially because of the fact that young
children are excellent mimics.” (Reilly and Ward 24)
Children are able to repeat and learn new songs, chants, and rhymes quite easily and
the biggest advantage is that they „will happily repeat the same structure, even the same
words, over and over again without getting bored“ (ibid.). Nevertheless, when introducing
new rhymes, songs or chants, teachers should follow several rules – choose them for a
suitable language content of children, speak slowly and clearly, introduce and teach new
words (usually before), alternatively provide translation in the mother tongue, and repeat in
chorus until the children are able to complete the rhyme by themselves. What is more, rhymes
may be supported by pictures, illustrations or flash cards (Dunn 82, 83).
Rhymes
“Rhymes are repetitive, they have natural rhythm and they have element of fun, of
playing with the language.” (Scott and Ytreberg 27) Rhymes are familiar to children as they
usually like them in their mother tongue. By rhymes a new language can be learnt very easily
(Reilly and Ward 24). There is an example of famous English rhyme:
“Rain, rain go away,
Come again another day.
Little Johny wants to play.” (Scott and Ytreberg 27)
Songs
Songs are usually very rich in language and they are good for extending children’s
vocabulary (Reilly and Ward 23). On the other hand, they are considered more difficult in

36
transferring language from them (Dunn 85). Some songs are good for doing actions, some are
better only for singing and the best is when the song is good for both. Teaches should select
songs carefully – they should not be too difficult. Older children then appreciate popular
songs more. Songs can be also used as background music, for example during art and craft
activities (Phillips 1993: 100).
Chants
“A chant is like a song without music, or a poem with a very marked rhythm.” (ibid.). It
is a good idea to invent own chants (and songs as well), rewrite popular chants in own words
or add some things that are true for a particular group of children. In this case, very useful will
be the book “Creating Chants and Songs” by Caroline Graham.

4.6 Using stories

“Time and time again educationalists and psychologists have shown that stories have a vital
role to play in the child’s development, and, not least, in the development of language.” (Scott
and Ytreberg 28)

As follows from above, stories play an important part in children’s growing up. A
famous teacher, author and storyteller Andrew Wright points out that stories offer a major and
constant source of language experience for children; they are motivating and rich in language
experience (Wright 6). Storytelling is not only a kind of entertainment and fun but it also
helps children think about the world from different perspectives; they learn to listen to other
people, they can share their experience with peers, or they can get to know different cultures
or opinions (Slattery and Willis 96). In addition, Brewster, Ellis and Girand mention that
storytelling helps to develop different learning strategies such as listening for general
meaning, predicting, guessing meaning and hypothesising; and it provokes a shared response
of laughter, sadness, excitement and anticipation which can encourage social and emotional
development (Brewster and Ellis 38). Finally, listening to stories helps children become aware
of rhythm, intonation and pronunciation. Wright summarizes the main reasons for using
storytelling:
• motivation (children generally like stories and they will be willing to listen to
them),
• meaning (children want to find the meaning/point in the story; once they have it,
they rewarded through their ability to understand and are motivated for another
one),

37
 • language awareness (stories help children become aware of the general ‘feel’
and sound of the foreign language),
• stimulus for speaking (it encourages children to speak, express likes and dislikes
and exchange ideas),
• communication (it helps children be able to communicate and builds up the
sense of awareness of others),
• general curriculum (stories can be used to develop the children’s awareness of
knowledge from other subjects/branches e.g. culture, science (Wright 6-8)

Storytelling can be used as a starting point for other activities i.e. listening, speaking,
reading and writing, and so there are two ways how storytelling can be used – as passive or
productive. With preschool children, storytelling is mainly a passive activity. It means that
children are listening to a story, and at the same time practising the ability to hold the
meaning in mind and trying to understand and get the point (Scott and Ytreberg 28). Teachers
usually check whether children have understood by various activities e.g. sequencing,
recognizing, but children do not need to produce anything. On the other hand, productive
storytelling is when children themselves tell stories and so practice oral skills. With older
learners (who can already read and write), storytelling can be followed by various reading and
writing activities.
During storytelling, teachers should create friendly, intimate and secure atmosphere
(Scott and Ytreberg 28-29; Reilly and Ward 18). Reilly and Ward suggest sitting in
semicircles on a carpet or cushions round teacher‘s chair, because it ensures that children can
see teacher’s face, hands, and visual aids very well (Reilly and Ward 18). It is important for
children to feel comfortable, so they do not need to sit straight up (Scott and Ytreberg 28).
Teachers should create constant interaction with the children and keep the eye contact, so it is
better to tell a story rather than to read it from a book. Storytelling should be accompanied
with gestures, which help children understand (Slattery and Willis 96). It is also a good idea
to use some pictures and drawings so as children can remember the story better. From the
beginning, teachers should encourage the children to join in with the story where there is
repetition, but of course do not force them to speak if they do not want (Reilly and Ward).
Furthermore, children can become personally involved in the story and be identified with the
characters (Brewster and Ellis 38).
There are several rules, teachers should follow during storytelling:
• look at children, keep eye contact and find out whether children understand,

38
 • use gestures, miming, body language,
• repeat important parts,
• rephrase difficult phrases,
• use pictures, drawings and visual aids (puppets, toys),
• point to pictures, talk about them with children,
• let children guess that is coming next (Slattery and Willis 97).

Telling and reading stories are two different terms and teachers should not confuse them.
Some teachers are born storytellers, but some rely on a book in hands. However, for preschool
children telling a story is considered much better than reading it. Children feel that teachers
are giving them something very personal; these days, they are rarely used to the experience of
hearing someone; and it is often easier to understand a story being told than one which is read
aloud, it is more natural, and teachers can use body language (Wright 14).
There are a lot of children‘s stories and fairy tales available, both traditional and modern,
so teachers do not have an easy task to choose the right one for the children. They should be
careful about the type of the story used. Children demand funny stories in which they could
predict the next step and join in. Stories with frequent changes of scenes and wide range of
vocabulary are not suitable for children, because these stories seem too flat (Brumfit, Moon
and Tongue 172-173). Reilly and Ward think that it is better to “start off with traditional
stories from the children's own cultural background as they may already be familiar to the
children and this will aid comprehension” (Reilly and Ward 18). Sometimes, it is necessary to
make the story more accessible to children, and so teachers need to adapt the language to the
children’s level, retell it with easier vocabulary or grammatical patterns (Cameron 165).

4.7 Using drama

Drama plays an important role at preschool age, since children love playing and
pretending they are someone else; girls usually act out roles of princesses, teachers, mothers,
singers and boys astronauts, policemen, firemen, etc. Children also spend a lot of time playing
with an imaginary friend, or sometimes being dinosaurs or other kinds of animals and
creatures (Reilly and Ward 19). Because of that, drama will undoubtedly have an advantage
for language learning. Phillips (1999) points out that “drama encourages children to speak and
gives them the chance to communicate, even with limited language, using non-verbal
communication, such as body movements and facial expressions.” (Phillips 1999: 6). What is
more, drama can be used as a useful aid during or after singing a song or telling a story.

39
Through drama activities children understand better as they can experience real situations and
memorise some important structures as well. Memorising then usually leads to success
(Brumfit, Moon and Tongue 8).
Acting out a story differs from reading it in many ways, especially because of the fact
that “drama involves children at many levels, through bodies, minds, emotions, language, and
social interaction (Phillips 1999: 6). Phillips (1999) makes a list of factors that well explain
importance of drama in the language classroom:
• motivation (dramatizing a story or a text is usually a great fun),
• familiar activities (playing at being someone/something else is a natural part of
children’s growing up),
• confidence (shy children can become more confident when they are given a role,
especially when the role is somehow special),
• group dynamics (children have to listen to each other and can learn to
cooperate),
• language personalization (children need to express various emotions or
personality),
• language in context (drama is an ideal way to encourage children to guess the
meaning of unknown language in context which often makes meaning clear),
• cross-curricular content (teaches can use topics from other subjects, it is also a
good way how to present different cultures and customs e.g. performing some
Christmas scenes from English speaking countries),
• the pace of the lesson (drama usually changes pace or mood in the classroom)
(ibid. 6 - 8).

Reilly and Ward stress the importance of a dramatic way to present a story and they call
it pretend play (Reilly and Ward 18, 24). According to them, pretend play is important in a
child's development and it encourages the use of a second language. Teachers can tell a fairy-
tale story and then encourage children to act out and extend the story and thus develop their
fantasy play and vocabulary (ibid).
Scott and Ytreberg use the term role play for pretending to be someone else. Role play
can be structured, which is more suitable for young children, or more open (Scott and
Ytreberg 40).

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 4.8 Art and craft activities

“Art and craft activities are an important part of the pre-school curriculum and need to be
a common feature in classes.” (Reilly and Ward 25) They are usually very enjoyable and
motivating, but also stimulate children’s imagination and develop various skills, especially
hand-eye co-ordination (Phillips 1993: 114).
According to Reilly and Ward, it is a valuable way of giving the children comprehensible
language input as they have to listen to instructions in order to complete an activity (Reilly
and Ward 25). Teachers should give instruction in the target language and support them by
demonstrations. Furthermore, teachers can ask children simple questions about their work or
what colour they are currently using: What colour are you using now? (ibid.).
It is suggested that teachers should try a creative activity before doing it in the classroom
in order to provide an example for children (Phillips 1993: 114, Reilly and Ward 25). It is also
advisable to prepare more material in case a child makes a mistake and has to start again
(ibid). When planning an activity, teachers have to consider the children’s abilities and think
about suitable tools children can use. Children at this age cannot use scissors, or they are
usually messy with glue. Wax crayons are better for younger children, older ones can use
coloured pencil. Very good idea is to use play dough.
Finally, teachers can invite parents to come and view their child's work and let children
take their work home (Reilly and Ward 26). Popular art and craft activities include colouring,
making monsters/animals/things from play dough, making puppets etc.

5. Helen Doron methodology

Helen Doron is a global institution that claims to offer a unique methodology of teaching
English to children. One part of Helen Doron Educational Group is Helen Doron Early
English (HDEE) established in 1985. It has expanded worldwide and nowadays there are
almost 700 learning centres in 30 countries providing twenty different programmes for
children of all ages - from 3 months to 12 years and teenagers in most countries even up to 18
years (“Helen Doron”).
All Helen Doron English courses are based on four main principles:
1. repeated hearing (children are supposed to hear the designated CD or audio
tracks at home, optimally twice a day for 15-25 minutes),
2. positive reinforcement (children are given positive feedback and encouragement
by their teachers),

41
 3. small group learning (courses are taught in small groups from 4-8 learners,
since children enjoy the advantage of group interaction and it allows for personal
attention and plenty of practice in English),
4. make learning fun (there are games, movement, music and lots of fun) (ibid.).

The method follows the principle, that children absorb spoken language naturally like
they learn their mother tongue through repetitive hearing (hearing words, sentences, songs)
and appropriate consolidation in a positive and funny environment. Pre-school teaching is
focused on the spoken English including correct pronunciation, listening, vocabulary and
grammar. Learning is always very fast in natural situations giving individual attention to each
child and giving opportunities to express himself/herself (ibid.). Barotová further points out
that „the HDEE methodology promotes multisensory approach (see the chapter 2) to teaching
children, incorporating appeal to many learning styles to prepare children’s brains for
intellectual development that eventually can bear distinct advantages in life“ (Barotová 12).
There are several courses available for children; each has its characteristics and
materials. The courses are taught in the HDEE centres, not kindergartens. All of them
guarantee that children will learn a certain amount of vocabulary, basic sentences and
structures, a lot of action rhymes and some English songs. Children play games in English,
use different musical styles and awareness, do activities developing cognitive abilities,
practise speaking with good accent and pronunciation through repetition, example and
experience; and enjoy learning English. For preschool children (aged 2 to 6) there are two
courses available - Fun with Flupe and More Fun with Flupe (“Helen Doron”).
When examining the HDEE methodology Barotová puts forward that it is “an
appropriate, well-functioning option for presenting English to very young learners“ (Barotová
34). Principles of the HDEE methodology reflect cognitive, physical, emotional and social,
and language developmental needs of children and it also corresponds to the statement of the
Czech official document RVP PV (ibid.). Although the methodology is found to be very well
designed and is fulfilling young children needs, Barotová disagrees that the methodology as
such is as unique as it is claimed (ibid.). There have been similar approaches already
described by many experts, and the presented activities are nearly the same as activities in
other books and textbook dealing with teaching very young learners. What is more, after
detailed analysis of some HDEE lesson plans, Barotová found several activities that do not
agree with cognitive abilities of children at this point of development and also activities, in

42
which the context is not meaningful enough for children and may be misleading (Barotová
36).

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 II. PRACTICAL PART

1. Research methodology

1.1. Background of the research

The main idea of the research is based on my experience with teaching English to pre-
school children. Actually, I have been teaching pre-school children for two years. Last year, I
was given the opportunity to teach a group of children in one of Helen Doron learning centres.
After my observations and gaining information about Helen Doron lessons, I decided not to
follow Helen Doron lesson plans step by step, but improve them and create my own activities
based on the children needs in order to help them make further progress.
The research was maintained continuously for six months; there was one lesson a
week, twenty lessons in total, plus Christmas. The lessons took place every Monday from
14:15 to 15:00. Each lesson was practically applied and analysed with the use of the teacher’s
reflections. The outcomes of the research have resulted in the course for pre-school learners
with some history of learning English.

1.2. The concept of action research

For the assessment of my English course designed for a group of preschool children, I
decided to use the methodology of action research. I am still a novice teacher and action
research helps me reflect on my lessons; I can think what I could have done better and look
for reasons why something worked or not. The whole course was made in a continuous
process, so I tried to improve my lessons and adapt to newly emerged situations.

“Action research is any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers, principals, school
counsellors...in the teaching/learning environment to gather information about how their
particular schools operate, how they teach, and how well their students learn. This information
is gathered with the goals of gaining insight, developing reflective practice, effecting positive
changes in the school environment (and on educational practices in general), and improving
student outcomes and lives of those involved.” (Mills 5)

Miller considers action research “a natural part of teaching”, and so it is obvious that it
has become a very popular research technique in teaching - teachers observe students, collect
data and change practices to improve students’ learning and the classroom and school
environment (Miller). It explores “teachers’ own practice with the aim of improving some
aspects of their teaching and thus positively influencing the quality of learning in the
classroom” (Pinter 144). The main participant is a teacher who takes over the role of a
researcher (Janík and Janíková 255). Therefore, it is sometimes referred to as the “teacher-

44
driven research” (Thornbury 3). O’Brien highlights that “it is conducted in real world settings
by the people directly involved with the real problem or situation being investigated”
(O’Brian).
Janík and Janíková think that action research is useful for quality improvement of
education practice based on its cognition, since it is a systematic reflection of professional
situations (Janík and Janíková 255). Farell describes it as “a process of self- monitoring that
generally includes entering a cycle of planning, acting, observing and reflecting on an issue or
problem in order to improve practice“ (Farell). This main feature of action research is the so
called reflective cycle (see the figure 5). It is a cyclical proces, which starts with identification
of the problem and finding appropriate instruments to investigate the issue (Pinter 144).
O’Brien further explains that action research calls for a holistic approach to problem-solving
which involves the qualitative research paradigm including: keeping a research journal,
participant observation recordings, questionnaire survey, structured and unstructured
interviews, case studies etc. (O’Brian).
As far as the action research in this thesis is concerned, it was realized in the suggested
steps. I was (1) planning the aims and activities for each lesson, (2) implementing the plans in
practice, (3) recording my observations and (4) reflecting each lesson. I decided to include a
teacher‘s journal for my reflection based on observations in the classroom. In the reflections, I
also suggest improvements for the following cycles.

1.2.1 Reflective teaching

For successful results of action research, it is important to realize what the reflective
teaching is. It can be described as “the teacher’s thinking about what happens in the classroom
lessons, and thinking about alternative means of achieving goals or aims” (Cruickshank and
Applegate in Bailey, Curtis and Nunan 36). In other words, it is a cyclical or spiralling
process, in which teachers monitor, evaluate and revise their own practice continuously;
therefore it requires attitudes of open-mindedness, responsibility and wholeheartedness
(Dewey in Pollard and Tann 14). Reflections help teachers, especially the novice ones,
improve teaching and solve dilemmas of their practice. They should realize problematic parts
of their teaching and think about the impact of their decisions and judgements. When they
realize they have done something wrongly, they should avoid the same mistake in the
following lessons. Teachers also overtake responsibility for working on their development
and try to bring some changes to their teaching (ibid.).

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 Figure 5 Cyclical process of action research
Source: O’Brien, Rory. “An Overview of the Methodological Approach of Action
Research.” Faculty of Information Studies: University of Toronto, 1998. Web. 20
February 2015.

2. Course design

2.1 The group of children

There are five children in the group, three girls and two boys. I am the teacher in this
group. The children are from 5 to 6 years old and they are starting their compulsory education
in September 2015. The children are not absolute beginners, but they have already attended a
year English course. This is their second year of learning English. All of them have the same
level of English, and so they are supposed to start the course at the same level.
The group is very small, which is actually one of the features of Helen Doron courses,
to enable the teacher to manage the children easily as opposed to some English courses in
Czech kindergartens where the number of children is higher, usually about 12 to 16 children.
Therefore, I know the children very well and have more opportunities to spend time with the
individuals and help them if necessary. I can also focus on the children’s individual needs and
include activities that suit them the most. On the other hand, in case that some children are not
present (due to some illnesses, holiday, a flu epidemic etc.), there might be only two children
in the classroom. Then, I have to adapt to the situation very quickly and change some
activities, because they would not be successful when not played in a group.

46
 There is a big difference between the boys and girls in the group, not only in their
behaviour, but I have also noticed different levels of their development. The girls are very
attentive, listen to the teacher and do everything they are asked. They have a good control
over crayons and pencils and they can paint and draw very well. They are very punctual (e.g.
when paining or drawing), focus on details and so everything takes them more time. They
love dancing and they also enjoy songs and chants. They are not afraid of saying something or
asking the teacher about words they do not understand. They help others very often (usually
boys) and encourage them to participate. They also show their feelings explicitly e.g. they hug
the teacher. They seem to be completely independent in everyday skills, such as dressing. On
the other hand, the boys are shier and sometimes not willing to participate. They are quite
capable and independent, but they need the teacher’s help and encouragement more often.
Their drawings are usually simple, colouring “shoddy”. One boy is very moody and
sometimes it happens that he does not work at all and an activity or even the whole lesson is
spoilt. Sometimes, he is misbehaving and spoils an activity on purpose e.g. throws flashcards,
destroys some pictures. Both the boys do not want to speak and do not repeat songs or chants.
They usually do not approve of dancing or moving activities. They like playing games and
toys.

2.2 Learner’s needs

Choosing effective teaching methods and helping students learn teachers must first
know something about who they are teaching. Knowledge about learners will enable to
improve lectures, class discussions and activities. Because of that, I always get to know
children well and build a good relationship with them from the very first lesson. I usually try
to learn their names quickly and address them during the lessons as much as possible. I know
what their hobbies and interests are. I tell them they are my friends and give them the feeling
that they are important for me.
Preparing a language course for young learners is very specific. We cannot simply ask
the children what their needs are or what they want to learn since they cannot decide what to
learn on their own. They consider learning something normal, and so much of the learning
should be done through play. I think that the most essential is to find a way which would be as
natural and enjoyable for children as possible. I always stress that learning is for fun and
praise them for every small success, never speak explicitly about what they do badly.
Children have the need to feel secure, they need to understand and feel that everything
is in order (see the chapter 1.1). The most important is to set up a friendly and loving

47
atmosphere, in which the children can feel safe. I find the classroom in which the lessons take
place a suitable learning environment supporting children’s developmental potential and
giving them the feeling of a familiar and friendly setting. There is enough light and space for
movement, playing games and doing various activities. There is a carpet on the floor and
small cushions that we use when sitting in a circle and doing storytelling activities. I also
appreciate real objects (usually toys) and visuals that are available as they can stimulate the
children’s imagination and give them the opportunity to have experience via their senses.

2.3 Aims of the course

The aims of the course for pre-school children may be divided into linguistic and non-
linguistic aims, corresponding to the children’s individual needs and their developmental
levels. Linguistic aims include areas such as children’s comprehension, speaking and
vocabulary, whereas non-linguistic aims are more connected with what the teacher wants to
achieve.
Linguistic aims
• be able to understand and follow the classroom language and instructions,
• be able to understand the language in familiar activities and games,
• learn basic vocabulary and phrases according to the given topics,
• start answering, describing, asking basic vocabulary and phrases,
• be able to name basic things,
• become active in communicating (depends on the silent period of each child).
Non-linguistic aims
• create friendly atmosphere,
• build a good relationship with children,
• cooperate with parents,
• get the children interested in learning and establish their positive attitude to
learning languages,
• motivate the children and explain the importance of English,
• build the children’s cultural awareness,
• choose and include appropriate activities and materials according to the
children’s needs, giving opportunities to explore various topics,
• use different methods so as the children can experience a wide range of
activities,

48
 • encourage the children to be active and remove shyness and fear of learning.

My aim is to set the conditions and use meaningful activities to support children’s
development. Language development then results from doing natural and meaningful
language-acquisition activities, which involves participating, sharing and cooperating. TPR
activities, drawing and actions like running, jumping and dancing may support physical
development. Cognitive development benefits most from activities in which children make
decisions and solve problems. I aim to design all activities properly addressing children’s
differences and enabling each child to develop their abilities to the maximum.
According to the Framework Educational Plan for Preschool Education there are six
key competences (see the chapter 3.2) that are aimed to be developed in the course:
• learning competency – the children are able to make decisions and organize their own
learning,
• communication competency – the children are able to listen to someone else,
• problem-solving competency – the children are able to suggest a solution of some
problems,
• social and personal competency – the children are able to communicate with others
and behave with respect,
• civil and professional competency – the children are aware of the importance of
education.

2.4 Classroom language

Although English should be used as much as possible, teachers cannot force children
to speak only in English. In fact, children are eager to give you information, which may
sometimes seem completely unimportant or nonsense for adults. It is because children always
want to get teacher’s attention. I am aware of children’s need for communication (see the
chapter 1.1) and let them speak in Czech, but I usually translate their words and answer them
in English. For example:
A child: Paní učitelko, já byla o prázdninách lyžovat.
The teacher: That’s wonderful, you were skiing! or
A child: Paní učitelko, budeme dneska malovat?
The teacher: Yes, let’s go painting now.
I usually try to speak in English all the time without translation of every word to
Czech. However, I avoid complex sentences and structures and use mainly simple vocabulary,

49
short sentences and repeat everything more times. Helping the children understand, I use a lot
of mime and gestures. Greetings, classroom commands, instructions, word encouragement are
said only in English. Time to time I need to use the mother tongue, especially in some
emotional situation or when I give more difficult commands which have not been met yet and
are not possible to be described by pictures, mime nor gestures. When I am presenting a new
activity or game and explaining the rules, I usually use English first, but then I explain again
in Czech or ask someone to explain so as I can make sure everyone understands.
Nevertheless, I never use more than three new activities to give them appropriate time for
consolidation. When an activity is introduced repeatedly and becomes familiar, children
understand the instructions and I do not need to use Czech.
Language used in the classroom (usually every lesson) contains the following words
and phrases - Say hi to…, Sit down, Stand up, Go there, Come here, Be quiet, Now it is table
time, Open your bag, Take you book, Open your book, Take a crayon, Colour (the picture),
What colour is this? Sing, Do the movement, Dance, Repeat, It is…, This is…, Close your
eyes, Now it is time to tidy up, Thank you, Please, Positive encouragement (Excellent, Perfect,
Fantastic, Well done, Good job, That was great, That’s nice).

2.5 Classroom management

I always discuss the expectations and rules during the first lesson maintaining mainly
polite behaviour and respect towards the others, so we can work in a friendly and supporting
environment without any kinds of disturbing of misbehaviour. Most of the activities are done
as the whole class, but I also focus on individuals and check their progress and their needs.
Attention allows children to get the sense of the necessary security and safety. For example,
when drawing or creating something, I usually check individual children, help them and spend
more time with those who need more support. When organizing the lessons and the group of
children I set up the following rules:

Classroom environment:

• Clean and tidy classroom.

• Pictures and posters on the walls.

• Colourful walls.

• Toys and other visuals in the classroom.

• Nice environment and positive atmosphere.

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Class rules:

• Listen and follow the teacher’s instructions.

• Be kind and friendly.

• Help other children.

• Keep your classroom tidy and neat.

• Tell the teacher if you have a problem or do not like something.

Seating:

• Carpet on the floor and cushions in the circle or semicircle.

• A table is available for art and craft activities.

• The children can choose their neighbours but if they are disturbing the others,
they would be separated.

Motivation

• Using puppets, toys and various aids.

• Positive evaluation and encouragement: Excellent, Perfect, Fantastic, Well

done, Good job, That was great, That’s nice.

• Presenting new stimulating activities, revising favourite activities.

• The teacher keeps active, sensitive and open-minded.

• Small rewards at the end of each lesson.

2.6 Materials

The course is based on the Helen Doron methodology (see the chapter 5), namely
More Fun with Flupe course. I use the Teacher’s Guide7 and include some of the given
vocabulary and phrases and some activities. The Teacher’s Guide includes also CD with the
songs. However, I usually do not follow the lesson plans step by step, but add my own
activities and games. According to Helen Doron lesson plans, children should learn about 20
new words each lesson, but I usually include not more than 10 in order to be sure children will
be able to use them actively. Moreover, it happens that the children do not listen to their audio
tracks at home (they are supposed to hear it twice a day) and then have problems
understanding some activities. Although I always ask the parents to play the audio tracks, they

7
Doron, Helen, and Justyna Frankiewicz-Popiolek. More Fun with Flupe Teacher Guide. Helen Doron, 2013.
Print.

51
may be busy and forget to do it, which I cannot influence. Because of that I exclude activities
that are not effective and devote more time revising instead. I use some activities from the
Activity Books (teachers are asked to use them since the parents buy them as a part of the
course), but also prepare my own worksheets and colouring pictures (see some examples in
appendix 3).
In order to prepare efficient materials, I prefer using more sources and books. The
reason is because I can choose just particular ideas and materials which I exactly need and
which suit to the topic. I use the following books: Very Young Learners by Reilly and Ward,
English for Primary Teachers by Slattery and Willis, Teaching English to Children by Scott
and Ytreberg, Angličtina pro předškoláky by Hennová, Young Learners by Phillips, Drama
with Children by Phillips and Storytelling with Children by Andrew Wright. I use the
following textbooks: Here’s Patch by Morris and Ramsden and Cookie and Friends A and
Cookie and friends B by Reilly.
When introducing, learning and revising vocabulary I use flashcards. I have flashcards
of many types for different activities. I borrow most of them in the language school, but I also
prepare some on my own. I use puppets; they are the main characters from the course - Flupe,
Paul and Granny Fix. They are our special friends who understand only English. We welcome
them at the beginning of each lesson and then use them in some activities. Children always
like hugging or kissing them and playing with them. The puppets can help children feel more
comfortable and do not be afraid of saying something in English. Furthermore, I try to include
a lot of real objects such as clothes, toys, and various materials supporting vivid imagination.
Fluffy toys are usually used for drama activities, e.g. after reading about animals, it is good to
perform the story with fluffy animals. The language school also provides me with other
materials, there are a lot of games (bingo, puzzles, pelmanism, Twister, board games etc.),
English books, costumes, masks, boxes, headbands, coloured pencils, crayons, radio etc. For
storytelling I use my own books. They are simple fairy tales for small children. In the course I
have included two books Why Ellephant has a Trunk by Puffin Books and Peppa Goes
Swimming by Ladybird Books. There are thousands of materials available on the Internet, but
I have just a few favourite pages from which I take ideas, songs or rhymes, especially
SuperSimpleLearning is a very good source of songs and rhymes for pre-school children.

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 2.7 Classroom activities

Vocabulary teaching

For teaching new words I use mainly flashcards, sometimes toys or real objects. I
usually show them, say the name of the think/object and repeat with the children. I use facial
expressions as much as possible. Then we play the flashcards games (see the appendix 2). In
the lesson plans, I do not mention which flashcards games are played as I usually choose
between 3 to 5 games according to the current situation, the children’s interests and moods. I
try to change the games every lesson. However, children usually like some games more, so I
include them more often or even every lesson.
When I need to revise some vocabulary, especially more topics together, I usually
include the following activities:
• Magic box - the teacher has a big box with some toys and objects. The teacher asks a
child to pull out one thing and asks: What is it? If the child answers correctly, he/she
can keep the thing. The teacher can also ask: Is it a ball? And elicit an answer: Yes,
it’s a ball.
• Find a pair - the teacher prepares pictures of some vocabulary – there are two for
each. The pictures are spread on the floor faced down. The children have to find pairs.
Each time they have to name what is in the picture: It’s a banana. It’s an apple.
• One step backward/forward - the children stand in a line. The teacher shows a
picture and asks one child: What it is? If he/she answers correctly, say: One step
forward. If not: One step backward. The first child that reaches the teacher wins.
• Classifying - the teacher places two or three paper boxes in the classroom. Each
represents one category – e.g. fruit and parts of body. The teacher spreads flashcards
or some objects in the middle. Then she asks one child to choose one picture/object.
He/she should recognize the right category and put it in a correct box.

TPR activities

I consider TPR an important element in my classes and I usually include TPR

activities for a short period of time to liven up the lessons. I use simple and clear commands
and the children follow them. They have to act out what they have already heard and they are
able to remember phrases or words associated with action, instructions, or storytelling. They
mostly respond collectively – they have to do some physical movements, go somewhere,
bring something, draw, mime, carry out the whole body action etc. Since I do not consider

53
TPR very demanding in terms of preparation, it happens that I include a TPR activity even if
it is not planned, e.g. when I see the children are tired or bored.

Art and craft

As a part of the main lesson procedure, art and craft activities are included. The
children draw, colour or stick. I prepare activities from the Activity books or make my own
worksheets for them; sometimes I take copies from different textbooks mentioned above.
From time to time, I include more creative activities, especially working with play dough.

Songs and chants

I include songs or rhymes (see the appendix 1) in each lesson to improve oral and
listening skills. Some of them do not need to be learnt – they may just support some
storytelling and other activities. On the contrary, there are songs that the children have to
listen to carefully, repeat or sing, always in chorus. I choose songs or rhymes with a repetitive
structure. When I introduce a new rhyme or song, I repeat it clearly and slowly with an
evident focus on correct pronunciation and intonation. I do not provide translation to the
mother tongue very often, since I describe the meaning with exaggerated gestures or show
pictures. If I see that the children like a chant or song, I include it again in the next lessons.

Games

Games play an important role in my lessons. They are always played in a big group, so
the children have to cooperate, make decisions together and support each other. Skills and
luck are always in balance and I prepare games enabling everybody to be successful. I usually
encourage the children, provide scaffolding (see the chapter 1.2.4), cooperate and help them
find solution. However, they sometimes tell me they do not want my help and so I let them
work alone and just observe them. When I present a new game, I usually explain the rules in
both languages, i.e. firstly in English and then in the mother tongue. Some popular games
which children like are repeated, in that case it is not necessary to explain the rules.
Sometimes, the children themselves tell me that they want to play a particular game. Children
usually want to participate because they have no reason to be afraid and the whole group is
very motivated in general. If it happens that someone does not want to participate, I do not
persuade him/her and wain until he/she is willing to join others.

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Storytelling

I include also storytelling in the course. During storytelling the children are sitting
quietly in the circle so as an emotive, relaxed and motivating atmosphere can be experienced.
I choose stories with plots that fit to the themes and enable the teacher to include a lot of
activities. The children are not forced to retell a story, but some of them are eager to tell me
what they story is about and so I let them retell it in Czech. The children are also asked some
questions associated with the story in order to provide sufficient interaction (I usually ask the
children in Czech). Storytelling includes pre-reading and post-reading activities. For the
course, I chose three stories Why Ellephant has a Trunk, The Frog Family and Peppa Goes
Swimming.

2.8 Lesson planning and routines

I find lesson plans really beneficial, for they guarantee effectiveness and clear
structure in the lessons. Therefore they contribute very well to fulfilment of the learning aims.
I always prepare plans in advance and follow principles which are important for very young
learners (see the chapter 3.1). I change activities and try to have a balance of lively and
calming activities. I also try to follow a form of the lesson plan which was mentioned by
Reilly and Ward in their work (see the chapter 3.6).
I established some routines and so my lessons usually have the following structure:
1. Greeting and the welcome song - I start every lesson with greeting which enables
me to have a personal contact with the children and we sing the welcome song.
2. Warming-up activity/ies – as a warming-up I prepare activities to revise what the
children have already learnt. We usually sit in the circle and I ask guided questions
supported by flashcards and other materials or I include chants or rhymes.
Sometimes, I also add a song, TPR activity or more lively activities.
3. New words and flashcard games – I teach new words using flashcards. The
children learn from 3 to 6 words. I present them slowly one by one. We repeat
each word several times together, and then we repeat it changing tone of voice –
shouting, whispering, squeaking and growling. Finally we play some flashcards
games. I usually start with the easy ones e.g. pointing, touching or hitting the
picture, what is missing or yes/no game and continue with the memory game,
mixing or jump to the picture. Learning new words usually takes 10 minutes.

55
 4. Activities connected with new language – in this part of the lesson, I usually
include art and craft activities connected with new language (usually from the
Activity books) or another game to acquire new language (e.g. puzzle, stickers,
and bingo). Sometimes I add and revise the vocabulary from previous lessons (e.g.
when the topic is fruit I add fruit the children have already learnt).
5. Active games or activities with Total Physical Response – I follow with lively
activities and actions, usually TPR activities or games based on this method e.g.
Simon says.
6. Additional activities/games – there are various activities, games, songs, chants
included. We practice and recycle the language or add more new words and
phrases. It is often companied with real objects or various aids. The activities are
usually lively. Sometimes we do storytelling.
7. Art and craft activities – I usually finish lessons with an art and craft activity. It
can be colouring, drawing or making figures/objects from play dough. Such
activities usually take longer, about 5 to 10 minutes. But if there is time at the end,
I include one more game, usually the children’s favourite.
8. Final song and Goodbye – every lesson is finished with the Goodbye song and
goodbyes. When the children are good and behave well, I give them a small
reward (usually some sweets).

2.9 Content specification

In the tables below, see the content of the course, I divided it into months and weeks.
It serves as an overview of words, phrases and structures the children will be exposed to
during the course. Sometimes, it may seem that children do not learn anything, because they
say nothing. However, children acquire the receptive language and start producing something
when they are ready (see the chapter 1.1). That is why, productive and receptive language is
distinguished, and since much more will be learnt than new words and phrases only. It means
that productive language consists of the words and phrases the children should learn and say
in the lesson (we respect their right to the silent period; they are not forced to produce
anything), whereas receptive language is the language produced by the teacher and the
children are exposed to it. Receptive language contains also words and phrases experienced
via songs and chants (see the appendix 1). Actually, English is taught in the most possibly
natural way, reacting to anything occurring in the lesson, which is why there may be also
other words, phrases and sentences the teacher uses that are not mentioned in the table.

56
 In the first lesson, the children are familiarized with the classroom language, i.e. basic
instructions and actions they should follow, which are then repeated every lesson. In each
lesson, the teacher uses various words, phrases and sentences to show something, explain,
present, etc., which the children understand and are supposed to acquire without saying
anything. The appropriate consolidation of the language is enabled since the language is
constantly recycled. Considering the redundancy of language (see the chapter 1.2.6), it is
supposed that the words and phrases repeated every lesson will be acquired and produced
sooner than the language the teacher uses randomly in the classroom (i.e. teacher’s natural
speech).

Table 4: Month 1
Lessons Productive language Recycled language Main receptive language
New words New phrases

Lesson 1 fairy, star, magic wand, Hi, My name is…, ball, teddy Say Hi to…, Book, Tree,
characters – I have got…, bear, dog, cat, counting to 5, Look, Here we come, Let’s
Flupe, I want… colours, goodbye have fun, What is your name?
Granny Fix, Make a circle, Sit down, Stand
Paul up, Sing, Do the movements,
Dance, Repeat, It is…, Clap!
Hop! Jump! Turn around!
Now it is table time, Take a
crayon/pencil, Colour the star,
What colour is this? What
have you got? Close your
eyes, Go and find, Make a
wish, Abracadabra hocus-
pocus, Touch the ground,
Reach up high, Wave
goodbye, Kiss goodbye, Now
it is time to tidy up.
Lesson 2 cloud, sun, The (sun) is Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Sit in the circle, Pass the ball,
sky, rain, in the sky, I Fix and Paul), My name is…, Show me the (sky), Look at
wind, fly, want to (fly) ball, book, fairy, magic wand, the sky, Stick the (sun) in the
float big, small, yes/ no, colours, sky, Where is the (cloud)?
instructions and actions, Fly! Float! I’m a little Fairly,
goodbye Sitting on a tree, I’m flying
free, I’m a little cloud,
Floating in the sky, I’m
floating free, What do you
want? Is it…?
Lesson 3 crab, fish, in the sea, It’s Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Throw the ball, Are you happy
dolphin, (sunny) Fix and Paul), My name is…, or sad? Look at the sea.
starfish, sea, happy, sad, cloud, sun, sky, Please, stick the (fish) in the
sunny, rain, wind, in the sky, colours, sea, Where is the (fish)? The
windy, rainy, instructions and actions (fish) is in the sea, Match the
hot, cold goodbye pictures, Tickle! Join the dots.
Lesson 4 tummy, chin, I’m Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Roll the ball, Touch your
cheek, face, (happy/sad), Fix and Paul), My name is…, (chin), Touch your friend’s
forehead, Can I have..? banana, apple, strawberry, (face), Is it
hungry I’m hungry, I plum, orange, grapes, lemon, (clapping/jumping/running/ho
have got (a watermelon, yes/no, sunny, pping/ flying/ floating)? What

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 plum) in my rainy, windy, rainy, It is is the weather? Put on a
tummy, I’m a (sunny), crab, fish, dolphin, headband, Choose one sticker,
(crab) starfish, sea, in the sea, Be a (crab), What are you?
colours, instructions and Where are you? What is this?
actions goodbye

Table 5: Month 2
Lessons Productive language Recycled language Main receptive language
New words New phrases

Lesson 5 head, hand, I’m touching Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Walk! Stop! Ride! Drive!
knee, nose, (my hand), I Fix and Paul), My name is…, Throw the dice, How many
eyes, ears, have got It’s (windy), counting to 10, dots have you got? Jump to the
mouth, toes (two) (eyes) tummy, chin, cheek, face, (sun), Choose one picture, Put
forehead, fruit, colours, it in the box.
instructions and actions,
goodbye
Lesson 6 bird, frog, The (frog) is Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Chant with me, How many
pond, tree, in the pond Fix and Paul), I have got (two) (heads) have you got? Where
strong, week (eyes), It’s a (head), parts of is the (frog)? We are friend,
body, I’m a (bird), The (bird) That’s the end, Hide, Seek for
is in the sky, big/small, her/him.
tall/short, happy/sad,
good/bad, right/wrong,
counting to 10, colours,
instructions and actions,
goodbye
Lesson 7 elephant, fly, Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Are you short/tall? Are you
tortoise, lion, Fix and Paul), My name is…, weak/strong? Touch my
monkey, I’m (head), Are you a (lion)? It has
chameleon, (happy/sad/short/tall/weak/stro got (two) (big) (ears), What is
crocodile, ng), yes/no, parts of body, it? What is missing? Elephant
owl colours, instructions and has a trunk, Why elephant has
actions, goodbye a trunk? What animals are in
the book? Put the animals in
the order.
Lesson 8 bee, beetle, I can see a Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Are you big or small? Match
lizard, snail (snail) Fix and Paul), I’m the stickers, What can you
(weak/strong/big/small), bird, see? It's touching time, Take a
frog, elephant, fly, tortoise, small ball and touch your
lion, monkey, chameleon, (nose), What are you
crocodile, owl, I’m touching touching? Find an (elephant).
my (head), parts of body,
opposites, colours, instructions
and actions, goodbye

Table 6: Month 3
Lessons Productive language Recycled language Main receptive language
New words New phrases

Lesson 9 hedgehog, No, it isn’t Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Catch the ball, Are you good
spider, toad, Fix and Paul), I’m or bad? Make a circle
fridge, (big/small/good/bad), (big/small/round/up/down)
freezer, ice opposites, animals, I have got What animal have you got?
a (hedgehog), knife, fork, Make a hedgehog from play
spoon, plate, parts of body, dough, Use
It’s hot/cold, instructions and toothpicks/matches, The
actions, goodbye hedgehog is prickly, Follow

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 me! Fly like a bird! Hop like a
toad! Is this a
fork/spoon/knife/fork? It's ice,
Let's take the ice out, Ice is
cold, Is the soup hot or cold?
Can you see something cold?
Match the opposites: hot with
cold, One step backward, One
step forward.
Lesson 10 soft, hard, (Lemon) is in Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny What is soft/hard?, up/down,
taste, fresh the fridge, I Fix and Paul), prickly, fridge, high/low, busy/lazy, Make a
can taste freezer, fruit/food, animals, I snail from play dough, Taste
(apple juice) have got a (snail), opposites, this juice, What can you taste?
colours, instructions and
actions, goodbye
Lesson 11 grapefruit, She/He likes a Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny What fruit is this? Taste the
apricot, (banana), very Fix and Paul), fruit, My name (peach), Do you like it? Who
peach, big (spider), is…, I like/don’t like a likes (pears)? Where is the
kitchen, The (oven) is (banana), happy, sad, It’s a oven? The oven is in the
oven, pie, in the kitchen (peach), yes/no, small, big, kitchen, Let's make a pie,
dough fridge, freezer, plate, spoon, First, we need to make dough,
knife, fork, colours, Let’s add some fruit, Let's
instructions and actions, bake our pies now, The pies
goodbye are baking now, If you're
happy and you know it and
you really want to show it
(clap your hands).
Lesson 12 arm, thumb, Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Simon says, It’s a maze, Nod
finger, Fix and Paul), fruit, I your head! Stomp your feet!
elbow like/don’t like, fridge, freezer, Shake your arms! Blink your
plate, spoon, knife, fork, eyes! This is your menu, What
kitchen, oven, pie, dough, do you like? Use the glue,
parts of body, I’m a (bird), Stick it, I'm pulling out a
animals, small, big, very big, (fork), Pull something out,
instructions and actions, Which (plum) is missing?
goodbye

Table 7: Month 4
Lessons Productive language Recycled language Receptive language
New words New phrases

Lesson 13 teeth, brush teeth, Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny If you can (brush teeth), touch
tongue, I’m (wiggling) Fix and Paul), fruit, I (your) (head), I’m
toothbrush (my fingers) like/don’t like, fruit/food, (good/great/wonderful/hungry
parts of body, animals, /tired/wonderful), See with
colours, instructions and eyes! Hear with ears! Stretch!
actions goodbye Make the teeth dirty, We must
brush the teeth, Take a
toothbrush, Clean the teeth,
Are they dirty? No, they are
clean, What colour are the
teeth now?
Lesson 14 family, Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny How are you? What can you
daddy, Fix and Paul), My name is…, see in the picture? Can you see
mummy, I’m (good), animals, fruit, a (peach)? One finger, one
sister, parts of body, frog, colours, thumb, one leg, one nod of the
brother, instructions and actions head, stand up sit down keep
baby goodbye moving, We’re all happy and
bright, Put up your hand.

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 Christmas Christmas, Christmas Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Wrap some aluminium foil
present, tree, Santa Fix and Paul), weather, I have round your star, Twinkle,
reindeer, Claus got (a hedgehog), animals, tree twinkle, little star, How I
bauble, star colours, box, instructions and wonder what you are, Up
actions, goodbye above the world so high, Like
a diamond in the sky, Here is
a tree with its leaves so green,
Here are the baubles that hang
between, When Christmas is
over, the baubles will fall,
Here is a box to gather them
all, Make a Christmas card,
Santa has brought some
presents for you, Unwrap the
presents

Table 8: Month 5
Lessons Productive language Recycled language Receptive language
New words New phrases

Lesson 15 open, shut, We are Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Skip! Clap (loudly/quietly)!
fast, slow, (jumping) Fix and Paul), please, no thank Let’s have tea. What are we
loud, quiet, you, happy, sad, I’m (happy), doing at the table? We are
angry, colours, animals, counting to having tea, Can you see a
frightened 5, table, tea, family difference? Make a frog form
vocabulary, instructions and play dough.
actions, goodbye

Lesson 16 bathroom, Every Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny How old are you? I see
bath, day/Every Fix and Paul), My name is…., something (yellow), Take a
shower, night I wash I’m (good), I’m (five), bath, Take a shower, Wash
wash, comb, (my face), I colours, I can, I can’t, parts of your face/hands/feet/tummy,
hair take a body, toothbrush, brush teeth, Comb you hair, What do you
(bath/show, I knife and fork, eat, cup, have do every day? What do you do
comb my hair tea, family vocabulary, every night? Can you see
animals, instructions and (Sam)? I need a (toothbrush)
actions, goodbye to (brush my teeth), Put on the
mask and be a (lion).
Lesson 17 swim, dive, I’m Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny What am I? Let's swim/dive
water, pig, (swimming/di Fix and Paul), happy, sad, under water! What can you
rabbit ving under angry, excited, frightened, I see here? Which one is
water) can see…, animals, I’m different? Please circle the
touching my (chin), parts of (lizard), Touch your (head)
body, kitchen tools, animals with your (knee), What do
movements, colours, birds do?
instructions and actions,
goodbye
Lesson 18 farm, cow, It's a (grey) Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Mr. Stork lost his cap and the
goat, duck, (mouse), My Fix and Paul), happy, sad, colour was (blue), Knock on
chicken, cup is full of angry, excited, frightened, I’m the door, Who's on the farm?
sheep, water, My cup (good), colours, I’m The (cow) is (brown), The
mouse, is empty. (running/blinking my eyes), (horses) on the farm say
rooster, instructions and actions, (“Neigh”), What are you
animals’ goodbye doing? Look, the cup is full of
sounds, full, water. Now the cup is empty.
empty

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 Table 9: Month 6
Lessons Productive language Recycled language Receptive language
New words New phrases

Lesson 19 duckling, I’m a (lamb), Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Here's mummy, Where is the
puppy, The (sheep) is Fix and Paul), My name is…., baby? Draw a line, I am a
kitten, lamb, my mummy. I’m (good), I’m (five), Every sheep, Where is my baby?
chick, The (lamb) is day/Every night I (wash) (my Who is your mummy, lamb?
rainbow (grey) face), animals on the farm What is (grey)? Jump up high!
(farm, cow, goat, duck, Put your arms up! Wave your
chicken, sheep, mouse, arms! Climb up in the air! Run
rooster) and their sounds), there! Run here! Hop there!
colours, instructions and Hop here!
actions, goodbye
Lesson 20 Revision Revision Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Where does it live – on the
Fix and Paul), My name is…., farm, in the sea or around the
I’m (good), I’m (five), Every pond? Choose one story.
day/Every night I (wash) (my Choose one animal and make
face), I like/I don’t like, it from play dough + repetition
fruit/food, animals (on the of familiar questions,
farm, in the sea, around the instructions, classroom
pond), animals’ sounds, I’m language
touching my (tummy), parts of
body, I’m a (dolphin), I have
got a (sheep), instructions and
actions, goodbye

The course contains one lessons based on a famous festival – Christmas, since it is
very popular among very young children. I want to introduce the basic vocabulary connected
with the festival, and also want the children to be aware of different habits and customs in
English speaking countries.

2.10 Error correction and assessment

When I am presenting new words and revising old ones, I focus on accuracy and so
correct improper pronunciation and vocabulary. I never say that the children are wrong; I just
repeat the word with the right pronunciation or say a different word - for example when a
child says [delfi:n], I repeat it correctly ['dɒlfɪn]. When we focus on fluency, I do not correct
the children when I understand what they mean by their speech, since I do not want to
interrupt them – for example when a child says “I’m big hungry” instead of “I’m very
hungry”. I try to teach the language as best as I can and do not want the children to acquire
bad language and inaccurate forms. Therefore, accuracy is more important for me when
teaching very small children. However, I want the children to know that I am there to help
them and praise them for every effort so as they can feel successful.
After each lesson, I tell the parents what we have done and learnt and discuss strong
and weak points of each child. Every month I send e-mails describing the whole teaching

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process, with some individual comments if necessary. I encourage the parents to revise
vocabulary at home, let children sing songs or repeat rhymes. I also ask them to be present in
the lessons.
Accessing the lessons, I use the method of the action research and keep the teacher’s
diary. I reflect on each lesson, make notes, comment on the teacher’s and children’s efforts
and learning environment, summarise what the children have already done and evaluate
whether the activities are successful or not. The reflections help me realize effectiveness of
the used methods and activities, the children’s development and also what conditions
influence the learning process.

2.11 How to use the course

The course can be used in practice as EFL course for any English teachers teaching a
group of preschool children who have been learning English for a year. It is assumed that the
frequency of the lessons is once a week (45 minutes lesson per week). Optimal class size is
between 5 to 10 children. Each lesson is characterised by a detailed lesson plan with the
following information:

• Date (the date when the lesson was taught)

• Aims (aims of the lesson)
• New target language (list of new words and phrases taught in the lesson)
• Recycled language (list of reviewed words and phrases used in the lesson)
• Materials (materials used in the lesson)
• Procedure (detailed plan of the lesson containing activities and their
explanation, time schedule and materials used in each activity)
• Reflection (the teacher’s notes containing the teacher’s reflection on the
lesson)

3. Lesson plans

Lesson plan 1

Date: 15.9.2014
Aims: introduce the characters, teach their names and establish a good relationship between
them and the children; establish relationship between the teacher and the children; set up the
routine and introduce the classroom language; establish a positive atmosphere and maintain
polite behaviour and respect towards the others; motivate the children’s participation via

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focusing on familiar toys; play songs and teach the movements; learn new words and phrases;
review old words and phrases (colours and counting to 5); be able to use the phrases I have
got…, I want…
New target language:
• New words: fairy, star, characters – Paul, Flupe, Granny Fix
• New phrases and structures: magic wand, I have got…, I want…
Recycled language: Hi, My name is…, book, ball, teddy bear, dog, cat, big, little, counting to
5, colours, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball, any book, flashcards (fairy,
magic wand, star, book), fluffy toys (teddy bear, cat, dog), crayons/coloured pencils, sticks
with cut out stars attached to them, a big box (or a magician hat)

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Welcome the children and show them the 5 min Character puppets
character puppets. Introduce them and teach their
names. Say: Say Hi to Flupe, Granny Fix and
Paul. Then ask: What is your name? Help the
children elicit answers.
Sing Fun With Flupe. Sing the song and teach the movements. 5 min Teacher’s CD,
radio
New words (fairy, magic Teach new words with the flashcards. Say: It is a 10 min Flashcards (fairy,
wand, star) fairly etc. Then play some flashcards games. magic wand, star)
Make a magic wand Make a magic wand with the children. Say: Now 10 min Crayons/coloured
it is table time. Give each child a pre-cut star on a pencils, sticks
stick. Ask the children to colour and decorate with cut out stars
their stars. Meanwhile ask what colour they have: attached to them
What colour is this? Then ask: What have you
got? Teach and help them elicit the phrase: I have
got… a magic wand.
Go and find… Review vocabulary with the help of objects. Tell 5 min A small ball, a
the children to close their eyes and hide the book, fluffy toys –
objects. Call one child: Nela, go and find a cat. teddy bear, cat,
Then ask: What have you got? Elicit: I have got a dog
cat. Repeat the procedure with other children
until they find all the hidden objects.
Make a wish Teach I want… a ball, book, teddy bear, dog, cat. 5 min A big box, a small
Put a big box in the middle. Teach I want… Say: ball, a book, fluffy
I want a book. Put the book in the box and toys – teddy bear,
continue, Make a wish! Abracadabra hocus- cat, dog
pocus. Then tell the children to make their
wishes. Say: Nela, make a wish. Each child
would say: I want…
Actions Review counting to 5. Count fingers first. Review 2 min
movements – clap, hop, jump and turn around
showing the actions. Then say: Clap to 5 - one,
two, three, four, five. Do the same with other
actions. The children should be counting to 5 out
loud while doing the action.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and teach the movements. After the 3 min Character puppets,

63
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

Reflection:

The children seemed shy at the beginning of the lesson. I wanted to make a good
impression on them and sound enthusiastic. Unfortunately, they might have been confused of
a new teacher and so they were not willing to sing and do the song movements. In my opinion
they found it embarrassing. I decided to encourage them by doing funny movements and
dancing. Some were laughing, but still no one joined me. I realized that it would be really
difficult to motivate this group of children. I decided to work on some strategies for the next
lesson.
I included more flashcards games to find out whether the children would show
preference for some. Most flashcards games were familiar to them, the only one they had not
known before was “Mixing game”. They immediately understood the rules of this game and I
did not need to explain in Czech. They seemed to like some games more, so I should include
them more often.
Decorating magic wands was very enjoyable. I provided two boxes, one of coloured
pencils, one of crayons and it was interesting that everyone wanted to use only crayons. I
think they are using them in kindergartens and so have no problems control over them.
Nevertheless, it would be a good idea to use pencils from time to time to develop their fine
motor skills. It was obvious that art and craft activities would be their favourite. I also realized
that it is important for the children to produce something tangible in the lesson, bring it home
and show their parents. They were so happy they could take their magic wands home and
even asked me several times whether they really could. I will include creating and producing
something as often as possible.
During the game “Go and find” I could spot their inability to cooperate. Instead of
sharing found toys with others, they started arguing who had found the most toys and did not
want to lend others. I should include some team games and work on their cooperation in the
future…the question is whether it is possible with a group of five? Although teaching a small
group of five seems very comfortable to me, I feel I am quite limited in terms of team games.
I may need more time to get used to is, since I have been teaching bigger groups only.
The activity “Make a wish” did not work. I showed them first and the phrase I want
seemed familiar to them. However, they were confused by the context of Make a wish and
they did not know what to say. I find the activity inappropriate as it mixes two different

64
concepts. If I used it again, it would be better to omit Make a wish and ask e.g. Nela what do
you want? instead.
“Actions” gave me a good overview of the children’s gross motor skills. It seems no
one has any problems with simple movements, so I can use something more challenging.
Although, I felt nervous before the lesson and did not know what to expect, I was
satisfied, since the lesson went smoothly, there were no empty spaces and the children were
not bored. On the other hand, I do not know whether I did the right impression as the children
did not produce much, even in their mother tongue. I think they were a bit afraid of a “new
face” and so did not want to attract me much. I have to work on our relationship more and
show them I am their friend so as they can feel more confident. I am pleased that I managed
to follow the plan and do all the activities in time.

Lesson plan 2

Date: 22.9.2014
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; motivate the children for
learning by showing them it is a great fun; get the children used to the routine for the class;
give meaningful practice of typical classroom language; establish friendly relationship
between the teacher and the children; develop gross motor skills through acting out weather
and moving according to the song; develop fine motors skills by sticking pictures; recognize
the difference between small and big; encourage the children to cooperate and participate as
much as possible; be able to use the phrase The (sun) is in the sky and I want to (fly)
New target language:
• New words: cloud, sun, sky, rain, wind, fly, float
• New phrases and structures: The (sun) is in the sky, I want to (fly)
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), My name is…, ball, book,
fairy, magic wand, big, small, yes/ no, colours, instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball, flashcards (cloud, sun, sky,
rain, wind), a picture of sky, stickers (a pictures of sun, cloud, rain, wind), pictures of big and
small objects (fairy, magic wand, star, book, ball), magic wands (preferably the ones children
made in the previous session), Activity book 1, crayons

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul.). Sing the song and Teacher’s CD,

65

Pass the ball. (What is
your name?)
New words (cloud, sun,
sky, rain, wind)
Show me… (cloud, sun,
sky, rain, wind)
Stickers – in the sky
Actions
Flying Free song
Review vocabulary -
fairy, magic wand, star,
book, ball, big/small
I want to (fly, float,
jump, run, hop)
Activity book
Goodbye. Sing Let’s
wave goodbye.
do the movements. radio
Sit in the circle. Pass the ball to the first child and 2 min A small ball
ask: What is your name? Elicit the answer. The
child passes the ball to another child.
Teach new words with the flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards (cloud,
some flashcards games. sun, sky, rain,
wind)
Teach the children gestures for the cloud (draw it 3 min
with both hands in front of you), sky (raise both
hands up and make lines above your head), sun
(draw a circle with one hand up), rain (show
falling rain moving fingers down, tap on the floor
with the fingers) and wind (make noises of the
wind and move from side to side with arms up).
Say: Show me the cloud! Show me the wind!
Sit in the circle. Place the picture of the sky in the 3 min A picture of sky,
middle. Say: Look at the sky. Stick the sun in the stickers (pictures
sky. Ask: Where is the sun? Elicit: The sun is in of sun, cloud, rain,
the sky. Do the same with other pictures. wind)
Review the actions. Instruct the children to jump, 3 min
turn around, clap, hop, sit down, stand up. Teach
fly and float with the movements.
Sing the song and do the movements. Encourage 3 min Teacher’s CD,
the children to join. radio
Show pictures - a big fairy and a small one. 3 min Pictures of big and
Review big and small. Ask: Is the fairy big or small objects
small? Then do the same with other pictures. (fairy, magic
wand, star, book,
ball)
Review I want and teach I want to (jump). Give 3 min Magic wands
each child a magic wand. Let all the children
move their magic wands Say: I want to…fly!
Then stand up and fly around the classroom.
Make another wish: I want to jump!
Page 2. Ask the children to colour the fairy. 10 min Activity book 1 (a
Meanwhile, ask which colour they are using. figure of fairy),
coloured pencils
Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

Reflection:

The children welcomed the characters with enthusiasm and it was obvious that they
were looking forward to the lesson, which pleased me a lot, since I considered it a positive
feedback of the previous lesson. Before playing the welcome song, to encourage the children,
I said Let’s go dancing, grabbed their hands and tried to move their hips….I wanted to
motivate them and showed them it would be a great fun. I was successful and their
unwillingness to dance partly disappeared, children were dancing and moving, but still did not
want to sing. I think that if I continue in the same way, they will sooner or later start
producing familiar words. The motivation is crucial and I still need to work on it.

66
 Without any explanations of the warming up activity, they understood that they should
pass the ball and answer my question. I found it a very good warming up activity and I will
definitely use it again, maybe at the beginning of each lesson.
Learning new words, accompanied by movements “Show me” was very successful
and I consider this activity very good. The new words were presented via all senses, the
children could hear, see and act out the words, which enabled them to use their ears, eyes and
arms and hands; therefore developed their sensory-motor skills.
Sticking pictures as a fine motor activity did not cause any problems. However, the
children were supposed to produce the phrase e.g. the sun is in the sky, but no one did. At first
I thought the children did not understand, so I rather asked in Czech Kde je sluníčko? and
repeat again the sun is in the sky. Later, it occurred to me, that they understood well, and it
was more the problem of their silent period. I should not urge them to speak and respect their
silent period! I intentionally used only one picture so as the children had to cooperate. This
time, they were not arguing, but taking turns without my guiding, which pleased me a lot. I
intent to prepare more and more activities focused on the children’s cooperation.
Actions from the previous lesson became familiar to the children. On the other hand,
the new action float was not chosen well. The children did not understand what it meant and
the movements (spreading one’s arms and moving from side to side) resembled more some
morning exercise. The children were confused and so the following song did not work at all.
What is more, the song was not enjoyable and did not attract the children’s attention. I find
the word float unnecessary and I will not use it again, as well as the song.
The children were supposed to repeat the activity Make a wish, that time using the
phrase e.g. I wish I could (fly). Because of the fact that it did not work the previous lesson and
I considered it confusing for the children, I changed the activity and used I want to (fly)
instead. We repeated the familiar actions and then I asked the children What do you want? No
one produce the sentence, but they understood and showed a movement. I think it was too
early for them to start producing actions and I should have included such an activity later in
the course.
Although the colouring activity lasted more than I expected, we still had a lot of time
at the end of the lesson, because we managed to do the previous activities more quickly. My
impression from the lesson was positive and the aims were mostly fulfilled. Although, the
children seemed a little exhausted at the end of the lesson, as there were a lot of moving
activities, I think they enjoyed it very much. I personally feel that our relationship has

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developed, because the children wanted to tell me some stories. Of course, I must be patient
and wait until they get used to me!

Lesson plan 3

Date: 29.9.2014
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; motivate the children to
participate as much as possible; encourage cooperation between the children through playing
games; encourage observation of weather; be able to talk about the weather e.g. It’s windy;
develop fine motor skills by tracing a picture
New target language:
• New words: crab, fish, dolphin, starfish, sea, sunny, windy, rainy, hot, cold
• New phrases and structures: in the sea, It’s (sunny)
Recycled language: Hi, My name is…, sad, happy, cloud, sun, sky, rain, wind, in the sky,
colours, instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball, flashcards (crab, fish, dolphin,
starfish, sea, sun, cloud, rain, wind, sunny, rainy, windy, hot, cold), pictures of sad and happy
fairy, a picture of the sea, stickers (pictures of fish, crab, dolphin, starfish), puzzle pictures,
sunglasses, umbrella, Activity book 1, crayons

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul.). Sing the song Teacher’s CD, radio
and do the movements.
Throw the ball. (What is Sit in the circle. Throw the ball to the first child 2 min A small ball,
your name? Are you and ask: What is your name? Get the child to pictures of sad and
happy or sad?) answer. The child throws the ball to another happy fairy
child. Then show pictures of sad and happy
fairy and review sad and happy. Then ask
children whether they are happy or sad. Throw
the ball again asking: Are you happy/sad? Elicit:
happy or sad.
New words (crab, fish, Teach new words with the flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards (crab,
dolphin, starfish, sea) some flashcards games. fish, dolphin,
starfish, sea)
Stickers - in the sea Sit in the circle. Place the picture of the sea in 3 min A picture of the sea,
the middle. Say: Look at the sea. Please, stick stickers (pictures of
the fish in the sea. Ask: Where is the fish? fish, crab, dolphin,
Elicit: The fish is in the sea. Do the same with starfish)
other pictures.
Puzzle Ask the children to match pictures. The 2 min Puzzle pictures
associations are: fairy-wand, Flupe-book, dark
cloud-rain drops, bright sky-sun, fish-sea,
dolphin-sea, crab-island, cloud-sky. Meanwhile,
ask: Where is the cloud? In the sky. Etc.

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Actions – please game Review actions from the previous lesson and 3 min Paul puppet
teach tickle. To teach tickle, the Paul puppet
first tickles the children. Then play the game.
The rule of the game is to only do the action if
the teacher says the action accompanied with
the word please. Give instructions and make
sure everyone understands (use Czech if
necessary).
It is…. Review sun, cloud, rain, wind. Teach sunny, 5 min Flashcards (sun,
rainy, windy, hot, and cold with the flashcards. cloud, rain, wind,
Open the window and say: It is......! while sunny, rainy, windy,
showing one weather picture. Do the same with hot, cold)
all the four weather pictures.
Weather actions The children should act out the weather. For 5 min Sunglasses, an
sunny distribute the sunglasses and let the umbrella
children put them on. For rainy let them hide
under the umbrella. For windy swing from side
to side making blowing wind sounds. For hot
wipe your forehead and blow, or flip your hand
like a fan in front of your face. For cold
embrace your body with your arms and make
brrrr sounds. Each time they act out the weather,
they should say: It's sunny.
Activity book Page 4 (see the appendix 3). Firstly ask the 10 min Activity book 1,
children to join the dots. The children join the crayons
dots to make a crab. Then colour the crab.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s wave Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD, radio
Goodbye.

Reflection:

I felt hopeless after this lesson, as it did not go well just from the beginning. It was
because there were only two children present and they were really misbehaving (throwing the
ball at me, throwing flashcards around the whole classroom, etc.). They might have felt more
confident than usual and wanted to show off. I think they did it on purpose, trying my
patience and testing the limits. Suddenly, I did not know how to calm them down and
motivate for learning English. I told them I had some presents for them, if they were good. It
did not work much, and finally I had to reprimand them several times, which definitely
influenced our relationship and spoilt the positive learning environment. I know that I made a
mistake and should have managed the situation differently, but had never experienced such a
behaviour, and so lost my nerves. Next time, I would stay calmer and try different strategies,
for example I would use a signal that help the children realize they are getting out of
control (e.g. whistling or clapping hands).
It was also a very bad idea to let the children throw a ball. Of course, they
misunderstood it and thought they could throw everything. From now on, a ball will be used
only as a tool, not for playing! I should have set up clear rules for it before.

69
 Although I did not expect such a low presence and prepared activities for a group of
five, all of them worked for a group of two, too. I realized that it may happen again, and so I
should have at least few extra activities prepared for each lesson (e.g. some painting pictures).
I thought that the children would at least like the games. But when playing puzzle,
they were not able to cooperate and start competing. I encourage them to play together, but
they did not want. I let them organise their own game and compete who would have more
puzzle pairs. This reminded me of the fact that children have their own playing world that
adults cannot understand – I really could not see the point in their game, but they enjoyed it
very much. I find it unusual that in the previous lesson they were able to do a very similar
activity without competing, but this time they were not…maybe it was because of the number
of children, they wanted to show me they were the best.
Actually, the “Action please game” was really good. I had to explain the rules in
Czech, but the game was a great fun and it was also a good idea to use the puppet first. The
activity “It is…” was not very successful, the children were confused and I think it was too
abstract for them. On the other hand the “Weather actions” was very successful and the
children enjoyed doing the actions with me.
The activity in the Activity book – joining dots and draw a crab (see the appendix 3) is
a very good activity to develop pencil control and practice fine motor skills. We used crayons,
so it did not cause any problems. Next time, I will distribute pencils to see the children’s
development.
I think the lesson was prepared well, but the misbehaving of the children influenced it
a lot. I could not see any language improvement. The children did not remember much from
the previous lessons and had problems repeating words. They were laughing instead of
repeating and doing what they were asked. I also used Czech a lot. I blame myself for the
failure of this lesson, because I was shocked by their behaviour, which put me out of
countenance. On the other hand, when teaching very young children, I should be prepared for
whatever behaviour and find some ways how to solve problematic situations.

Lesson plan 4

Date: 6.10.2014
Aims: learn parts of body in a memorable context; review old words and phrases; reintroduce
the fruit vocabulary from the previous course; maintain polite behaviour and respect towards
the teacher and other children; be able to touch given parts of body; develop the children’s
cooperation by doing an activity in pairs; became familiar with pretending and playing some

70
animals; be able to use the phrase Can I have...?; develop the children’s fine motor skills by
using pencils
New target language:
• New words: tummy, chin, cheek, face, forehead, hungry
• New phrases and structures: I’m (happy/sad), Can I have..? I’m hungry, I have got
(a plum) in my tummy, I’m a (crab)
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Pail), My name is…, banana,
apple, strawberry, plum, orange, grapes, lemon, watermelon, yes/no, sunny, rainy, windy,
rainy, It is (sunny), crab, fish, dolphin, starfish, sea, in the sea colours, instructions and
actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball, flashcards (tummy, chin,
cheek, face, forehead, banana, apple, strawberry, plum, orange, grapes, lemon, watermelon,
sunny, rainy, windy, rainy), tray with stickers of fruit, sheet with weather “windows”,
headbands, stickers (fish, dolphin, crab, starfish), Activity book 1, crayons/pencils

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Roll the ball. (What is Sit in the circle. Roll the ball to the first child and 2 min A small ball
your name? Are you ask, What is your name? Get the child to answer.
happy/sad?) The child rolls the ball to another child. Then do
the same with the second question, Are you
happy/sad? Elicit I’m happy or I’m sad.
New words (tummy, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards
chin, cheek, face, some flashcards games. (tummy, chin,
forehead) cheek, face,
forehead)
Activity book Page 12. Point to the parts of body you have 10 min Activity book 1 (a
learnt this lesson and ask, What is this? Elicit figure of Paul),
answers. Then colour the picture. Meanwhile, crayons/pencils
you can ask which colour they are using.
Touch… Touch given parts of body and encourage the 3 min
children to do the same. Then pair the pupils and
instruct them to touch each other’s parts of body.
Fruit review (banana, Firstly review fruits with the help of flashcards. 5 min Flashcards
apple, strawberry, plum, Then place the tray in the middle and spread (banana, apple,
orange, grapes, lemon, stickers of fruit around it. Teach Can I strawberry, plum,
watermelon) have…Take Paul puppet and ask, Can I have a orange, grapes,
lemon? Each pupil then asks for one piece of lemon,
fruit. Review I have got …Then say I’m hungry. I watermelon), tray
have got a plum in my tummy. Let children do the with stickers of
same. fruit
Actions Review yes, no and imitate some actions (jump, 2 min
run, fly, float, hop, sit, stand). While imitating,
ask e.g. Is it jumping? Elicit either positive or

71
 negative answer.
Weather windows Revise weather vocabulary with flashcards. Put 2 min Flashcards (sunny,
(sunny, rainy, windy, the sheet with weather “windows” in the middle. rainy, windy,
rainy) Open one of the windows and ask: What is the rainy), sheet with
weather? Elicit answers. weather
“windows”
Playing sea animals Distribute headbands and help the children put 3 min Headbands,
them on. Spread stickers on the floor and tell stickers
them to choose one and stick it to their
headbands. Tell them they are sea animals and
have to move/behave like them. Then ask each
child: What are you? Where are you? Elicit
answer e.g. I am a dolphin. I am in the sea.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

Reflection:

I did not want the children to repeat their bad behaviour from the previous lesson and
so decided to set the clear rules. I told them we had to learn English and did prepared
activities and games, because the parents paid for them, but if we managed to do all the things
we could play their favourite games and do colouring or creating something at the end of a
lesson. I think this strategy worked well, they seemed to understand and I was positively
surprised, because the lesson went smoothly. They were hardworking and eager to do
everything well.
It was not a good choice to include two words with similar pronunciation - chin and
cheek, since the children kept confusing them. Learning parts of body through touching was
really good. However, I wanted the children to work in pairs and touch each other. It seemed
funny, but some children were not gentle enough and I noticed that especially girls did not
feel comfortable with this activity. I realized that some children may not like when someone
is touching them. Next time I will use some object e.g. balls for touching to see if it is better. I
really need to work on their respect for others.
The “Fruit review” was a bit misleading, because according to the explanation in the
original lesson plan, we were putting the fruit on the tray using Can I have, which was
nonsense. I have to confess that it was my mistake that time, and I should have realized it
before. The activity would have been much better if I had spread fruit pieces on the tray, and
taken one saying Can I have a (banana)? And then I have got a banana. “Action game” was
much better that the previous lesson, the children were just supposed to recognize a
movement and use familiar yes/no. It was a really good practice and I think the children
remember the actions quite well (those we repeat every lesson), so I hope they will start
producing them soon. “Weather review” was also a very good game; I did not expect it to be

72
such a success. The children loved opening the windows and I was really surprised that some
started to produce rainy, sunny etc. Behaving like animals was the best game and the children
took to it immediately. It was obvious that they had done it before, because headbands were
familiar to them. It may seem that the activity teaches or practices nothing, because the
children are just playing and running around and do not produce anything. However, I spoke
English all the time, using phrases like I am a crab, I am in the sea. Nela, you are a starfish.
You are in the sea…. so the children acquire a lot. Some children were not able to put a
headband on their heads and needed my help…it confirmed different levels of their
development. The girls are more independent than boys and need my help less often.
I did not force the children to use pencils during colouring; I just encouraged them to
take one. Only one girl was comfortable with pencils, others still prefer crayons. I think it is
not a good idea to distribute only pencils.
We finished prepared activities early, hopefully I had one more game prepared -
“Simon says”. But I did not realize they had had too much moving that lesson and were really
tired, so I finished the lesson and gave them small presents. Still, lesson planning needs some
improvements, especially time management. I was really satisfied after this lesson. It would
be better if the children produced more, but I need to be patient and wait until they are ready.

Lesson plan 5

Date: 13.10.2014
Aims: learn new words and phrases; be able to touch given parts of body/parts of friend’s
body with a ball; foster respect for classmates and their physical characteristics; review old
words and phrases and be able to classify them into particular categories; reinforce the
concept of numbers and be able to count parts of body; be able to produce the phrase I have
got
New target language:
• New words: hand, head, knee, nose, eyes, ears, mouth
• New phrases and structures: I’m touching (my hand), I have got (two) (eyes)
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Pail), My name is…, It’s (windy),
counting to 10, tummy, chin, cheek, face, forehead, fruit, colours, instructions and actions,
goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, small balls, flashcards (sunny, rainy,
windy, rainy, head, hand, knee, nose, eyes, ears, mouth, toes, tummy, chin, cheek, face,
forehead, banana, apple, strawberry, plum, orange, grapes, lemon, watermelon, crab, fish,

73
dolphin, starfish), the board game, dice, counters, three paper boxes, Activity book 1,
crayons/pencils

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 2 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Pass the ball. (What is Sit in the circle. Pass the ball to the first child and 2 min A small ball,
your name? What is the ask, What is your name? Get the child to answer. flashcards (sunny,
weather?) The child passes the ball to another child. Then rainy, windy,
do the same with the second question, What is the rainy)
weather? Help children elicit their answers with
the help of gestures or pictures.
New words (head, hand, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards (head,
knee, nose, eyes, ears, some flashcards games. hand, knee, nose,
mouth, toes) eyes, ears, mouth,
toes)
Touch… Touch given parts of body and elicit pupils to do 3 min Small balls
the same. You can confuse children saying Touch
your nose but pointing to a cheek. They should
correct you. Then instruct to touch their
neighbours' body parts with a ball (or another
object). Say: Touch your friend’s knee.
Counting parts of body Review counting to 10. Then say: I have got two 2 min
eyes. I have got one nose. Etc.
Action song Sing and move according to the song. Firstly 3 min Teacher’s CD,
show, then let children join. Used words: walk, radio
jump, run, hop, fly, hop, stop, ride, drive.
Board game – parts of Play the board game. Ask one child to throw the 5 min Board game, dice,
body dice: Throw the dice. Ask: How many dots have counters
you got? Elicit the answer and let the child move
on the board. Then ask: What is this?
Jump to the… (new Review vocabulary with the help of flashcards. 5 min Flashcards
vocabulary and Spread them on the floor. Then say: Nela, jump to
vocabulary from the sun. Adam, jump to the dolphin.
previous sessions)
Classifying (new Place three paper boxes in the classroom. Each 5 min Three paper
vocabulary and represents one category – sea animals, fruit and boxes, flashcards
vocabulary from parts of body. Spread flashcards in the middle.
previous sessions) Ask one child to choose one picture: Choose one
picture. He/she should recognize which things
belong to a particular category. Say: Put it in the
box.
Activity book Page 16 (see the appendix 3). Point to a picture 5 min Activity book 1
and say: What is it? Elicit the answer: It is a chin. (parts of body),
Then say: I have got one chin. Children should crayons/pencils
write the number to the picture.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

Reflection:

The children were quite impatient during the lesson and there was even a big
distraction when one child went to the toilet and others wanted to follow her. From the next
74
lesson on, I must ask the children to go to the toilet before the lesson starts. I know that it is
the basics and I did it with the children in the previous courses. But I have simply forgotten to
do it then.
The new parts of body words seemed familiar to them and I was sure they had already
learnt them. Because of that I did not devote much time revising and add the parts of body
from the previous lesson. It appeared as a very bad decision. There were suddenly too many
words and the children started to confuse them. During the touching game, they were able to
touch the right parts of body, because I showed them first, but when playing the board game,
they said Já nevím co to je several times. The children became uneasy and stop producing the
words. Later it occurred to me that they might have been afraid they would be incorrect. It
was really my novice mistake, because I did not provide enough time for consolidation and it
ended up in failure. The following games were also not very successful. I wanted to revise all
the words we have already learnt, but the children could not remember them, got bored and
gave up quickly. One boy was even angry at me, intentionally confused the boxes and spoilt
the game since others started to do the same. I realized that their attention span depends very
much on whether they feel successful or not. I have to provide more opportunities for them to
experience a success. Maybe, I should have included a more creative activity such as art and
craft.
The activity book exercise (see the appendix 3) was a complete disaster and totally
inappropriate for the five years old children. I agree with the first part, i.e. pointing to a
picture and revising numbers accompanied with the phrases I have got two eyes etc. But
children at that age cannot write numbers and so it was too early for this activity. I realized it
too late and it led to failure. The activity should have been focused on colouring, not writing
numbers.
I felt not very good after the lesson, because I did not devote much time preparing it.
Sometimes I do things without realizing the consequences. Because of that I should think
more about the children’s physical and cognitive development and prepare activities carefully
and choose only those that are appropriate for them…although an activity is included in some
textbooks or lesson plans for pre-school children, it does not meant it would be good for the
children.

Lesson plan 6

Date: 20.10.2014

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Aims: learn new words and phrases; be able to touch given parts of body/parts of friend’s
body with a ball; include chanting and encourage the children to chant with the teacher;
review old words and phrases (opposites); develop fine motor skills – pencil control by
sticking, matching and colouring; play familiar games; become more confident using the
phrases I have got…, I’m…
New target language:
• New words: bird, frog, pond, tree, strong, weak
• New phrases and structures: The (frog) is in the pond
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), I have got (two) (eyes), It’s
a (head), parts of body, I’m a (bird), The (bird) is in the sky, big/small, tall/short, happy/sad,
good/bad, right/wrong, counting to 10, colours, instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, small balls (each child has one), flashcards
(bird, frog, pond, tree), bird/frog headbands, Activity book 1, crayons/pencils

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 2 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Take a ball and Ask the children to take a ball (each has one). 3 min Small balls
touch…(parts of body) Say: touch your head with the ball, touch your
tummy etc. Then divide the children in pairs and
say: touch your friend’s face, touch your friend’s
forehand etc.
Chant…(numbers and Revise counting to ten and the phrase I have got. 2 min
parts of body) Then point to individual parts of body and chant:
I have got two eyes, I have got one head etc. The
children chant with you. Establish your own
chant.
Activity book 1 Page 16. Point to individual parts of body in the 5 min Activity book 1
picture and ask: What is this? Elicit: It's a head.
Ask: How many heads have you got? Elicit: I've
got one head, etc. Then ask the children to stick a
sticker with the appropriate number of dots near
the body part.
New words (bird, frog, Teach new words with the flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards (bird,
pond, tree) some flashcards games. frog, pond, tree)
Be birds and frogs Give each child a bird/frog headband to wear. 3 min bird, frog
Ask: What are you? Elicit: I'm a bird. I'm a frog. headbands
Let the children move around the room like
birds/frogs do.
Activity book Pages 17-18. Ask the children what they can see 10 min Activity book 1,
in the book, pointing at the frog and the bird. crayons/pencils
Ask: Where is the frog? Elicit: In the pond. Ask:
Where is the bird? Elicit: In the sky. Then colour
the picture.
Opposites Review some opposites with gestures: big/small, 3 min
tall/short, happy/sad, good/bad, right/wrong.

76
 Teach strong/weak (showing muscles for strong
and showing a flippy floppy body for weak).
Opposites chant Chant with gestures. Children should join you. 2 min
Hide and seek Ask one child to hide. Others count to ten. Then 5 min
seek him/her.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

Reflection:

Touching with balls appeared to be much better, and I think the children are slowly
becoming aware of being respectful towards their classmates. I was surprised that they asked
me whether they could touch me. Of course I allowed, but the children started hitting me
instead of touching. I got really upset, because I did not know what was wrong, it seemed as
they could vent their anger on me…but they are too small to be so rude. They might have
thought that an older person did not feel pain. I had to explain them that I did not like it as it
hurt much. I hope it was not their expression of our relationship, which would mean they do
not like me.
I decided to do more warming up activities and revise more at the beginning. I broke
our routine a bit and wanted to see their reactions. It seemed that this concept was not very
good, as the children were not able to concentrate on the new words. They were used to
learning and repeating new words at the beginning of the lesson and when it was moved
somewhere in the middle of the lesson, they seemed confused… Later I realized that it was
natural, because we usually play some games after working with the Activity book.
I included two chants in the lesson. I had never done chants with this group before,
and I had not realized it would be too much. The children did not like chanting and refused to
join me. Maybe the chants were not interesting and enjoyable, but I also think that they were
not used chanting before (there are not many chants included in Helen Doron lessons). I
should have started with one only and slowly continued the following lessons. On the other
hand, I really like chanting and consider it a very good practice, so I want the children to take
to it. I will try to include chants in each lesson and persuade the children it is a great fun.
Teaching opposites using gestures was a good choice. However, I do not agree with
the opposites righ and wrong. When you use the gestures thumb up for right and thumb down
for wrong, the children may understand it more as good and bad. I should have used
flashcards in this case (tick and cross) or not used those opposite at all as they may be
misleading for children.

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 This was one of the lessons I was waiting for the end and hoping the children would
not “eat” me. That is why we were playing “Hide and seek” for about 10 minutes at the end –
I simply did not know what to do with them. It seemed to me that none of the children was
able to keep still that day, they were moving all the time even when sitting. It took me a lot of
time before I make all of them concentrate on what I was saying. I felt I was organizing the
children instead of teaching the whole lesson.
Comparing it with the first sessions, I would say that the children feel more and more
relaxed in the classroom, but at the same time they are losing their restraints. Misbehaving is
becoming a big problem, especially because of one boy who influences other children. I
should focus on his individual needs more; maybe ask parents what they do to calm him
down.
I also realized that I did not praise the children much, which may be the reason why
they are not motivated enough - give up so quickly and are not willing to continue an activity
or participate at all. I must praise them more!

Lesson plan 7

Date: 27.10.2014
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; praise the children and
motivate for learning English as much as possible; prevent misbehaving problems among the
children; encourage the children to touch the teacher’s parts of body gently; set convenient
conditions for storytelling; encourage the children to listen to the story and do storytelling
activities with the children; develop post-reading skills by identifying the main characters and
their appearance in the story
New target language:
• New words: elephant, fly, tortoise, lion, monkey, chameleon, crocodile, owl
• New phrases and structures: -
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Pail), My name is…, I’m
(happy/sad/short/tall/weak/strong), yes/no, parts of body, instructions and actions, colours,
goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball, flashcards (elephant, fly,
tortoise, lion, monkey, chameleon, crocodile, owl,) board, chalks, the book - Why elephant
has a trunk, worksheet prepared by the teacher (body of an elephant), crayons/pencils

78
Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Roll the ball. (What is Sit in the circle. Roll the ball to the first child and 2 min A small ball
your name? Are you ask, What is your name? Elicit answer. The child
happy/sad? Are you rolls the ball to another child. Then do the same
short/tall? Are you with other questions.
weak/strong)
Take a ball and touch Ask the children to take a ball (each has one). Lie 2 min Small balls
my…(parts of body) on the floor on your back. Tell the children: touch
my head, touch my tummy etc.
New words (elephant, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards
fly, tortoise, lion, some flashcards games. (elephant, fly,
monkey, chameleon, tortoise, lion,
crocodile, owl) monkey,
chameleon,
crocodile, owl)
Be an animal and guess Ask the children to be an animal. Each chooses 3 min
(elephant, fly, tortoise, an animal and behaves like it. Guess: Are you a
lion, monkey, crocodile? Elicit: Yes/no.
chameleon, crocodile,
owl)
Pre-reading activity: Draw a body on the board. Add individual parts 3 min Board, chalks
drawing an elephant saying: It has got two big ears, it has got four big
legs, etc. Ask: What is it? Elicit: elephant. Do not
draw a nose. Ask: What is missing? Elicit: a nose.
Tell children that elephants have a trunk.
Storytelling Tell the story. Help the children understand – 8 min The book for
point to the pictures, use mime, use sound effects, children – Why
mix mother tongue and English (when there are elephant has a
some difficult vocabulary), translate key words, trunk
stop after each page and ask whether they
understand, encourage to pretend what is coming
next.
Retell the story in Czech Ask pupils to retell the story in Czech, then ask: 2 min
Why elephant has a trunk (to make sure they have
understood).
Post reading activities Place pictures of various animals (including the 5 min Flashcards
ones in the story) on the floor. Ask pupils to (elephant, fly,
choose the ones that appeared in the story. Say: tortoise, lion,
What animals are in the book? Then ask them to monkey,
put them in the order they appeared in the story. chameleon,
(You should explain what to do in Czech) crocodile, owl,
crab, fish, dolphin,
starfish)
Colouring Distribute worksheets (see the appendix 3). Ask 5 min Worksheet (the
the children to draw missing parts of body and body of an
colour the elephant. Ask: What is missing? elephant, prepared
by the teacher),
crayons/pencils
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

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Reflection:

Preventing discipline problems, I asked the misbehaving boy to sit next to me. I told
him it was a big honour and it helped a lot. I realized he likes being in the centre of attention,
and so I made use of the opportunity and gave him a chance to be adored, but not because of
his confident behaviour, but because of his language skills. He was really different this lesson,
he tried hard and wanted to be the best. He suddenly knew all the words and was willing to do
all the activities without complaining. I have to admit that it was a really good step of mine
and was a bit proud of myself.
Touching parts of my body was also much better. The children seemed to understand
they have to be respectful and gentle when touching someone else’s body, even the teacher’s.
I noticed an interesting thing - at the beginning of each lesson, when I ask guided
questions like Are you happy or sad? the children have usually no problems answering in a
whole sentence. But later during the lesson, they usually produce just simple words e.g. crab
instead of I’m a crab. I think it is because they are really concentrated at the beginning of the
lesson, we are sitting and also the puppets, who are asking, not me, help them not be afraid of
speaking. Whereas when playing some games, the children are usually more focused on the
activity and not on speaking. I realized it is very important to have those two types of
activities in balance, i.e. both guided activities and semi-controlled or free playing.
I decided to include storytelling and so change the routine of the lessons. I chose a
story about animals – the book for children Why elephant has a trunk. It is a very nice book
with lovely colourful pictures and big letters, which is good for the teacher. I prepared
flashcards so as we could learn the new words by playing some flashcards games. It was
obvious that most of the words were already familiar to them – especially elephant, monkey
and crocodile. I think the children liked the story, we were sitting on cushions in the circle
and the atmosphere was really friendly. I tried to encourage the children to predict the story
and they were quite inventive. I asked one child to retell the story in Czech, which appeared to
be unnecessary because the children understood the story well. Unfortunately, the story lasted
more than I expected and there was no time for the worksheet. Still, I feel I need to improve
my storytelling skills, I am not used to telling stories to very small children and so it happens
that I am too quick or forget to point at or explain something. Maybe, it would be better to tell
the story at the beginning of the lesson and devote it more time, which would prevent me of
being under the time pressure.

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Lesson plan 8

Date: 3.11.2014
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; encourage the children to
chant a familiar chant; be able to touch given parts of body and say what you are touching;
motivate the children by including more songs; let children behave like animals; review the
story from the previous lesson and perform it; develop pre-reading skills by identifying the
main characters from a familiar story
New target language:
• New words: bee, beetle, lizard, snail
• New phrases and structures: I can see a (snail)
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Pail), I’m (weak/strong/big/small),
opposites, bird, frog, elephant, fly, tortoise, lion, monkey, chameleon, crocodile, owl, I’m
touching my (head), parts of body, instructions and actions, colours, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball, flashcards (bee, beetle, lizard,
snail, bird, frog, elephant, fly, tortoise, lion, monkey, chameleon, crocodile, owl), the book -
Why elephant has a trunk, Activity book 1, crayons/pencils

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Opposites chant Sit in the circle. Chant with gestures. The 2 min
children should join. Then ask the children: e.g.
Are you strong or weak? Are you big or small?
Elicit answers.
New words (bee, beetle, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards (bee,
lizard, snail) some flashcards games. Review animals from the beetle, lizard,
previous lessons. snail, bird, frog,
elephant, fly,
tortoise, lion,
monkey,
chameleon,
crocodile, owl)
Activity book Page 23. Ask the children to match the stickers to 3 min Activity book 1
their silhouettes and ask them what they can see.
Elicit: I can see a snail.
Touching time Say, pointing at your watch: It's touching time! 2 min Small balls
Take a small ball and touch your... nose! Each
time they touch a body part, ask: What are you
touching? Elicit: I'm touching my nose, etc.
Mouth, Nose, Knees, Sing Mouth, Nose, Knees, Toes with movements. 3 min Teacher’s CD,
Toes song Play twice. radio
Pre-reading activity Ask the children whether they remember the 2 min flashcards

81
 story from the previous session (use Czech). (elephant, fly,
Spread pictures of animals on the floor and say: tortoise, lion,
Find an elephant. Find a crocodile etc. monkey,
chameleon,
crocodile, owl)
Storytelling Tell the story. Help the children understand – 8 min book for children
point to the pictures, use mime, use sound effects, – Why elephant
mix mother tongue and English (when there is has a trunk
some difficult vocabulary), translate key words,
stop after each page and ask whether they
understand, encourage to pretend what is coming
next.
Post-reading activity Perform the story – make the story shorter. Tell 5 min
the story and act according to individual scenes.
Children join you. Encourage them to repeat what
you say and move.
Activity book Page 27. Colour the pictures. 5 min Activity book 1,
crayons/pencils
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

Reflection:

I could not believe it, but it was actually the first time, all the children did the
movements of the song Fun With Flupe with me. The movements are not difficult, but the
song may be too fast for children. I think the children finally used to it and it became an
enjoyable part of our routine. Now I must wait patiently until they also start producing the
words with me.
Chanting was much better than the last time, few children joined me, some remained
silent, but I noticed that one boy, who does not produce much, was chanting silently. I know
he is the shyest one and I try not to force him to speak or do what he does not want, because if
I put some pressure on him, he could get stuck and not want to participate or even dislike the
lessons.
It was not a good choice to include two words with similar pronunciation - bee and
beetle, since the children kept confusing them. What is more beetle was not familiar to them,
maybe the flashcard picture was not well painted or this animal is not known among five
years old children, so I needed to explain in Czech. The same was with lizard, the flashcard
picture resembled another creature and they kept saying dinosaur. I do not agree with
including those words and would rather use more familiar animals.
Sticking appeared to be a very good activity to develop fine motor skills. I could see
the differences between the children’s physical development. Some did this activity without
problems, but some have not gained control over their fingers yet, so needed my help. On the
other hand, it was really nice that fast finishers wanted to help other children. The cooperation

82
is getting better and better, especially the girls are willing to help the boys. Now I am
determined to use more challenging art and craft activity to move off.
The body song was too fast to physically do it. I rather stopped the recording and
started singing without the radio. We repeated it several times, each time I was singing faster
and faster. I think it was much better that confusing the children with the fast song. We can
try the song with the recording next time, since the children are now more prepared for it.
I did not include many songs in the previous lessons…I did it on purpose, because I
noticed that the children did not approve of songs, so I did not want them to feel
uncomfortable in the lessons. From this time on, I know they are more confident and so I will
include more and more songs.
To my utter surprise, the children remembered a lot from the story, which gave me a
positive feedback. I was a bit doubtful whether to do performing – it needs a very good
preparation of the teacher and some children may not be willing to participate. But finally I
decided to cut the story short and try it. I needed to learn the story by heart; luckily I
remembered everything and the children seemed to enjoy it. I do not include preforming or
drama often, but it seems to be a very good activity for children.
I see the biggest improvement in the children’s confidence, especially when doing
some songs and activities. I think the reason is that the children have already got used to our
routine, which gives them feelings of security. Some of them still do not want to repeat or say
anything, but all approve of moving around and dancing.

Lesson plan 9

Date: 10.11.2014
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; establish positive attitude
to songs and encourage the children to sing and do the movements; encourage the children to
participate as much as possible; encourage the children to speak and repeat; explain and play
new games; give opportunities for artistic expressions through working with play dough;
develop fine motor skills and creative skills through working with play dough and create a toy
(hedgehogs) so as the children can take it home; include a lot of real objects so as the children
can experience learning via different senses
New target language:
• New words: hedgehog, spider, toad, fridge, freezer, ice
• New phrases and structures: No, it isn’t

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Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Pail), I’m (big/small/good/bad),
animals, I have got a (hedgehog), knife, fork, spoon, plate, parts of body, It’s hot/cold,
opposites, instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, Super Simple Songs CD, a small ball, toys
(animals), flashcards (hedgehog, spider, toad, bee, beetle, lizard, snail, bird, frog, elephant,
fly, tortoise, lion, monkey, chameleon, crocodile, owl, fridge, freezer, parts of body), play
dough, matches, toothpicks, knife, fork, spoon, plate, ice cube container, crayons/pencils,
Activity book 1

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Warming up activity – Stand in the circle. Throw a ball to the first child 2 min
opposites. and ask: Are you big or small? Use gestures when
asking. Get the child to answer. The child throws
the ball to another child. Then do the same with
other opposites: Are you good or bad? etc. Help
the children elicit their answers.
Make a circle song Sing the song and do the movements. 2 min Super Simple
Songs CD, radio
New words (hedgehog, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 5 min Flashcards
spider, toad) some flashcards games. (hedgehog, spider,
toad)
Magic box Review animals from the previous lessons. Put 5 min Toys or flashcards
toys (if you do not have toys, use flashcards) of (hedgehog, spider,
all animals you have learnt in a big box. Let the toad, bee, beetle,
children take them out, one each. What animal lizard, snail, bird,
have you got? Elicit: I've got a hedgehog. etc. frog, elephant, fly,
tortoise, lion,
monkey,
chameleon,
crocodile, owl)
Arts and crafts Make hedgehogs from play dough and matches, 10 min Play dough,
toothpicks or any other sticks. Then let the matches,
children touch the top part of the hedgehog and toothpicks
say: The hedgehog is prickly.
Follow me - actions Teach follow and review the actions (fly, hop, 3 min
float, jump, run) Say: Follow me. Fly like a bird!
Follow me. Hop like a toad! Follow me.
Yes/no game – kitchen Teach fridge and freezer with flashcard and 3 min Flashcards (fridge,
vocabulary review knife, fork, spoon, and plate with real freezer), knife,
objects. Play a Yes/No - show a knife and ask: Is fork, spoon, plate
this a fork? Elicit: No, it isn't. etc.
Mouth, Nose, Knees, Sing Mouth, Nose, Knees, Toes with movements. 2 min Teacher’s CD,
Toes song radio
Ice (cold/hot opposites) Teach ice. Bring the ice cube container. Say: It's 2 min Ice cube container
ice. Let's take the ice out. Let the children touch
the ice and encourage them to say: Ice is cold.
Activity book 1- Page 25. Start from the picture of soup. Ask: Is 3 min Activity book 1,
opposites the soup hot or cold? Elicit: It's hot! Say: Look at crayons/pencils

84
 the pictures on the right, can you see something
cold? Elicit: Yes, ice! Say: Match the opposites:
hot with cold. Help the children match all the
other opposites.
One step Teach backward, forward. The children stand in a 3 min Flashcards
backward/forward – line. Show a picture and ask one child: What it (animals, parts of
review animals, parts of is? If he/she answers correctly, say: One step body)
body forward. If not: One step backward.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

Reflection:

According to the children’s attitude, it has been the most enjoyable lesson so far, they
even did not want to go home at the end of the lesson. But the reason was mainly making
hedgehogs and messing around. For me it was a disaster – some activities did not work at all
and I felt ruined at the end of the lesson.
I introduced a new song taken from SuperSimpleLearning and it was successful
(generally their songs are very entertaining for children). I consider it a very good way how to
organize children into a circle. I should have included it earlier in the course. What is more,
songs are slowly becoming an enjoyable part of the lessons, which pleases me a lot…maybe it
was really a good strategy not to overwhelm the children by songs from the beginning but
wait until they were more confident.
There were some problems with the new words, especially the pronunciation of
hedgehog. Again I consider some words unnecessary for such small learners, especially toad -
I think the word frog would be sufficient enough.
“Magic box” appeared to be a good way how to revise vocabulary. However, the
children may have expected something different in the box, and so flashcards did not attract
them much. Because of that, they lost their attention very quickly. Next time, I will try the
same activity with real objects.
I wanted to include different art and craft activity, not only colouring. The children
were familiar with play dough and all of them could make a small hedgehog with my little
help. I know the children enjoyed it much, but I do not know whether to include such an
activity every lesson, since it takes too much time and do not teach much. What is more, I
needed to use quite a lot of Czech. At least, they learnt the word hedgehog very well and one
girl told her mum Dívej mami to je hedgehog, which made me laugh.
I wanted to use a lot of real objects this lesson and observe the children’s responses.
The kitchen tools did not attract them much, so I wanted to motivate them more. I made a big
mistake when letting them eat some biscuits with knife and fork. Firstly, some had really

85
problems controlling over knife and fork (I did not realized they might have been too young
for it), secondly eating biscuits with knife and fork was nonsense. The same was with ice.
Although the children experienced learning via all senses – they could touch and feel the ice
and realize the difference between hot and cold, I felt hopeless as it ended up in a mess. I
thought I really crossed the limits and suddenly did not know how to handle the situation as
the children wanted to eat more biscuits and throw ice at each other. Next time, I would
definitely omit the eating part and I also do not recommend the activity with ice for five years
old children.
I realized that the amount of English I spoke in lessons was really low. Everything
took longer than I expected, and I did not manage to do some activities. I could not see any
language improvement. I think the children were overexcited, especially by too many objects
and toys. Therefore, they were not able to concentrate on learning. Later it occurred to me that
even if the children love a lesson and activities, it does not usually mean that it has brought
some benefits.

Lesson plan 10

Date: 24.11.2014
Aims: learn new words and phrases; identify different materials; review old words and
phrases; sing the songs and do the movement; be able to categorize objects according to the
type of material; encourage the children to participate as much as possible; encourage the
children to speak and repeat; explain and play new games; involve the children’s taste;
develop fine motor skills and creative skills through working with play dough and create a toy
(snail) so as the children can take it home
New target language:
• New words: soft, hard, taste, fresh
• New phrases and structures: (Lemon) is in the fridge, I can taste (apple juice)
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Pail), prickly, fridge, freezer,
fruit/food, animals, instructions and actions, opposites, colours, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, Super Simple Songs CD, flashcards
(beetle, lizard, snail, bird, frog, fly, bird, spider, fridge, freezer, cherry, strawberry, grape, pear,
apple, ice, salad, carrots, cake, tomatoes, corn, watermelon), fluffy elephant, hard elephant, three
boxes, objects (soft, hard and prickly), play dough, fridge board, strips with food, some fruit
juice, cups (orange, strawberry), Activity book 1, crayons

86
Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Warming up activity - Review animals from previous lessons using 2 min Flashcards (beetle,
Animal race flashcards. Flashcards lying on the floor, children lizard, snail, bird,
standing in one line on the opposite side of the frog, fly, bird,
room. Say: Bee. Children must move like a bee spider)
and moving towards flashcards as quickly as
possible. The first child who gets the correct
flashcards has one point.
Make a Circle song Sing the song and do the movements. 2 min Super Simple
Songs CD, radio
New words (soft, hard) Teach new words using hard and soft objects e.g. 3 min Fluffy elephant,
soft fluffy elephant, hard ceramic elephant. Then hard elephant
ask: What is soft? Let children run around the
room and find some soft things. Do the same with
hard.
Categorisation game Place three boxes in the middle of the room (one 3 min Three boxes,
for soft objects, one for hard, one for prickly). objects (soft, hard
Place some objects around the room. Let children and prickly)
run around the room, take objects and place them
in the correct boxes.
Actions – opposite Act out the opposite adjectives: up/down, 2 min
adjectives high/low, hot/cold, big/small, busy/lazy (busy bee
and lazy lizard), happy/sad.
Activity book Page 26 – colouring. Point to the pictures and 5 min Activity book 1,
ask: What it is? Elicit answers and ask the crayons
children to colour the pictures.
Mouth, Nose, Knees, Sing Mouth, Nose, Knees, Toes with movements. 3 min Teacher’s CD,
Toes song Play twice. radio
In the fridge/freezer Review fridge, freezer and some food. Prepare 3 min Flashcards (fridge,
fridge board. Put the strips with foods into the freezer, cherry,
board slits and let each child pull a strip a bit to strawberry, grape,
plum, apple, ice,
see the food type. Start with the Paul doll first to
salad, carrots,
demonstrate. Pull the bottom strip and say: cake, tomatoes,
Lemon is in the fridge. Let each child pull the watermelon),
strip once and say a sentence. fridge board,
strips with food,
Paul doll
Taste, fresh Teach taste and fresh. Bring some fruit juice in 2 min Some fruit juice,
cups and let the children guess what taste it is. cups (orange,
Say: Taste this juice. What can you taste? Elicit: I strawberry)
can taste orange juice.
Revision of storytelling Review animals from the story using gestures 5 min
- Why elephants have (elephant, fly, tortoise, lion, monkey, chameleon,
trunk crocodile, owe). Perform the story. Tell the story
and act according to individual scenes. Children
join you. Encourage them to repeat what you say
and move.
Arts and crafts. Make a snail. Use play dough. Then ask: What 10 min Play dough
have you got? Elicit: I have got a snail.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

87
Reflection:

At the beginning of the lesson, the children seemed tired, so it was a good decision to
include the activity „Animal race“ as a warming up. They liked the song Make a Circle, so I
included it again. I was pleased that some children remembered the movements. On the other
hand, they started frolicking and it was hard to calm them down. Lately, I have had problems
with smooth transitions between individual activities, especially when the children start
misbehaving…I usually use clapping hands to indicate the change of activity, but the children
reactions has become passive. I need to try another strategy, maybe whistling.
The children were supposed to learn the words soft and hard. The way we learnt them
was not bad, as the children could touch real object and experience them via all senses.
However, they did not understand the idea of hard and soft and I needed to explain in Czech.
The activity is misleading as they already know what an elephant is and when you show them
a ceramic elephant saying It is hard, they must be confused. I do not agree with including
those words in the lesson plan, they seem unnecessary for the children at this age, since the
concept of material is too abstract for them.
“Categorisation game” was quite good, but I asked one by one to find and put an
object in a box, so it lasted more than I expected and some children started messing up. I
should have done it as a team activity and made it more competitive. However, I do not
approve of win/lose games as it usually leads to arguments and conflicts. Still, I need to
include games in which the children play together with other children and develop they co-
operative play.
Actions appeared to be much enjoyable when done as a guessing game. Firstly I
showed a movement, e.g. hot and waited few second whether they guess the meaning. Some
children were successful, but some were not.
“In the fringe/freezer” was actually a very nice activity. However, the children spoilt
it a bit using their own rules. They started competing who would have more strips.
The activity with tasting some juice was not a good choice and I realized too late that I
could not force the children to drink something they may not like. The children were even
afraid of tasting something strange and so the activity led to failure. What is more, they split
some juice on the carpet, which confirmed me of unsuitability of this activity for five years
old children.
Because of the success of making hedgehogs, I included something similar – making
snails. Although I do not consider it such a good activity, I wanted to make use of the fact that

88
the children loved it and use it as a motivation. At the beginning of the lesson, I told them we
were going to make a toy, but only if they were good and did everything I would ask them to.
Although the children were driving me mad during the lesson, I finally let them play with play
dough. At least I realized what my biggest problem is – I am not consistent enough and that
causes most of the problems I cope with. I warn and threaten but do not always carry out my
threats or I act too impulsively, my reactions to problematic situations are not systematic.
When the children upset me, I sometimes lose my temper, threaten them with e.g. not giving
them a present/not letting play, but then I feel sorry for them and let it be for this time. I must
try to keep calm.

Lesson plan 11

Date: 1.12.2015
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; sing the songs and do the
movements; encourage the children to participate as much as possible; encourage the children
to speak and repeat; explain and play new games; involve children’s taste; teach how to bake
a pie and develop listening for specific information and following the teacher’s instructions
New target language:
• New words: grapefruit, apricot, peach, kitchen, oven, pie, dough
• New phrases and structures: She/He likes a (banana), very big, in the kitchen
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), fruit, My name is, I
like/don’t like a (banana), happy, sad, It’s a (peach), yes/no, small, big, fridge, freezer, plate,
spoon, knife, fork, instructions and actions, colours, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, flashcards (banana, apple, cherry, orange,
strawberry, watermelon, grapes, lemon, grapefruit, apricot, peach, fridge, freezer, plate,
spoon, knife, fork, kitchen, oven, pie, dough), If you’re happy song (CD or flash disc), tray,
different pieces of fruit, Activity book 2, pictures with paper clips (small, big and very big
snails, toads, hedgehogs, beetles, spiders, bees, flies and lizards), the fishing rod, rope, play
dough, wooden trays, rolling pin made from a toilet roll, crayons

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do teacher’s CD
the movements.
Warming up activity – I Revise kinds of fruit children have already learnt 2 min Flashcards
like fruit using flashcards. Say: My name is Petra. I like a (banana, apple,
banana. And point to the picture of banana cherry, orange,

89
 nodding your head and showing you like it by strawberry,
touching your tummy. Let the children repeat watermelon,
Petra likes a banana. Continue by asking a child grapes, lemon)
What is your name? And then What do you like?
Repeat together with children e.g. Nela likes an
apple.
If you’re happy song Sing If you’re happy song. Firstly revise happy 3 min If you’re happy
sad, and teach angry, frightened. Chant slowly song (CD or flash
each line and teach the movements. disc)
New words (grapefruit, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards
apricot, peach) some flashcards games (include also other fruit (grapefruit,
vocabulary). apricot, peach)
Tray with fruit Place the tray with many different pieces of fruit 3 min Tray, different
in the middle and the flashcards around the tray. pieces of fruit
Point at a fruit piece and ask: What fruit is it? The
children should answer: It is a grapefruit etc. The
flashcards around should help them classify the
fruit. Then ask: Taste the peach, etc.? Do you like
it?
Fruit guessing game Blindfold one child. Help another child pick one 3 min Tray, different
piece of fruit and put it in the blindfolded child's pieces of fruit
mouth. The child giving the fruit should ask:
What fruit is it? The blindfolded child should try
to guess: It's a peach.
Activity Book 2 Page 3 - stickers. Review like and don't like and 4 min Activity book 2
fruit. Ask the children: Who likes pears? The
children who do should say so. Say: Please stick
the pear here. The children who don't should say:
I don't like pears and stick the pear on the other
plate. Continue the activity till all the children
have stuck the stickers on appropriate plates.
Fishing small, big, very Review animals from previous lessons and small, 3 min Pictures with
big animals big and very big. Prepare animal pictures of paper clips of
small, big and very big snails, toads, hedgehogs, small, big and
beetles, spiders, bees, flies and lizards and the very big snails,
fishing rod. Take a group of three different-sized toads, hedgehogs,
animals yourself first, and say: It is a small beetles, spiders,
spider. It is a big spider. It is a very big spider. bees, flies and
Then place all the pictures with paper clips lizards, the fishing
attached to them face down on the carpet. Let the rod
first child fish for one picture. Ask: What is it?
And elicit e.g.: It is a little beetle.
In the kitchen Review the kitchen vocabulary fridge, freezer, 3 min Flashcards (fridge,
plate, spoon, knife and fork. Teach kitchen, oven, freezer, plate,
pie and dough using flashcards. Make a big circle spoon, knife, fork,
with a rope on the carpet. Put a flashcard of the kitchen, oven, pie,
kitchen in the middle and say: This is a kitchen. dough), rope
Give each child one of the flashcards. The
children should stand outside the kitchen circle.
Then demonstrate the activity, shouting the
instruction: Oven, run to the kitchen! The child
wearing with the oven picture should run inside
the circle. Then ask the group: Where is the
oven? Elicit: The oven is in the kitchen!
Art and craft Give each child some play dough, a wooden tray 5 min Play dough,
and a rolling pin made from a toilet roll. Say: wooden trays,
Let's make a pie. First, we need to make dough. rolling pin made
Form a bigger flat circle. Demonstrate yourself from a toilet roll
first so the children can imitate you. Then say:
Let’s add some fruit. Let children make some

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 fruit from play dough and add it on the pie. Say:
Let's bake our pies now. Say: The pies are baking
now.
Activity book 2 Page 2 - colouring. Ask: What colour is 4 min Activity book 2,
grapefruit? Elicit answers. Say: Colour the crayons
grapefruit.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

Reflection:

When the children entered the classroom, one boy seemed very tired. Her mother told
me he had been sleepy since the morning and might fall asleep. I was not happy because he
was just sitting on a chair and did not want to play with us. Therefore, it influenced other
children and interrupted the lesson much. I had to check several times whether he was fine or
wanted something e.g. to drink. I did not force him to participate, just encouraged him to join
us. Finally he was willing to do some activities. I really did not understand why the parents
had not stayed with the boy at home. I decided to speak about it with all the parents and
explained that when the children are not 100 % OK, they should not attend a lesson so as it
can considerably spoil it. They seemed to understand, so I hope it will not be repeated again. I
was a bit proud of myself that I handled the situation well. On the other hand, it also gave me
a great opportunity to observe other children’s behaviour in the situation when their friend
was distressed. I was positively surprised, because all the children showed him sympathy and
wanted to help him. I think it is a good step in their social and emotional development, and
they will be able to cooperate with other children without conflicts soon.
New words were very difficult for the children, both the pronunciation and connection
with pictures as they look very similar (especially apricot, peach; both are orange and have
the same shape). I wanted to play more flashcards games so as they could realize the
differences more, but I noticed that they were beginning to loose they attention and getting
tired. Again, I do not agree with including those words, which may be unknown even in the
mother tongue. I think that for five years old children the basic knowledge of fruit, such as an
apple, banana, orange, pear and strawberry, is sufficient enough.
I wanted to try tasting again, because I still consider involving all senses, especially
taste very useful. I learnt from my mistake from the previous lesson and firstly made sure
whether the children are OK with all the fruit pieces I prepared (just a banana, apple and
peach). Then I blindfolded one girl and we played guessing game. I would say that it was the
most enjoyable activity and the children wanted to continue until all pieces were left. One girl

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even told me that she loved the game. Later it occurred to me that when the children had seen
the pieces of fruit before, then they were not afraid to taste one.
Although the activity “Fishing small, big, very big animals” seems a great fun, I do not
agree with the comparison of three very similar pictures as small, big and very big. Actually
the big picture was not big at all and when you place a triple next to each other, it is more
small, middle/medium and big or some children may confuse it with daddy, mummy and baby.
Because of that, it does not practice what it should. The children did not understand the rules
of the game; they were quicker than me and started to play with the pictures and place groups
of animals next to each other. I realized there was no point disturbing their game and let them
play.
The activity “In the kitchen” was very confusing for the children. It seemed that they
could not imagine the circle as a kitchen and so I consider this activity too abstract for them.
Art and craft was, as usual, very entertaining and all the children understood what to
do very quickly. But I should not have told them what we were going to do, and I should have
let them just listen to and follow my instructions step by step. The problem is that they usually
do not want to follow my instructions and want to do a task in their own way. The activity
then becomes free and not controlled by the teacher. As a result, the children do not get the
valuable language input and the activity seems useless as for learning the language. I should
try to work on it, encourage the children to listen to me and try some dictations. At least,
working with play dough is getting better and better and their products are very good. It is
obvious that their fine motor skills are developing quickly.

Lesson plan 12

Date: 8.12.2015
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; explain and plan new
games; sing the songs and do the movements; encourage the children to participate as much as
possible; encourage the children to speak and repeat; develop gross motor skills and extend
the range of familiar actions and instructions; be able to touch given parts of body; prepare
menus from favourite kinds of food and fruit
New target language:
• New words: arm, thumb, finger, elbow
• New phrases and structures: -

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Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), fruit, I like/don’t like,
fridge, freezer, plate, spoon, knife, fork, kitchen, oven, pie, dough, parts of body, I’m a (bird),
animals, small, big, very big, instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, flashcards (banana, apple, cherry, orange,
strawberry, watermelon, grapes, lemon, grapefruit, apricot, peach, teeth, tongue, arm, thumb,
finger, elbow, head, hand, knee, nose, eyes, ears, mouth, toes, tummy, chin, cheek, face,
forehead, fridge, freezer, plate, spoon, knife, fork, kitchen, oven, pie, dough), Activity book 2,
CD/flash disc with the song One finger, one thumb, menus (made of sturdy paper), glue,
headbands, pictures of animals that can be stuck to headbands, an apron, coloured pencils

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Apple, apple Sit down and start clapping your legs and 3 min
repeating apple, apple. Then change the pair
saying apple, banana. Children repeat. A child
(sitting next to the teacher) continues e.g.
banana, orange. Continue in the same way – a
child repeats the previous word and adds his/her
own.
I like/I don’t like Review I like and I don't like. Place a big smiling 2 min Flashcards
face on one side of the classroom and a sad face (banana, apple,
on another one. The children should stand in the cherry, orange,
middle and wait for you to shout some fruit e.g. strawberry,
an apple. The children should go to positive side watermelon,
or negative side preference. Then they should grapes, lemon,
say: I like bananas or I don't like bananas. If grapefruit, apricot,
necessary, review fruit using flashcards. peach)
New words (arm, thumb, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards (arm,
finger, elbow) some flashcards games (include also other body thumb, finger,
parts vocabulary). elbow)
Simon says Review all body parts saying e.g. Touch your 2 min
arm. Then play the game Simon says. The rule of
the game is to only do the action if the teacher
says the action accompanied with Simon says.
Activity Book 2 Page 4-5 – maze. Guide the children through the 5 min Activity book 2
body part maze.
Actions Teach wiggle, nod, blink, stomp and shake by 3 min
doing the activity. Then give instructions,
introducing the new verbs: nod your head, stomp
your feet, shake your arms and blink your eyes.
Review clap your hands too.
One Finger, One Thumb Sing the song and do the movements. 2 min CD/flash disc with
song the song, radio
My menu Prepare menus (preferably from sturdy paper) 5 min Menus (made of
and different kinds of food (fruit, cake, etc.) at sturdy paper),
home. In the classroom, teach menu and pictures of food,
distribute menus saying: This is your menu. Ask: glue
What do you like? Children should stick food

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 they like on their menus. Then children say: I
like…
Pull out… Put on an apron with big pockets. Put kitchen 2 min An apron,
pictures into the pockets. Say: e.g. I'm pulling out flashcards or
a fork! Pull something out! Ask: What is it? Elicit pictures (fridge,
the answer. freezer, plate,
spoon, knife, fork,
kitchen, oven, pie,
dough)
Animals movements Give each child a headband to wear and let them 3 min Headbands,
choose an animal (frog, fish, bee, beetle etc). pictures of
Ask: What are you? Elicit: I'm a bird. I'm a frog. animals that can
Let the children fly around the room like animals be stuck to
do. Ask: What are you doing? Elicit answers e.g. headbands
I’m flying. I’m hopping.
Activity Book 2 Page 8. Review small, big and very big. Point to 3 min Activity book 2,
the first row of pictures and say: small pie, big crayons
pie, very big pie. Then point to the second row
and ask: Which plum is missing? Elicit: A very
big plum!
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

Reflection:

The children were in a very good mood at the beginning of the lesson. During the
welcome song, they usually do just the movements. I was so happy, that for the very first
time, two girls started to produce familiar words (book, tree, fun) and tried to sing with me.
The game “Apple, apple” was not very successful. The children did not understand the
rules at first and then each repeated only banana, banana and did not add anything new. I
should have revised some fruit before. Chanting is still an issue, I try to include at least one
every lesson, but the children have not found it enjoyable yet. I think it is because of their
silent period, some children still do not produce much. But I will not give up!
The game “I like/I don’t like” was much better. They understood the rules well.
Sometimes they could not decide so I told them to stay in the middle. Unfortunately, one boy
was really misbehaving. He kept standing on the negative (I don’t like) side and trying to
destroy the sheet with the negative face… he is so aggressive and stubborn. I think he is really
frustrated and I must talk about him with the parents. They should not force him to attend the
English course if he did not like it. It would deepen his negative attitude towards languages,
or even learning. It can have very bad consequences in the future. Still, I try to motivate and
encourage him as much as possible. I am thinking of giving him an extra work (e.g. paining or
colouring) in case he refuses to do an activity with others, but I am afraid other children
would be envious and want to do the same. Maybe, I will try and see whether it works or not.

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 “Simon says” appeared to be a very good way how to revise parts of body. But when
someone touched a part of body when they should not have, they were very disappointed and
did not want to play again. I should not have said who the winner was. Actually, this game
really shows who is good and who is not. I realized I must be really careful when playing this
game and do not let the children experience failure.
I could see a very big difference between familiar and unfamiliar actions. The longer
we practice the actions, the better the children response to them, even without my showing
they start e.g. running when I say Run!. New actions like Not your head! seemed difficult to
follow. Later I realized there were too many new actions. It would have been better to include
just one or two every lesson. But I hope it will be better next time.
The song was not a very good choice, it was very fast to physically follow it and the
children were confusing thumb and finger all the time. I should have taught them the
movements before listening to the song. Although I know it is very important, I am still
forgetting to practice the song movements before playing it. It was my stupid novice mistake.
When preparing menus, I could see that the children were capable of using glue.
However, they did not understand the concept of menu and kept asking me what the menu
was. I explained in Czech, but they still seemed confused. Actually, the game was really good
to practice I like/I don’t like…but it may be suitable for older learners.
Pull out activity was completely spoilt by the misbehaving boy. When I asked him to
pull out one picture from the pocket, he pulled out all the pictures and scattered them around
the classroom. I stayed calm, told him to collect all the pictures and we tried again. However,
the children lost the effect of the game and the surprise inside. Although I managed the
situation quite well, waited until he was calm, the positive atmosphere in the classroom was
very disturbed. I think other children were also angry, which can influence the relationship
between them. I really have to do something with him!

Lesson plan 13

Date: 5.1.2015
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; create own chant;
maintain positive atmosphere in the classroom and avoid misbehaviour by praising the
children more; motivate the children by presenting more attractive activities; sing the songs
and do the movements; encourage the children to participate as much as possible; encourage
the children to speak and repeat; explain and play new games (Bingo); give orders and
instructions in different context by using the phrase If you can….; teach to brush teeth

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New words and phrases: teeth, tongue, brush teeth, toothbrush, see, hear
New target language:
• New words: teeth, tongue, toothbrush
• New phrases and structures: brush teeth, I’m (wiggling) (my fingers)
Reviewed words and phrases: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), fruit, I like/don’t
like, fruit/food, parts of body, animals, instructions and actions, colours, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, Super Simple Songs CD, radio, character puppets, flashcards (fruit,
food, teeth, tongue, brush teeth, toothbrush, beetle, lizard, snail, bird, frog, fly, bird, spider),
pictures of dirty teeth, toothbrushes, white tempera colour, Super Simple Songs CD, Activity
book 2, bingo boards with different body parts

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome pupils and the characters (Hi Flupe, 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do the teacher’s CD,
movements. radio
“I like” warming up Revise some fruit/food vocabulary. Ask children: 3 min Fruit/food
What do you like? Elicit answers and start flashcards
chanting e.g:
I like apples, I like apples.
How about you? How about you?
Do you like apples? Do you like apples?
Yes I do.
Chant at least three times, using different
fruit/food according to the children’s likes.
How are you song Sing the song How are you and teach the 3 min Super Simple
movements. Repeat twice. Songs CD, radio
New words (teeth, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards (teeth,
tongue, toothbrush) some flashcards games. tongue,
toothbrush)
If you can… Give orders and do the movements e.g.: If you 2 min
can brush teeth, touch your head. If you can run,
touch your leg. If you can jump, touch your
knees.
Activity book 2 Pages 6-7 – colouring. Instruct the children to 5 min Activity book 2
colour parts of body.
Actions Give instructions: wiggle your fingers, nod your 2 min
head, stomp your feet, shake your arms, blink
your eyes, clap your hands. Add new ones: see
with eyes, hear with ears, stretch.
Bingo The children get the bingo boards with different 5 min Bingo boards with
body parts. Say: Eyes! Those who have eyes can different body
cover their picture with a counter. Keep saying parts
body parts till all the children get their Bingo.
Then you can try it also with actions: brush,
stretch, bend, see with, hear with, wiggle, nod,
blink, stomp, run with, shake. Say Blink! And the
children have to choose the correct part of body
i.e. eyes.
I like bananas song Sing the song I like bananas and do the 2 min Teacher’s CD

96
 movements.
I like/I don’t like Review I like and I don't like. Place a big smiling 2 min Flashcards
face on one side of the classroom and a sad face (banana, apple,
on another one. The children should stand in the cherry, orange,
middle and wait for you to shout the name of the strawberry,
fruit e.g. an apple. The children should go to watermelon,
positive side or negative side preference. Then grapes, lemon,
they should say: I like bananas or I don't like grapefruit, apricot,
bananas. If necessary, review fruit using tangerine, peach,
flashcards. grapefruit, apricot,
tangerine, peach)
Brush your teeth Prepare pictures of teeth. Give each child one 3 min Pictures teeth,
picture. Say: Make the teeth dirty. Children use toothbrushes,
coloured pencils and colour the teeth so as they white tempera
are dirty. Then provide toothbrushes saying This colour
is a toothbrush. We must brush the teeth. Prepare
white tempera colour and let the children start
brushing the teeth with it. Say: Are they dirty?
Elicit: No, they are clean! Ask: What colour are
the teeth now? Elicit answers.
Animal race Review animals from the previous lessons using 3 min Flashcards (beetle,
flashcards. Flashcards lying on the floor, children lizard, snail, bird,
standing in one line on the opposite side of the frog, fly, bird,
room. Say: Bee. Children must move like a bee spider)
and moving towards flashcards as quickly as
possible. The first child who gets the correct
flashcards has one point.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

Reflection:

Finally! Chanting was very successful this lesson. I think it was especially because of
the choice – nice and familiar structure of the chant and also the fact that the children could
choose their own words for chanting. Finally, we repeated it more times than I expected. Only
the boy who is usually misbehaving was not willing to cooperate. I encouraged him to
participate and asked e.g. Do you like an orange? Unfortunately, he answered Ne every time.
Problems with him again. I have tried really hard, praised him for everything and encouraged
him all the time….nothing worked. He simply did not work and I could not stand over him the
whole lesson and encourage him. I gave up and decided to let him be. Maybe, when he sees
that other people do not care about him, he will try to be more cooperative. Now I am still
thinking whether I was not too strict. The children are very small and need my support. On the
other hand, I cannot stand the boy any more. The question is whether it is my mistake, or
whether the boy is the same with other teachers…I need to speak with the parents. But if I
spoke with the parents, I would admit that I am losing my control over him…But I cannot see
any other solution at this moment.

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 Another problem – some children are still forgetting their bags with Activity books. It
is the thing I cannot influence. I have already asked the parents if they could bring them every
lesson. If it was my decision, I would not use the Activity books at all, but the parents paid for
them, so it is highly recommended to use them. On the other hand, it gives me the opportunity
to prepare my own worksheet and use them if necessary.
“Bingo” was a disaster. I though the children would be mature enough to understand
the game and I was sure they had played it before. But the children were confused and I had
to help them much. They did not understand the point and forgot to say Bingo!. The game is
definitely too difficult for them and I am not sure whether to try it again.
I wanted to make “Animal race” more challenging and start them saying Three, two,
one, GO and gave them points. They were laughing and enjoying the race. However one boy
who was not very successful started complaining and even crying because he did not have any
points. I think I exaggerated it and made the atmosphere too competitive. Next time I should
do it in a calmer atmosphere without points.
The best activity for the children was undoubtedly “Brush your teeth”. They were so
excited to have real toothbrushes and kept asking me whether they could take them home.
Although the children enjoyed the activity, it took up too much time and did not practice
anything. What is more, the children were not willing to do anything else. On the other hand, I
wanted to so this activity on purpose, because I expected the children would love it...it
definitely fulfilled my expectations and I am dare to say that it was a very good motivation for
them.
I realized I need some feedback from the children, because I still feel there is a barrier
between us. At the end of the lesson, I gave each child two smiles (happy and sad) and asked
them to show me how they liked the lesson. All of them showed a happy face. I was satisfied,
but I think it was the last activity (brushing teeth) that made them positive about the lesson.
Next time, I should try it after an individual activity, since the whole lesson is a too broad
term for them.

Lesson plan 14

Date: 12.1.2015
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; be able to categorise
words according to a topic; sing the songs and do the movements; avoid misbehaviour;
encourage the children to participate as much as possible; encourage the children to speak and

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repeat; explain and play new games; develop observation skills by finding hidden objects in
the picture; do storytelling and perform the story
New target language:
• New words: family, daddy, mummy, sister, brother, baby
• New phrases and structures: -
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), My name is…, I’m (good),
animals, fruit, parts of body, frog, instructions and actions, colours, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, Super Simple Songs CD, radio, character puppets, flashcards
(animals, fruit, parts of body, family, daddy, mummy, sister, brother, baby), a small ball,
Activity book 2, pictures of the Frog family, picture of a pond, Colouring pictures of the Frog
family, crayons

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome pupils and the characters (Hi Flupe, 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do the teacher’s CD
movements.
Roll the ball (What is Sit in the circle. Roll the ball to the first child and 2 min A small ball
your name?) ask, What is your name? Get the child to answer.
The child rolls the ball to another child.
How are you song Sing the song How are you and teach the 2 min Super Simple
movements. Then ask each child: How are you? Songs CD, radio
Categorisation game Prepare three boxes – one for each category. 3 min Flashcards
Spread flashcards on the floor. Show the children (animals, fruit,
which box is which. Ask one child to choose a parts of body)
picture, ask What is it? Elicit answers and
encourage him/her to put it in the right box.
One step Teach backward, forward. The children stand in a 3 min Flashcards
backward/forward – line. Show a picture and ask one child: What it (animals, fruit,
review animals, parts of is? If he/she answers correctly, say: One step parts of body)
body forward. If not: One step backward.
Activity book 2 Page 11 - find the hidden objects. Ask the 5 min Activity book 2
children: What can you see in the picture? Can
you see a peach? Please colour the peach. The
children colour the objects they can find in the
pictures.
One finger, one thumb Sing the song One finger, one thumb and do the 2 min Teacher’s CD,
song movements. radio
New words (family, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 5 min Flashcards
daddy, mummy, sister, some flashcards games. (daddy, mummy,
brother, baby) sister, brother,
baby)
On a visit Give each child a flashcard and ask them to stand 3 min Flashcards
in different parts of the room. Then ask them to (daddy, mummy,
visit each other and introduce e.g. I am a mummy. sister, brother,
I am a brother. baby)
Storytelling – The Frog Tell children (in the mother tongue) that they are 5 min Pictures of the
Family going to listen to a story about the Frog family. Frog family,
Show them pictures and make sure they know picture of a pond
who is who. Then ask the children where frogs

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 live and elicit answers showing the picture of
pond. Tell the story, use a lot of gestures.
Acting out – The Frog Give each child one character. Tell the story 5 min Pictures of the
Family again and as each child hears their character they Frog family,
put up their hands. Encourage the children to do picture of a pond
the gestures.
Colouring Ask the children to colour the picture of the Frog 5 min Colouring pictures
family. Say: Where is Daddy frog? Colour the of the Frog
Daddy frog. family, crayons
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

Reflection:

This was the lesson when I realized how the routine is important for very small
children and if I break it, it can have some bad consequences. At the beginning of the lesson,
the children were “wild with joy”, but when the welcome song started, they realized there was
the time for the lesson and calmed down without my urging….in this case the routine really
helped me. The new words were taught in the middle of the lesson (because of the
storytelling), which was against the normal routine and the children were confused and not
able to concentrate. On the other hand, I expected the words to be more or less familiar, so we
did not need to practice them much. I knew that last time, the storytelling was not very
successful at the end of the lesson, but I needed to recycle the language first. Still, I think I
devoted a lot of time to the story – this time shorter, so I was not afraid of lacking some time.
Talking with the parents about the problematic boy appeared to be a good decision of
mine; the boy was much calmer during the lesson, but still not willing to do some activities.
Again, I tried the strategy of letting him alone and waiting patiently whether he would join –
he did several times. I have to admit, that I am slowly getting better at organizing the children
and have more or less control over their behaviour. I am also much calmer…I think it is
especially because I take it easy and do not let the children upset me.
The “categorisation” game was a little bit spoilt, because the children changed the
rules – instead of taking a card and putting it in the right box, each took one box and was
looking only for one category. I have to admit that their way of doing it was not bad and the
most important is that they enjoyed it. What is more, I was really surprised how much they
remembered. The only problematic words seemed to be toad, frog, elbow and finger. Later it
occurred to me that it happens very often – that the children take control over an activity and
do it in their way. Is it OK? Should I be stricter and forbid them to play what they want and
stand on my rules…then the children will definitely hate me. There was at least one positive

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thing…the shiest boy started producing whole sentences I have got a (spider)….Yes, yes, yes,
it made my day.
The song One finger, one thumb was not very successful in one of the previous
lessons, so I decided to try it again. This time it was better, because I did it without the radio
first, each time faster and faster until the children were ready for the original one. This
strategy appeared to be very effective again, so I will definitely try to do it with every song.
Storytelling was a disaster this time….I think the problem was the atmosphere in the
classroom. I could not set the right atmosphere. The children were not able to sit still and
disrupted me all the time. I realized that the right atmosphere during storytelling is
crucial…otherwise it leads to failure. The question is whether I should have omitted it, or
done it at the begging of the lesson? Maybe the children are fed up with stories…No, I still
think storytelling is enjoyable if the children are in the right mood. The reason of the failure
must have been the routine again! The children know that at the end of the lesson we usually
play animals, so they might have thought there was the time for it and could not concentrate
on anything else. OK, next time, storytelling definitely at the beginning!

Lesson plan 15

Date: 19.1.2015
Aims: learn new words and use them in the new song; sing the song with the movements;
review old words and phrases, especially opposites; be able to express your mood; develop
gross motor skills and teach new actions; develop observations skills by finding the
differences; encourage the children to participate as much as possible; encourage the children
to speak and repeat; perform a familiar story
New target language:
• New words: open, shut, fast, slow, loud, quiet, angry, frightened
• New phrases and structures: We are (jumping)
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), please, no thank you,
happy, sad, I’m (happy), animals, colours, counting to 5, table, tea, family, daddy, mummy,
sister, brother, baby, instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, Super Simple Songs CD, radio, character puppets, small bolls,
flashcards (open, shut, fast, slow, loud, quiet), faces (happy, sad, angry, frightened), Table,
cups, some tea, 2 similar pictures of The Frog Family, picture of a pond, play dough

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Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Take a ball and Ask the children to take a ball (each has one). 3 min Small balls
touch…(parts of body) Say: touch your head with the ball, touch your
tummy etc. Then divide the children in pairs and
say: touch your friend’s elbow, touch your
friend’s forehand etc.
Make a circle song Sing the song and do the movements. 2 min Super Simple
Songs CD, radio
New words (open, shut, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 5 min Flashcards (open,
fast, slow, loud, quiet) some flashcards games. shut, fast, slow,
loud, quiet)
Opposites song Review opposites and teach the movements, add 3 min Super Simple
also please, no thank you. Sing the song and do Songs CD, radio
the movements.
Faces - moods Review happy, sad, angry and frightened. Place 5 min Faces (happy, sad,
different faces on the floor. Put the happy face angry, frightened)
and say: I’m…happy! The children should finish
the sentence according to the face. After
reviewing all faces. Ask: How are you? The
children should choose a face and colour it.
Actions Review stomp, jump, clap, skip, turn around and 3 min
counting to five. Give the children instructions to
clap, stomp (counting to four). Say: Now, clap
loudly! Clap quietly! Jump loudly-1,2,3,4! Jump
quietly!
At the table Review table and tea. Sit at a table. Ask: What 3 min Table, cups, some
are we doing? Elicit: We are sitting at a table. tea
Say: Let's have tea. Give each child a cup and
pour some real tea. Ask then: What are we doing
at the table? Elicit: We are having tea.
Be …. Give each child animals (bird, frog, dolphin etc.) 3 min Animals
headband to wear. Ask: What are you? Elicit: I'm headbands
a bird. I'm a frog. Say: Birds, let's fly! Let the
children fly around the room like birds do. Then
say: Frogs, let's hop!
Spot the difference Prepare a picture of The Frog Family with the 3 min 2 similar pictures
pond. Ask the children if they remember the story of The Frog
and remind it if necessary. Prepare similar picture Family
with few differences. Ask the children if they can
see any differences between the two pictures. If
they find it difficult, help them. Use Czech.
Acting out – The Frog Give each child one character (if possible 5 min Pictures of the
Family different than in the previous lesson). Tell the Frog family,
story again and as each child hears their character picture of a pond
they put up their hands. Encourage the children to
do the gestures.
Art and Craft Ask the children to make a frog from play dough. 5 min Play dough
Help the children if necessary.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

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Reflection:

There were only two children (one girl and one boy) present in the lesson because of
the flu epidemic. However, I found the number of children pleasant this time; they enjoyed
my attention and I was able to attend to individuals, which appeared to be necessary from
time to time.
Singing is still an issue, because the children are not willing to sing with me, they do
just the movements. I used a new strategy and presented words from the song as new words.
Although the new words were not difficult for the children, I think that they were not
attractive enough and so they got bored quickly. During the “Opposites song” I encouraged
them to participate and the girl did the movements with me for a while, but the boy was sitting
on the floor and did not join us, but at least he was crooning the song quietly. I noticed how
the children copy other’s behaviour. When they see it is not good for one, it is then not good
for others as well. The same when I asked how they were and let them choose one face, the
girl showed a happy face and the boy just copied her.
“At the table” appeared to be inappropriate for very small children. Firstly, they
refused to drink; secondly it actually did not teach or practice anything. I consider this activity
ineffective.
I was surprised to see that both the children found it difficult to spot the differences. I
did not expect it would a problem for them. They may have felt unsuccessful and gave up
quickly…it is horrible how quickly they lose their interest in something if it is more difficult.
I should focus more on activities in which they solve something. It is very important for them
to have the feeling of being successful…if not, they are so annoyed.
The motivation in the lesson was quite low and they were not interested in learning
much, even if I gave them positive encouragement, used various aids and new games. Later it
occurred to me that it could be because of the number of children present - when there are
more children, they are more motivated and try to learn and produce more.
It is so difficult to attract the children, I am getting a bit exhausted…I have already
tried everything – chants, stories, songs…everything works only for a while (usually one
lesson). The children fell in love only with playing animals and working with play dough. If I
do not include it, they are misbehaving and annoyed. I know it is good to repeat favourite
games, but the children refuse to do anything else. Why? Am I the problem? Maybe I cannot
present the new activities in an entertaining way…I have to find something more exciting
than playing animals.

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Lesson plan 16

Date: 26.1.2015
Number of pupils: 5 (3 girls, 2 boys)
Time: 14:15-15:00 (45 minutes)
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases through playing games;
revise colours through listening to the song; develop listening for specific information; start
producing familiar actions verbs like fly, jump etc.; become familiar with everyday activities
and be able to say what we do every day and every night; colour carnival masks
New target language:
• New words: bathroom, bath, shower, comb, hair
• New phrases and structures: Every day/Every night I wash (my face), I take a
(bath/shows), I comb my hair
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), My name is…., I’m (good),
I’m (five), colours, I can, I can’t, parts of body, toothbrush, brush teeth, knife and fork, eat,
cup, have tea, family vocabulary, animals, instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, Super Simple Songs CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball,
flashcards (bathroom, bath, shower, comb, hair), bowl with water, combs, pairs (everyday
actions pictures), Face song (CD, flash disc with the song), association puzzles, pictures of the
Frog family, picture of a pond, animal masks

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Pass the ball (What is Sit in the circle. Pass the ball to the first child and 3 min A small ball
your name? How are ask, What is your name? Get the child to answer.
you? How old are you?) The child passes the ball to another child. Do the
same with other questions - How are you? How
old are you?
I see something blue Sing the song, act out according to the song i.e. 2 min Super Simple
song find something blue, yellow etc. Encourage the Songs CD, radio
children to join you.
New words (bathroom, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 5 min Flashcards
bath, shower, comb, hair) some flashcards games. (bathroom, bath,
shower, comb,
hair)
Actions (take a bath, take Mime the activities; establish clear gestures for 2 min (bowl with water),
a shower, wash your the actions. Give instructions to the children: combs
face/hands/tummy, comb Take a bath, Take a shower, Wash your
your hair) face/hands/feet/tummy, Comb your hair. You can
also wash face and hands for real in a bowl
brought to the room, and start washing your own

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 face too, so the children can follow. For combing
hair, prepare real combs.
Pairs Play pairs. Prepare pairs of pictures – comb your 5 min
hair, take a bath, take a shower, wash your face, Pairs – every day
wash your hands, wash your tummy. actions
Every day/night Teach every day, every night. Use the pictures 2 min Worksheet
from previous activity. Say: What do you every prepared by the
day? Answer pointing to the picture: Every day teacher
I…encourage the children to finish the sentence.
Do the same with: What do you every night?
Face song Sing the song and do the movements. Encourage 2 min (CD, flash disc
the children to join you. with the song)
I can see/ I can’t see Review I can see/I can't see. Show Sam the 2 min Characters
dragon to the children and ask: Can you see Sam? puppets
Elicit: Yes, I can! Then cover Sam with a scarf
and ask the same question. Elicit: No, I can't!
Then do the same with other characters or some
familiar pictures.
Association Puzzles Prepare and play association puzzles. To 2 min
assemble each puzzle, say what you need in e.g. I Puzzles (pictures
need a toothbrush to brush my teeth. The puzzle of toothbrush,
pieces are: toothbrush - brush teeth, brush teeth, bath,
bath - take a bath, take a bath,
shower - take a shower, shower, take a
comb - comb hair, shower, comb,
knife and fork - eat, comb hair, knife
cup - have tea. and fork , eat, cup,
have tea)
Acting out – The Frog Give each child one character (if possible 5 min Pictures of the
Family different than in the previous lesson). Tell the Frog family,
story again and as each child hears their character picture of a pond
they put up their hands. Encourage the children to
do the gestures.
Art and Craft Prepare animal masks for carnival. Ask the 10 min Animal masks
children to colour them. After that say: Put on the
mask and be a (lion).
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD,
Goodbye. radio

Reflection:

I felt horrible at the end of the lesson, because it was not going well. Although I
prepared the lesson carefully, I have to confess that I did not memorize the lesson plan and
there were moments during the lesson, that I did not know what was next and had to check the
plan. I am aware of the fact that knowing the lesson well is very important when you teach
very small children, because they easily get bored and start misbehaving. I am usually
prepared; unfortunately I was really busy before the lesson and did not have time for it.
The biggest problem was discipline, but I think that it was mostly my mistake that
lesson. There were “blank” spaces between the activities and so the children naturally became
impatient and were looking for things to entertain themselves. I realized they should not be
given any chance to get bored. If so, I find it really difficult to motivate them again. In one

105
moment I was not able to calm the children down, they started scuffling and when I wanted to
separate them, I found myself on the floor too. I was so desperate that day that I even
threatened them with not giving them some sweets at the end of the lesson, so they calmed
down a bit. I know that I broke one of the rules (be kind and friendly and set up friendly and
positive atmosphere), but the children did not gave me another chance. I will not use the same
strategy again, but at that moment, it was the only possibility.
They wanted to play games and they kept asking me whether we could play animals.
But when I let them, they start behaving like little “monsters”. I realized that the fewer
children are present, the more misbehaving they are. They may think they can do what they
want, because they feel more confident and they want to attract my attention as much as
possible.
Again, I had problems finishing one activity and continuing with another. Although I
usually explain that we have to fulfil lesson plan first, I let them play for about five minutes
this time, which disturbed the lesson plan and the children were not able to concentrate on
anything else. Of course it was not a wise decision, but I thought it would be better to do what
they wanted. Later it occurred to me that this really lowered my reputation as the children
may think I allow everything. Next time, I need to be more uncompromising.
Thinking up, the amount of English I spoke in the lesson was really low; I somehow
gave up and finally used mainly Czech (especially when preparing masks). I also had to use
Czech when asking them to be quiet, because the English command Be quiet! did not work at
all. I should use puppets more, especially as our friend who are speaking only English and
show that puppets are very sad when the children are misbehaving.
The children did not produce much this lesson. They repeated new vocabulary when
playing flashcards games, but when doing actions and playing games they kept silent or
speaking in Czech. They were supposed to start producing familiar verbs like fly, jump etc.,
that we were acting out in the previous lessons. The children like doing those actions, but
when I asked them What are you doing? and encouraged them to say I’m flying, some said
fly… at least there is a small step forward, because it was the first time they produced at least
something. I hope that if we continue in the same way, they will start producing the words
soon.
Before the lesson, I was hesitating whether I would use a bowl of water for the actions
(washing hands etc.). I decided to do it without water, because I presupposed that the children
would get wet. However, I usually prepare a cup of water for the children, because it happens
that they are thirsty during the lesson. When I saw, that they were not very interested in new

106
words, I spontaneously grabbed the cup and started splashing the water on them. Then we
washed some parts of body. The children were a bit wet, but I consider it a good decision,
because they enjoyed it very much and I attracted their attention for some time.
I omitted three prepared activities, partly because of the lack of time, but I had to
admit that I completely forgot about one of them (Association puzzles). I really have to learn
lesson plans by heart.
Colouring masks should have been the most enjoyable activity and motivation for the
children – something better that play dough. Unfortunately it was a disaster. I did not prepare
the masks for the last activity well; I used thin paper, not sturdy, and a bad string. Because of
that I had problems fixing masks on the children’s heads – they were complaining that it was
too big or small and I finally spent about 10 minutes repairing it. The children were annoyed
and instead of helping me, they were running around the classroom. The boy even told me he
did not want it as it was broken. I was really upset and gave up. I know that it was my
mistake; I should have devoted more time preparing it. I really learnt from this lesson and
know that from the next time on, I will be perfectly prepared, because I do not want to repeat
a similar situation.

Lesson plan 17

Date: 9.2.2015
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; develop gross motor
skills through miming; extend the range of familiar actions and instructions; set the right
atmosphere for storytelling; develop post-reading activities; revise familiar movements in
different context – animals’ movements; develop observing skills by doing odd-one-out
activity
New target language:
• New words: swim, dive, water, pig, rabbit,
• New phrases and structures: I’m (swimming/diving under water)
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), happy, sad, angry, excited,
frightened, I can see…, animals, I’m touching my (chin), parts of body, kitchen tools, animals
movements, colours, instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, Super Simple Songs CD, radio, character puppets, Flashcards
(swim, dive, water), A blue sheet/ blue piece of cloth, (goggles, swim suits and swimming
trunks), Activity book 2, crayons, The book Peppa Goes Swimming, Colouring pictures of
Peppa Pig and Rebecca Rabbit

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Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Moods Review moods: happy, sad, angry, excited and 2 min
frightened. Mime the moods and ask: What am I?
Elicit: Happy! Frightened, etc.
Make a circle song Sing the song and do the movements. 2 min Super Simple
Songs CD, radio
New words (swim, dive, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 5 min Flashcards (swim,
water) some flashcards games. dive, water)
Swim/dive Act out new verbs. You can give the children 3 minu A blue sheet/ blue
goggles, swim suits and swimming trunks (to be piece of cloth,
put on their clothes for fun). Start swimming (goggles, swim
around the room and ask the children to follow: suits and
Let's swim! Ask: What are you doing? Elicit: I’m swimming trunks)
swimming. Then show diving movements and
say: I am diving! Let's dive! Put a blue sheet/ blue
piece of cloth on the floor. Say: This is water.
Let's dive under water. The children lie down on
the floor, swimming and you cover them with the
blue sheet-they swim underwater. What are you
doing? Elicit: I'm diving.
Guess who I am Move and grunt like a pig. Ask the children: 2 min
What am I? Elicit answers (the children would
say in Czech, but there may be some who will
know in English). Then do the same for a rabbit.
Storytelling – Peppa Tell children (in the mother tongue) that they are 10 min The book Peppa
goes swimming going to listen to a story about the Peppa Pig. Goes Swimming
Show them pictures of Peppa and her friend
Rebecca Rabbit. Tell them that they are going
swimming and show the picture of the swimming
pool. Tell the story, use a lot of gestures.
Colouring Ask the children to colour the picture of Peppa 5 min Colouring pictures
Pig and Rebecca Rabbit. Say: Point to Peppa of Peppa Pig and
Pig? Colour Peppa Pig. What colour is this? Rebecca Rabbit
Touch Review parts of body. Elicit: I'm touching my 3 min
elbow. I'm touching my teeth, etc. Then give more
challenging instructions e.g. Touch your head
with your knee! Touch you tummy with your
elbow. Touch your ear with you thumb etc.
Animals movement Ask: What do birds do? Elicit: Birds fly. Say: 3 min
Let's be birds. Let's fly up high! All the children
should fly with you. Ask similar questions about
the toads and frogs (hop) bees and flies (fly),
monkeys (jump). Elicit the action verbs and do
the actions.
Activity book Page 16 - Odd-One-Out. Tell the children to look 5 min Activity book 2,
at the first strip. Ask: What can you see here? crayons
Elicit: I can see a chin, a face, a mouth, a lizard.
Ask: Which one is different? Elicit: The lizard.
Say: Please circle the lizard. Do the same with
the remaining strips.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

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Reflection:

Finally! I had been struggling for some time, but I was quite satisfied after this lesson.
I found it positive in all parts – the children behaved well, the activities were more or less
successful and I was able to manage the children and organize them effectively. What is more,
we did all the activities and I followed the time schedule. Although, some of the previous
lesson did not go well, I did not give up and tried even more…maybe that was the reason of
the success.
Miming appeared to be a very good activity to practice moods, when accompanied by
guessing, it was entertaining as well. When guessing, some children produced the words, and
some only pointed to the pictures. The produced words were happy and sad, not angry and
frightened – I think they need more time for those two.
The children were supposed to understand the connection between water and the blue
sheet/blanket and diving under the water. However, covering the children with the blue
blanked resembled hiding, not going deep under the water and I am not sure whether the
activity taught what it should have. I think it would be better to demonstrate diving using a
bowl of water and a small plastic figure.
Storytelling was much better when done in the main part of the lesson. It was also a
very good choice of the book, as it seemed familiar to the children and they enjoyed it very
much.
The only problem was with Activity books - it usually takes too much time to open the
bags, find the right book and start working. Sometimes it drives me crazy. On the other hand,
it gives me the opportunity to practice the instructions such as Open the bag, Find the Activity
book number 2 etc. The activity odd-one-out was without problems – I showed what to do on
the first strip and the children immediately understood. It appeared as a very good practice of
vocabulary.
“Touching” was not very successful. I included “weird” touching e.g Touch your head
with your knee! because I found it really funny. However, some children were not able to do
such actions and gave up. I did not realize that they would consider it as their failure. It
reminded me of the fact that children’s and adult’s words are completely different. It this case,
the children did not understand that it was just a fun.

Lesson plan 18

Date: 16.2.2015

109
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review colours and be able to recognize animals’
colours; review all actions and encourage the children to produce what they are doing;
encourage the children to sing the songs; encourage the children to participate as much as
possible; set the right atmosphere for storytelling; tell the familiar story again and perform it
with the children
New target language:
• New words: farm, farm, cow, goat, duck, chicken, sheep, mouse, rooster, animals’ s
sounds, full, empty
• New phrases and structures: It's a (grey) (mouse), My cup is full of water, My cup is
empty.
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), happy, sad, angry, excited,
frightened, I’m (good), colours, I’m (running/blinking my eyes), instructions and actions,
goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, Super Simple Songs CD, radio, character puppets, Flashcards (farm,
cow, goat, duck, chicken, sheep, mouse, rooster), cardboard door, Animal worksheets,
crayons, bowl with water, a cup, The book Peppa Goes Swimming

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Moods Review moods: happy, sad, angry, excited and 2 min
frightened. Mime the moods and ask: What am I?
Elicit: Happy! Frightened, etc.
How are you song Sing the song How are you and do the 2 min Super Simple
movements. Then ask each child: How are you? Songs CD, radio
New words (farm, cow, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards (farm,
goat, duck, chicken, some flashcards games. cow, goat, duck,
sheep, mouse, rooster) chicken, sheep,
mouse, rooster)
Mr. Stork Lost His Cap Review colours. Play the game Mr. Stork lost his 2 min
cap. The rule of the game is to say a colour and
let the children look for it around the classroom.
The children can also take over the role of an
instructor.
Who’s on the farm? Play with the cardboard door and flashcards. Tell 3 min Cardboard door,
the children this is the door of a farm. Knock on flashcards (cow,
the door, chant with the children: Who's on the goat, duck,
farm? And let them take turns opening the door. chicken, sheep,
They see who comes in and say: It's a grey mouse, rooster)
mouse! It's a brown cow! It's a white sheep! It's a
yellow chicken! etc.
Animals On The Farm Teach animals’ sounds. Play the song and 3 min Super Simple
song encourage the children to produce animals’ Songs CD, radio
sounds.

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Colouring Children colour animals according to 5 min Animal
instructions: The cow is brown, the mouse is grey, worksheets,
etc. crayons
Actions Give instructions; revise all actions the children 2 min
have learnt. Each time ask What are you doing?
Elicit: I'm wiggling my fingers, etc.
Full/empty Teach full and empty. Bring a bowl and a jug to 3 min Bowl with water,
fill the bowl with water. Take a cup first and fill a cup
it up. Say: Look, the cup is full of water. Then
empty the cup to the bowl and say: Now the cup
is empty. Give each child a cup and fill it with
water. The children should say then: My cup is
full of water. Let the children empty the cups into
the bowl. They say: My cup is empty. You can
add some more water too to make the bowl full.
Acting out – Peppa goes Review the story. Perform the story with the 8 min The book Peppa
swimming children. Cut it short if necessary. Encourage the Goes Swimming
children to repeat after you.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

Reflection:

The combination of those two warming up activities proved as really successful and I
included it again. The children are really good at miming and they enjoy making faces.
I find the topic ANIMAL, does not matter which kind of animals (sea, farm, pets etc.),
the best for very small children, it works every time. And farm animals were not an exception.
I knew there were a lot of new words, but they were familiar and the only problematic was
rooster. The children kept saying [lustr] instead of [ru:stə], even though I exaggerate my
pronunciation. I would not have included this word, but it was necessary for the song.
Later, it occurred to me that during the game “Mr. Stork Lost His Cap”, I was the first
who pointed to a colour on someone’s clothes and it was natural that the children followed me
and wanted to find the given colour on me. It was my mistake that the activity was spoilt.
Next time, I should point only at things.
The game “Whose on the farm” was quite demanding in terms of my preparation. I
had to prepare the door of cardboard. However, it appeared as worth doing. In my opinion, it
would not work just with normal door. It was a good practice of colours and animals, and it
can be used also as a practice of greetings and a lot of other vocabulary. I will definitely keep
the door and use it in the future. On the other hand, the children were so engaged they did not
want to end the game. They could play the game all over again…I cannot understand
it…another typical feature of children’s world. Fortunately, my strategy worked well this time
and - I told them they could play with it again after we manage everything that was prepared.

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 I expected the song to be difficult, so I prepared beforehand. We practiced animals’
sounds slowly and after I saw they children were more confident, I played the song. But the
song was still too fast. I should have left the song for the following lesson and practiced
sounds without recording. At least the children seemed they liked animals’ sounds, so I think
the fast song did not demotivate them.
I was a bit fighting with the children when colouring. I wanted to focus on listening
skills and wanted them to listen to me and follow my instructions…some did, but there were
two children who wanted to colour in their own way and order and use their own colours (for
example they did not want a cow to be brown, but pink). I realized there was no point forcing
them, so I let them free…It is mainly my mistake, because I had let children colour in their
own way so far. I should have been stricter since the beginning of the course and focused on
colouring as the main listen and do activity. I can try it at least in the few following lessons.
No more water! Although I had had good experience with the children playing with
water, this time it did not work at all. I really cannot understand why Helen Doron includes so
many activities with water into very young children’s courses. Of course, it is enjoyable for
small children, but the result is that the children are wet and the activity does not mean any
positive impact…it does not teach much. The same was with “Full/empty” activity, which
seems as a good practice of cup and water, plus learning something new. In reality, the
children were so overwhelmed by pouring some water and splashing around, that they could
not acquire anything. Because of that, I find this activity unsuitable for pre-school children.
I had contradictory feelings after the lesson. I knew I could have done some activities
better…I think it was my inattention to some principles of teaching very small children. On
the other hand, the positive thing is that the children are producing more and more and they
are fully aware of the classroom language and the words and sentences I use every lesson. I
was surprised that they followed my instructions e.g. whisper to him without my
demonstration.

Lesson plan 19

Date: 23.2.2015
Aims: learn new words and phrases; review old words and phrases; be able to recognize the
difference between baby and mummy animals and match them together e.g. sheep with lamb;
review colours and be able to name animals’ colours; review familiar songs and encourage the
children to sing; encourage the children to participate as much as possible; encourage the

112
children to speak and repeat; develop fine motor skills by working with a sponge or brush;
develop the children’s cooperation through working on one collective picture
New target language:
• New words: duckling, puppy, kitten, lamb, chick, rainbow
• New phrases and structures: I’m a (lamb), The (sheep) is my mummy, The (lamb) is
(grey)
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), My name is…., I’m (good),
I’m (five), Every day/Every night I (wash) (my face), animals on the farm (farm, cow, goat,
duck, chicken, sheep, mouse, rooster) and their sounds), colours, instructions and actions,
goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, Super Simple Songs CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball,
flashcards (duckling, puppy, kitten, lamb, chick, cow, goat, duck, chicken, sheep, mouse,
rooster), Activity book 2, crayons, headbands (baby animals, mummy animals), a big sheet of
white paper, sponges (brushes), paints, a cup/bowl of water, (goggles)

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Roll the ball (What is Sit in the circle. Pass the ball to the first child and 3 min A small ball
your name? How are ask, What is your name? Get the child to answer.
you? How old are you? The child passes the ball to another child. Do the
What do you do every same with other questions - How are you? How
day?) old are you? What do you do every day?
Animals On The Farm Review animals on the farm and their sounds. 3 min Super Simple
song Play the song and encourage the children to Songs CD, radio
produce animals’ sounds.
New words (duckling, Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 10 min Flashcards
puppy, kitten, lamb, some flashcards games. (duckling, puppy,
chick) kitten, lamb,
chick)
Activity book Page 23 - matching. Ask the children what 5 min Activity book 2,
animals they can see on the left. Then ask the crayons
same about the animals on the right. Then say:
Here's mummy. Where is the baby? When the
children have pointed to the baby instruct them to
draw a line between the mummy and baby. Do
the same with the mummy and baby animals.
Playing animals Let the children be baby animals. Give them 5 min Headbands (baby
headbands and act the animals out with them. animals, mummy
Elicit: I'm a lamb. I'm a chick, etc. Then put on animals)
the headband of each baby animal's mummy (e.g.
sheep) and say: I am a sheep, where is my baby?
Tell the children look for the baby lamb. Finally
catch the lamb and ask: Who is your mummy,

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 lamb? Elicit: The sheep is my mummy. Change
the headband to be other mummies and catch
other babies.
Colours Review colours using animals’ flashcards. Chant: 2 min Flashcards
What is grey? What is grey? The lamb is grey. (duckling, puppy,
The lamb is grey. Repeat chanting using at least 5 kitten, lamb,
chick, cow, goat,
five different colours.
duck, chicken,
sheep, mouse,
rooster)
Actions Review some actions and add some new and 2 min (goggles)
some directions, especially here and there. The
children should follow your instructions. Jump up
high! Put your arms up! Wave your arms! Climb
up! Run there! Run here! Hop there! Hop here,
etc. Review also swim and dive. You can
distribute goggles.
Art and craft Teach rainbow and review colours. Show the 10 min A big sheet of
rainbow with a flashcard first. Then put a big white paper,
sheet of white paper on the carpet and give each sponges (brushes),
child a sponge. Show the children how to dip paints, a cup/bowl
their sponges in paint on the plate. After each of water
rainbow colour, clean the sponges in water,
before dipping them into the next colour.
Continue the activity till you have finished all
rainbow stripes. Alternatively, you can use
brushes.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: minutes Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

Reflection:

I had to include baby animas as a part of compulsory lesson content. However, I

consider those words unnecessary for pre-school children, even confusing. When I showed
e.g. the flashcards lamb, they naturally said sheep. I had to explain the difference between
mummy animals and baby animals. I think that the problem was similarity of the pictures –
even I had problems spotting differences between lamb and sheep at first….imagine how
misleading it must be for five years old children. Fortunately, the exercise in the Activity
book was very good to realize the differences.
Playing animals was intentionally placed in the middle of the lesson, as a way of
appropriate consolidation of new words. From my previous experience, I would rather include
it at the end of the lesson. But it worked well and I did not have problems ending this
enjoyable activity. I tried one motivating technique – the children were still playing animals,
but I suddenly looked VERY SURPRISED and told them to close their eyes. I spread the
flashcards on the floor and told them to find e.g. a chick. When done, we sat on the floor and
continued doing the following activity. I think it was much better than clapping hands or

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whistling, which usually does not work. I realized that the process was very smooth, without
any disturbing and inconveniences.
Giving orders during the “Actions” resembled “military exercises”. There was one boy
not willing to follow my orders; he was just lying on the floor with his arms folded…I was
observing him, and his dislike to follow forced movements was obvious. It did not occur to
me before, but this activity may actually not be very enjoyable for some children. I think that
giving orders is much better when connected with a game e.g. Please game or Guessing.
Making a rainbow appeared a very good activity to revise colours. I was a bit afraid of
using sponges, so I finally decided to use brushes and smaller format of paper – A4 for each
so as we could work on the table. My decision appeared as wise, since the children were
really messy with watercolours. I think this activity would be without problems in
kindergartens where the teachers are equipped with all the necessary tools (e.g. foil to protect
a table or carpet), the children are used to painting there and have enough time for everything
(preparing, painting and cleaning). In language schools, it is harder to set the best conditions
for painting and so our classroom ended up in a mess. The time pressure was also obvious. On
the other hand, I was really surprised how well they could use a brush and paint a rainbow,
especially the shape…everyone had a nice semicircle. But still, I prefer painting with crayons
and pencils as it is less time consuming.
Finally we managed to do all activities in time. I find myself using English most of the
time, and all the children produced words without fear – I think it was because I really
focused on using puppets, which gave them a sense of security. There are still some
misbehaving problems, but I have found some good ways how to handle such situations and
ways how to calm the children down…I think I am calmer than before.

Lesson plan 20

Date: 9.3.2015
Aims: review everything - old words and phrases, familiar games, songs and chants; let the
children decide what they want to do and organize their own learning (which story when want
to do and which animal they want to make); encourage the children to participate as much as
possible and let them enjoy themselves; establish the best attitude to English and motivate the
children for learning English in the future
Recycled language: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), My name is…., I’m (good),
I’m (five), Every day/Every night I (wash) (my face), I like/I don’t like, fruit/food, animals

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(on the farm, in the sea, around the pond), animals’ sounds, I’m touching my (tummy), parts
of body, I’m a (dolphin), I have got a (sheep), instructions and actions, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, Super Simple Songs CD, radio, character puppets, a small ball,
flashcards (fruit, food, farm + farm animals, sea + sea animals, pond + animals around the
pond), play dough, storytelling books

Procedure:
Activity Description Time Materials
Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome the children and the characters (Hi 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Flupe, Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do Teacher’s CD,
the movements. radio
Pass the ball (What is Sit in the circle. Pass the ball to the first child and 3 min A small ball
your name? How are ask, What is your name? Get the child to answer.
you? How old are you? The child passes the ball to another child. Do the
What do you do every same with other questions - How are you? How
day?) old are you? What do you do every day?
I like/I don’t like Review I like and I don't like and some fruit. 2 min Flashcards
Place a big smiling face on one side of the (banana, apple,
classroom and a sad face on another one. The cherry, orange,
children should stand in the middle and wait for strawberry,
you to shout the name of the fruit e.g. an apple. watermelon,
The children should go to positive side or grapes, lemon,
negative side preference. Then they should say: I apricot, grapefruit,
like bananas or I don't like bananas. peach)
Make a circle song Sing the song and do the movements. 2 min Super Simple
Songs CD, radio
I like chanting Revise some fruit/food vocabulary. Ask children: 3 min Fruit/food
What do you like? Elicit answers and start flashcards
chanting e.g:
I like apples, I like apples.
How about you? How about you?
Do you like apples? Do you like apples?
Yes I do.
Chant at least three times, using different
fruit/food according to the children’s likes.
Touch Review parts of body. Elicit: I'm touching my 2 min
elbow. I'm touching my teeth, etc. Then ask the
children to touch friend’s parts of body or yours.
Categorisation game Prepare three boxes – one for each category. 5 min Flashcards (farm
Spread flashcards on the floor. Show the children + farm animals,
which box is which. Ask one child to choose a sea + sea animals,
picture, ask What is it? Where does it live? Elicit pond + animals
answers and encourage him/her to put it in the around the pond)
right box.
Animals On The Farm Review animals’ sounds. Play the song and 3 min Super Simple
song (or another encourage the children to produce animals’ Songs CD, radio
favourite song) sounds.
Actions Review actions. The children should follow your 2 min
instructions.
Acting out – children’s Let the children choose one story and perform it. 5 min
favourite story (Why
Elephant Has a Trunk,
The Frog Family, Peppa
Goes Swimming)
Art and craft Ask the children to make some animals from play 5 min Play dough

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 dough. Help the children if necessary. Elicit: I
have got a (bird).
Playing animals Let the children be animals. Give them 3 min
headbands and act the animals out with them.
Elicit: I'm a lamb. I’m a crab. I’m a fly etc.
Goodbye. Sing Let’s Sing the song and do the movements. After the 2 min Character puppets,
wave goodbye. song say: Now it is time to tidy up. And: Teacher’s CD
Goodbye.

Reflection:

Why are the best lessons usually the last ones? Actually, this was the very last lesson
of the course and felt really sad, because everything was getting better – the children’s
behaviour, their learning and maybe my teaching, too. I think we finally became closer each
other.
I wish the lesson were longer, the children really enjoyed the activities. Of course they
had to, because I included their favourite ones…I am glad my choice was successful. It seems
I got to know them and their “tastes” quite well. I found it really important that the children
were kept engaged throughout the lesson and there was not time for any inconvenience.
Everything was natural and it resembled real playing, not forced process of learning. I felt
more like a guide, who was just leading the children through the activities.
My main aim was to let the children organize their own learning and I wanted them to
choose their favourite song and story. I was a bit afraid that the children would not be able to
agree on something, they are too small to make compromise. But as I expected, the children
were for the story Peppa Goes Swimming and the song Animals On The Farm. I knew the
children would choose those we had done recently. Anyway, I think that those two were the
best.
The children have become very confident…I claim it is especially because of the
routine that gives them the sense of security, but also the class atmosphere, which I was
maintaining all the time. However, I wanted the children to produce more English…I hope
they at least received a lot.
Although the children were speaking in Czech a lot during the lesson, I tried to
translate their words and answered their questions in English. I used this strategy almost every
lesson and it appeared to be very effective, because the children seemed to understand.

Lesson plan Christmas

Date: 15.12.2014

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Aims: present Christmas in an interesting and enjoyable way; present Christmas as a time for
giving and getting presents and celebrations; revise and consolidate vocabulary and classroom
language from previous lessons in new context; teach vocabulary connected with Christmas;
sing and listen to Christmas songs; chant the Christmas rhyme; give chance to creative
activities i.e. colour, draw and create something; let the children become familiar with
customs and habits in English speaking countries
New target language:
• New words: Christmas, present, reindeer, bauble, star
• New phrases and structures: Christmas tree, Santa Claus
Reviewed words and phrases: Hi, characters (Flupe, Granny Fix and Paul), weather, I have
got (a hedgehog), animals, tree, green, box, goodbye
Materials: teacher’s CD, radio, character puppets, flashcards (rainy, sunny, cloudy, windy,
hot, cold, Christmas tree, Santa Claus, present, reindeer, star, animals, tree, green, box),
objects (sunglasses, umbrella, sun lotion, hat, scarf, gloves and other objects you find suitable
for a particular type of weather, some small objects or toys according to their outline, pictures
of baubles, starts made from paper, aluminium foil, Stars prepared in the previous activity,
washing line, CD with Christmas songs, Christmas colouring cards, crayons, Presents for
children

Procedure:

Activity Description Time Materials

Hi everyone. Sing the Welcome pupils and the characters (Hi Flupe, 3 min Character puppets,
song Fun With Flupe. Granny and Paul.). Sing the song and do the Teacher’s CD,
movements. radio
Warming up activity - Revise weather to introduce the idea of the 3 min Flashcards (rainy,
weather seasons. Use flashcards. Put objects in the middle sunny, cloudy,
(sunglasses, umbrella, sun lotion, hat, scarf, windy, hot, cold),
gloves). Then say: It is rainy. Children have to go objects
and find something suitable for rainy weather. (sunglasses,
Continue with other types of weather. Finally say umbrella, sun
there is going to be Christmas and ask what the lotion, hat, scarf,
weather is at Christmas. Elicit: It is cold. Then gloves and other
tell children that the lesson is going to be about objects you find
Christmas (use Czech). suitable for a
particular type of
weather)
New words (Christmas Teach new words with flashcards. Then play 5 min Flashcards
tree, Santa Claus, some flashcards games. (Christmas tree,
present, reindeer) Santa Claus,
present, reindeer,
star)
Guess the present Prepare a present. Take a big box and wrap it 2 min Some familiar
using wrapping paper. Put some objects inside. objects or toys
Tell the children you have a present and they according to the

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 must feel it and guess what it is. Ask one child to syllabus
pull thing/picture out and ask: What have you
got? Elicit: I have got a hedgehog etc.
Colouring - baubles Teach bauble. Colour a bauble. Meanwhile repeat 5 min Pictures of
colours asking children: What colour is this? baubles, crayons
“Here is the tree” – Revise tree, green, box using flashcards. Teach 3 min Flashcards (tree,
Christmas rhyme the rhyme and get them to repeat after you with green, box)
the movements.
Christmas star Prepare starts before the lesson. Cut some pieces 6 min Starts made from
of aluminium foil. In the classroom, show the star paper, aluminium
and teach the word star. Give each child a star. foil
Wrap some aluminium foil round your star and
let children do the same.
Twinkle twinkle little Hang your starts on the washing line. Sing the 4 min Stars prepared in
star song doing the actions. the previous
activity, washing
line, CD with
Christmas songs,
radio
Christmas cards Prepare Christmas colouring cards. Explain 10 min Christmas
children that you are going to prepare Christmas colouring cards,
cards for their parents. Then colour Christmas crayons
cards. Meanwhile you can play some traditional
Christmas songs.
Exchanging presents Tell children Santa brought them some presents. 5 min Presents for
Give them presents. Children can unwrap them. children, CD with
Ask: What have you got? Elicit answers. Christmas songs,
Meanwhile you can play some traditional radio
Christmas songs. At the end: Now it is time to
tidy up. And: Goodbye.

Reflection:

I felt really satisfied after the lesson, playing with the children recharged my batteries
and I could experience a very nice pre-Christmas atmosphere, not stress and hurry. I could see
that the children were really motivated as they expected some presents. On the other hand,
they were really impatient and could not stay still. Of course, for small children Christmas is a
very big experience and I understand that they cannot wait for it, so I tolerated their
behaviour… I also wanted to enjoy the atmosphere with the children in peace and did not get
upset or something.
I love the nursery rhyme Twinkle Little Star and use it in all my classes, even with
adults. Unfortunately, this group of children is against chanting and I really do not know how
to make chanting acceptable for them. I tried it as a song, it was much better than chanting.
Still, no one wanted to repeat the words…at least they liked dancing.
I did not expect the art and craft activity to be so difficult for the children. They were
not able to wrap some aluminium foil round their stars and I needed to help them a lot. I think
that they had never done something like that before. They might have felt unsuccessful and
gave up and refused to continue with it… they give up so quickly. I have to work on their

119
patience. However, I must admit that it was my mistake and I should have prepared another
activity.
It was really hard to handle the situation when we were exchanging the presents. I was
prepared for the children’s curious questions, you know the existence of Santa is an issue for
them and I think most of them still believe…but some were so confused that the presents were
there more than a week before. I should have prepared more for it, because I found myself lost
in making up stories…I’m not good at lying and I am a bit afraid I spoilt the secret.

4. Summary and evaluation of the course

The English language course for a group of pre-school children included twenty
lessons and one additional lesson focused on Christmas. There was a 45-minute lesson every
week, excluding holidays. The course lasted six months. The lessons were based partly on the
More Fun With Flupe course and partly on the teacher’s own activities and games; there were
also storytelling activities based on authentic books for children.
It was found out that some activities in the lesson plans were unsuitable for preschool
learners as they appeared as misleading and difficult to understand (e.g. “Make a wish”).
Some activities were too demanding for the children, who were not able to physically do them
(e.g. some songs that were too quick). A very important aspect was also attraction of an
activity; if it did not attract the children, they were not willing to do it. Because of that, some
activities that the teacher considered a great fun seemed boring for the children and vice
versa. Competitive activities were usually omitted so as the children could not feel as losers.
The children did not approve of songs and chants, but through the course, they were becoming
more and more confident with movements, some even with singing. Group work or pair work
proved to be a very unsuccessful form of activity in the lessons. Because of that, activities to
develop children cooperation and building a good relationship towards others were
intentionally included. Unsuccessful activities were either not included again or they were
redone to suit the children’s abilities. The activities that proved as effective and enjoyable for
the children were repeated. The children grew fond of several activities that were included
more often (especially playing animals and working with play dough). Nevertheless, it was
noticed, that such activities could be included only as a reward, preferably at the end of a
lesson, since the children were not willing to do anything else.
It has been proved in many cases that the children acquired some of the vocabulary as
they recognized them after some time, especially when doing an entertaining activity. The
amount of words and phrases the children were exposed to was appropriate; the children

120
extended their vocabulary range learning sea animals, parts of body, fruit, kitchen tools,
animals around a pond, farm animals, opposites, various action verbs etc. On the contrary,
there were few words founded as unnecessary for pre-school children (e.g. an apricot), and
some words too abstract (e.g. soft). Nevertheless, the silent period of all the children was
respected and it took quite a long time until they became active in communicating; finally all
of them were able to produce some words and familiar phrases and they were able to name
basic things such as a bag, table, pencil etc. Therefore, the ratio of receptive and productive
language can be expressed as 4:1. The words that were repeated every lesson and the
classroom language were acquired more quickly. For example, they understood basic TPR
instructions repeated every lesson like Run! Jump! Sit down! without problems. On the other
hand, instructions presented later in the course or instructions used rarely e.g. Nod your head!
were acquired later or not at all. Enough space for appropriate consolidation of the language
was provided mainly by making routines in the classroom. Every lesson had a similar
structure involving greeting and the welcoming song, warming-up, new words, TPR activities,
games, rhymes, songs, storytelling, art and craft activities, and the final song. The children got
used to the routine very quickly and its disruption ended up in loss of concentration and
confusion.
The learning process was influenced by several aspects, especially low motivation
which usually ended up in misbehaviour. Solving this problem, there were several strategies
tried. The children were motivated by small rewards they were given at the end of each
lesson. However, through the course this kind of motivation was losing its effectives as the
children got used to it and considered it a normal part of the lessons. The children were well
motivated by favourite activities and games, and the opportunity to read English books -
storytelling. They were extremely motivated by art and craft activities in which they produced
something tangible (especially play dough figures). Character puppets then increased the
motivation and confidence of most of the children. More serious misbehaving problems had
to be discussed with the parents. Nevertheless, the cooperation with them proved as very
important, it helped to keep order in the classroom and made the learning process more
effective.
Friendly and pleasant atmosphere of the learning environment made the children
willing to communicate in English and participate in activities, giving possibility to learn the
language naturally through play. The praise and children’s feelings of success were of great
importance as well. It appeared to be a positive aspect that the children were given an

121
opportunity to make their own choices regarding activities. The children were also introduced
to a different culture, which built their cultural awareness.
It has proved that the importance of the empathetic, patient and friendly teacher should
not be underestimated, since a good relationship with the children made the children feel
secure and encouraged. The teacher’s ability to adapt to a current situation or newly emerged
problems was also crucial, as well as staying calm in problematic situations, which resulted in
managing the children well.
Concerning the classroom language, the children were able to understand and follow
the classroom language and instructions. It was advisable to use natural repetitive language
and direct speech. English was spoken as much as possible, except for explanation of new
games or more difficult commands or instructions which were met for the first time and there
was no possibility to explain them only by gestures, mime or pictures.
According to the children’s responses during the lessons, their experience with the
course and their attitude to learning English was positive. Although there were some
difficulties during the course, it can be considered as successful, since the main aims were
fulfilled.

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 Conclusion

The aim of this thesis was to design an English language course for a group of
preschool children. It was necessary to find suitable activities for the children following their
abilities and needs to increase motivation and promote development of language skills.
The theoretical part of the thesis focused on the description of preschool children and
the basic framework of their development. It was followed by the issues of early language
learning with the focus on the aspects of language acquisition with attention to the principles
and specific features of teaching preschool child. The methods and activities of the teaching
of English to preschool children were also discussed.
The practical part of the thesis contained the design of the course with all its essential
parts and twenty-one lessons plans, which were implemented in practice. The lessons were
created with considerations and suggestions of the methodology as summarized in theoretical
part, maintaining the children’s individual needs and responding to their developmental
levels. The effectiveness of the lessons was evaluated by the action research method -
teacher’s reflections. The reflections written right after each lesson gave the teacher a great
possibility to improve the activities and the teaching and guaranteed the quality of the lessons.
The research proved that it is very important to carefully select activities with respect
to the children’s abilities and needs. Language development was the most successful when the
children enjoyed the activities and when an appropriate consolidation of the English language
was enabled. The main aspects that influenced the learning process were motivation,
classroom routine, misbehaviour, atmosphere in the classroom, relationship between the
teacher and the children, teacher’s constant positive encouragement and praises as well as the
character of the teacher, which contributed to the establishment of positive environment.
The course appeared to be beneficial in several areas - the children gradually
developed their language skills, became active and partly removed shyness and fear of
speaking a foreign language and they were motivated to learning languages. Through various
methods and activities, they could also experience development of their cognitive and
physical skills. Moreover, the children enjoyed the activities – they loved playing animals and
creative activities. During the lessons, they believed that they were only playing. They did not
realize how much new language they had acquired. It can be concluded that the course
provided the great opportunity to build on the children’s previous knowledge and make
further progress.

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 The diploma thesis might become a beneficial material for English teachers who are
teaching preschool children, both in kindergartens and language schools, and it might be also
a valuable source of information for teachers of other educational stages and people,
especially parents, who are interested in early language learning.

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 Resumé

Diplomová práce se zabývala výukou anglického jazyka skupiny dětí předškolního

věku. Teoretická část poskytla obecný pohled do výuky cizích jazyků pro předškolní děti a
jejich vývoj. Byly zde také vysvětleny základní pojmy, principy výuky velmi malých dětí a
vhodné metody a aktivity pro tuto věkovou skupinu. Praktická část popisovala všechny
nezbytné kroky pro tvorbu jazykového kurzu pro děti předškolního věku. Tento kurz se skládá
z jednadvaceti učebních plánů, které byly prakticky aplikovány a analyzovány pomocí
metody akčního výzkumu - reflexí učitele. Hlavním cílem bylo navrhnout nejvíce prospěšné a
zábavné aktivity pro děti předškolního věku a vyhodnotit jejich účinnost vzhledem k procesu
osvojování cizího jazyka. Výzkum ukázal důležité aspekty jazykového procesu učení dětí
předškolního věku, jejich osvojovací schopnosti a podmínky, které ovlivnily tento proces.

Summary
Diploma thesis focused on teaching English to a group of preschool children. The
theoretical part provided a general look into language teaching to preschool children and their
development. The basic terms, principles of teaching very young learners and the suitable
methods and activities for this age group were also explained. The practical part described all
the necessary steps for designing a language course for preschool children. This course
consists of twenty-one lesson plans that were practically applied and analyzed by the use of
the action research method – teacher’s reflections. The main aim was to suggest the most
beneficial and enjoyable activities for pre-school children when learning English and evaluate
their effectiveness in the acquisition process. The research showed important aspects of the
language learning process of pre-school children, their acquisition ability and what conditions
influenced this process.

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List of appendices

Appendix 1: Sons and rhymes

Appendix 2: Flashcards games

Appendix 3: Examples of worksheets

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Appendix 1: Songs and rhymes

SONGS:

Fun With Flupe

I am Paul. (Point to yourself)
This is my book. (Hands together, open, close)
Under this tree. (Arms rounded overhead, then arms help up like the branches of a tree)
I sit and look. (Bend knees, thumbs and hold your hand over your eyes)
Granny Fix (Hands on waist
and Flupe. (Fingers of both hands drooping over forehead like Flupe’s hair)
Live in the Book of Rhymes. (Hands form roof overhead)
When the book shines. (Hands up wiggling fingers)
I know it is a sign. (Index finger to temple and then out in front of you)
Here we come. (March in place)
Let’s have fun. (Jump with hands up high)
Let’s have fun with Flupe. (Jump high, body turned to the left, then to the right)

Goodbye song
Touch the ground, (Bend down and touch the ground)
Reach up high, (Reach up high with right arm and then left arm)
Turn around, (Turn around)
And wave goodbye, (Wave goodbye)
Goodbye, goodbye,
See you soon, (Point right index finger to right eye, then point to children and draw a
semicircle with your finger in front of you)
Kiss goodbye, (Right hand to mouth and then towards children)
Goodbye, goodbye, (Wave goodbye)
(Repeat 2x)

Flying Free
I’m a little fairy. (Point to chest and then move arms up and down to show flying)
Sitting on a tree. (Bend your knees and raise your arms to form the branches of a tree)
1,2,3. (Count to three using fingers)
I’m flying free. (Show flying movements)
I’m a little cloud. (Point to chest and then use both hands to form the shape of a cloud)
Floating in the sky. (Stretch arms out to the sides)
1,2,3. (Count to three using fingers)
I’m floating free. (Straighten one arm and use one hand to make a slow but continuous
floating motion from left to right)
Flying, flying. (Show flying movements)
Floating, floating. (Stretch arms out to the sides)
High above in the sky. (Point to the ceiling and then use the palm of one hand to show the
sky by moving from left to right towards the nearest window)

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Action song
Walking, walking, (Walk)
Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, (Hop)
Running, running, running, (Run)
Running, running, running, (Run)
Now let’s stop, now let’s stop!
Hopping, hopping, hopping, hopping, (Hop)
Jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, (Jump)
Flying, flying, flying, (Fly)
Flying, flying, flying, (Fly)
Now let’s sit down, now let’s sit down! (Sit down)

Mouth, Nose, Knees and Toes

Mouth, Nose, Knees and Toes. (Point to given parts of body)
Mouth, Nose, Knees and Toes.
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose.
Mouth, Nose, Knees and Toes.

Make a circle
Make a circle, big big big. (Make the circle bigger)
Small small small. (Make the circle smaller)
Big big big. (Make the circle bigger)
Make a circle, small small small. (Make the circle smaller)
Hello hello hello. (Everybody waves to each other. Try to make eye contact with each
child)
Make a circle, round and round. (Holding hands, walk around in a big circle)
Round and round.
Round and round. (If you like, move the circle in the other direction)
Make a circle, round and round.
Hello hello hello.
Make a circle, up up up. (While holding hands, everyone reaches up high)
Down down down. (Crouch down low)
Up up up. (Reach high)
Make a circle, down down down. (Crouch low)
Now sit down. (Sit down)

Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, (Start with fists closed then open your hand on each word)
How I wonder what you are. (Point and look upwards and look puzzled)
Up above the world so high, (Point to the starts)
Like a diamond in the sky, (Put fingers in a diamond shape)
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, (Start with fists closed then open your hand on each word)
How I wonder what you are. (Look at the stars and stroke your chin pensively)

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If you’re happy
If you're happy and you know it, (Make a happy face and touch your temple with your
index finger)
clap your hands. (Clap your hands)
(2x)
If you're happy and you know it, (As above)
and you really want to show it, clap your hands. (As above)
If you’re angry and you know it, (Make an angry face and touch your temple with your
index finger)
stamp your feet. (Stamp your feet)
(2x)
If you’re angry and you know it, (As above)
and you really want to show it, stamp your feet. (As above)
If you’re frightened and you know it, (Make frightened face and touch your temple with
your index finger)
hold me tight. (Hug yourself tight)
(2x)
If you’re frightened and you know it, (As above)
and you really want to show it, stamp your feet, hold me tight. (As above)
If you're happy and you know it, (Make a happy face and touch your temple with your
index finger)
clap your hands. (Clap your hands)
(2x)
If you're happy and you know it, (As above)
and you really want to show it, clap your hands. (As above)

One finger, one thumb

One finger, one thumb keep moving, (3x) (Show one finger, show one thumb and move
from side to side)
We’re all happy and bright. (Make a happy face)
One finger, one thumb, one arm keep moving, (3x) (Show one finger, show one thumb,
rains your arm and move from side to side)
We’re all happy and bright. (As above)
One finger, one thumb, one arm, one leg keep moving, (3x) (Show one finger, show one
thumb, raise your arm, raise your leg and move from side to side)
We’re all happy and bright. (Make a happy face)
One finger, one thumb, one arm, one leg, one nod of the head keep moving, (3x) (Show
one finger, show one thumb, raise your arm, raise your leg, nod your head and move from
side to side)
We’re all happy and bright. (Make a happy face)
One finger, one thumb, one arm, one leg, one nod of the head, stand up, sit down keep
moving, (3x) (Show one finger, show one thumb, raise your arm, raise your leg, nod your
head, stand up, sit down and move from side to side)
We’re all happy and bright. (Make a happy face)

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Opposites song
Open shut them, open shut them. (Open and shut your hands.)
Give a little clap, clap, clap. (Clap.)
Open shut them, open shut them.
Put them in your lap, lap, lap. (Pat your legs.)
Big and small.
Big and small. Big and small. (Spread your hands out wide, and then put them close
together.)
Big, big, big, big, small, small, small.
Big and small. Big and small.
Big, big, big, big, small, small, small.
Please. No, thank you.
Please. No, thank you. Please. No, thank you. (Clasp your hands under your chin as if
asking for something, then shake your head and wave your hand in front of your face as
if saying, "No, thank you.")
Please, please, please, please. No thank you.
Please. No, thank you. Please. No, thank you.
Please, please, please, please. No thank you.
Fast and slow.
Fast and slow. Fast and slow. (Move your hands round and round quickly, and then
slowly.)
Fast, fast, fast, fast, slow, slow, slow.
Fast and slow. Fast and slow.
Fast, fast, fast, fast, slow, slow, slow.
Loud and quiet.
Loud and quiet. Loud and quiet. (Cup your hands around your mouth and shout, and
then put your finger in front of your mouth like you are saying, "Shh.")
Loud, loud, loud, loud. Shh... Quiet.
Loud and quiet. Loud and quiet.
Loud, loud, loud, loud. Shh... Quiet.

I see something blue

Blue! (Hold up a blue flashcard.)
I see something blue. (Hold your hand above your eyes as if you are searching for
something.)
Blue!
I see something blue.
Blue, blue, blue, blue...
I see something blue.
Find something blue! (Look around the room for blue items.)
Yellow! (Hold up a yellow flashcard.)
I see something yellow. (Hold your hand above your eyes as if you are searching for
something.)
Yellow!

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I see something yellow.
Yellow, yellow...
I see something yellow.
Find something yellow! (Look around the room for yellow items.)
Red! (Hold up a red flashcard.)
I see something red. (Hold your hand above your eyes as if you are searching for
something.)
Red!
I see something red.
Red, red, red, red...
I see something red.
Find something red! (Look around the room for red items.)
Purple! (Hold up a purple flashcard.)
I see something purple. (Hold your hand above your eyes as if you are searching for
something.)
Purple!
I see something purple.
Purple, purple...
I see something purple.
Find something purple! (Look around the room for purple items.)
Blue. (Point to something blue.)
Yellow. (Point to something yellow.)
Red. (Point to something red.)
Purple. (Point to something purple.)
I see colors everywhere.

How are you song

Hello! (Wave your right hand.)
Hello! (Wave your left hand.)
Hello, how are you? (Wave your right hand, then gesture towards someone else, placing
your arms in front of you in an "And you?" kind of gesture.)
(Repeat)
I'm good! (One thumb up!)
I'm great! (Two thumbs up!)
I'm wonderful! (Jump in the air!)
(Repeat)
Hello!
Hello!
Hello, how are you?
(Repeat)
I'm tired. (Slouch your shoulders and sigh.)
I'm hungry. (Rub your tummy.)
I'm not so good. (One thumb down!)
(Repeat)

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Hello!
Hello!
Hello, how are you?
(Repeat 3x)

Face song
Touch your ears and touch your nose. (Touch given parts of body)
Touch your ears and touch your nose.
Touch your ears and touch your nose.
Every day.
Comb your hair and wash your face. (Comb your hand using a comp or fingers)
Comb your hair and wash your face.
Comb your hair and wash your face.
Every day.
Open your mouth and close your eyes. (Open mouth and close your eyes)
Open your mouth and close your eyes.
Open your mouth and close your eyes.
Every day.

The Animals On The Farm

The ducks on the farm say, "Quack, quack, quack." (Duck gesture.)
The mice on the farm say, "Squeak, squeak, squeak." (Mouse gesture.)
The chickens on the farm say, "Cluck, cluck, cluck." (Chicken gesture.)
"Quack. Squeak. Cluck." (Duck gesture. Mouse gesture. Chicken gesture.)
The pigs on the farm say, "Oink, oink, oink." (Pig gesture.)
The goats on the farm say "Meh, meh, meh." (Goat gesture.)
The sheep on the farm say "Baa, baa, baa." (Sheep gesture.)
"Oink. Meh. Baa." (Pig gesture. Goat gesture. Sheep gesture.)
The horses on the farm say, "Neigh, neigh, neigh." (Horse gesture.)
The cows on the farm say, "Moo, moo, moo." (Cow gesture.)
The roosters on the farm say, "Cock-a-doodle-doo" (Rooster gesture.)
"Neigh. Moo. Cock-a-doodle-doo." (Horse gesture. Cow gesture. Rooster gesture.)
"Neigh. Moo. Cock-a-doodle-doo."
Let's try it a little faster.
The ducks on the farm say, "Quack, quack, quack."
The mice on the farm say, "Squeak, squeak, squeak."
The chickens on the farm say, "Cluck, cluck, cluck."
"Quack. Squeak. Cluck."
Okay, a little faster.
The pigs on the farm say, "Oink, oink, oink."
The goats on the farm say "Meh, meh, meh."
The sheep on the farm say "Baa, baa, baa."
"Oink. Meh. Baa."

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Okay, super fast!
The horses on the farm say, "Neigh, neigh, neigh."
The cows on the farm say, "Moo, moo, moo."
The roosters on the farm say, "Cock-a-doodle-doo"
"Neigh. Moo. Cock-a-doodle-doo."
"Neigh. Moo. Cock-a-doodle-doo."

CHANTS:

Opposites chant
I’am big, I’am small. (Spread your arms to show big and then give them back to show
small)
I’m short, I’am tall. (Sit down and then stand up and raise your hands)
I’m happy, I’am sad. (Show a happy face and then show a sad face)
I’m good, I’am bad. (Thumb up and the thumb down)
I’m right, I’m wrong. (Nod your head and then shake your head)
I’am week, I’am strong. (Show muscles and then show a flippy floppy body)
We’re friends, (Point to the children and hug yourself)
That’s the end.

Here is the Tree

Here is a tree with its leaves so green. (Make your arms into a triangle shape by joining
your hands and opening your elbows wide)
Here are the baubles that hang between. (Make your hands into fists)
When Christmas is over, the baubles will fall. (Let your fists drop down)
Here is a box to gather them all. (Join your arms in front of you making a circle)

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Appendix 2: Flashcards games

Touch the picture

Flashcards are lying face up. The teacher calls out the name of an item. The children touch a
given flashcard.

Hit the picture

Flashcards are lying face up. The teacher calls out the name of an item. The children hit a
given flashcards with an object, usually a small ball or a fly-flap. The teacher can also divide
the children into two groups, standing in a row. Teacher says: e.g. Hit a dog. The first child in
each row has to hit a given picture.

What is missing?
Flashcards are lying face up. The children close their eyes and the teacher takes one flashcard
away. The children must guess which one has disappeared.

Quicky show
The teacher is standing. He/she has flashcards hidden behind his/her back. He/she shows a
flashcard so quickly that children can only spot it. The children guess what it is.

Memory game
Flashcards are lying face up in a line (usually 5-6 pictures). The teacher names them all with
children, one by one. Then the teacher covers the first face down and children have to guess
what it was, and then continues naming others, still lying face up. Then the second one is
covered face down and this time the children are asked to name two covered ones and
continue with the rest. The exercise continues until all the flashcards are covered.

Pass the secret

The children are sitting in the circle. The teacher whispers a word to the first child. He/she has
to pass “the secret” to another child. The last one says the word loudly.

Yes/no?
The children are sitting in the circle. The teacher shows flashcards and asks: Is it a nose? It is
a mount? The teacher elicits either positive or negative answer – yes or no. The teacher
should not look at the pictures so as children can think he/she is guessing.

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Mixing
The children are sitting in the circle. Flashcards are lying face down. The teacher mixes them
and asks one child to find something: e.g. Adam find a banana! When he finds a correct
picture, he can mix them and another child is asked to find a different picture.

Find a …
Flashcards are spread around the classroom face down. The children are asked to stand up and
walk around the classroom. The teacher says: e.g. Find a bird. The child who finds it as first
is given a point.

What’s this?
The children are sitting in the circle. Flashcards are lying face down. The teacher points to a
flashcard and asks: What’s this? The children guess. If they are correct, they can keep the
card, if not, the card is placed back in the same plane.

Send the picture

The children are sitting in the circle. Every child has one flashcard face down. The teacher
plays a song and children are sending their pictures around. After a while, the teacher stops
the song and children stop sending. Then the children are asked to say what is in their picture.
Elicit: e.g. I have got a dog.

Hot potato
The children are sitting in the circle. Flashcards are in the centre, face down. The music plays
while children pass a ‘hot’ potato (a small ball). When the music stops, whoever is holding a
potato has to names the flashcards.

Jump to…
The children are standing. Flashcards are spread on the floor. The teacher says: Let’s jump.
Encourage all children to jump. And then asks one child to jump to the e.g. elephant: Nela,
jump to the elephant.

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Appendix 3: Examples of worksheets

Source: Doron, Helen, and Justyna Frankiewicz-Popiolek. More Fun with Flupe Activity Book 1. Helen Doron,
2013. Print.

141
Source: Doron, Helen, and Justyna Frankiewicz-Popiolek. More Fun with Flupe Activity Book 1. Helen Doron,
2013. Print.

142
Source: the author

143