Lesson: Introduce the animals using either flashcards, stuffed animals, or pictures. At first I think it is best to say the words slowly, then a bit faster in a steady rhythm, and have the kids repeat. If they are really young students, don’t worry if they do not repeat the words at first. For older or more experienced students you can introduce the whole phrase, “It’s a dog”.

Next, ask the students, “What sound does a dog make?” They may not understand the question, but they will probably catch on quickly and you can of course help them along. When you get to the rabbit ask, “What does a rabbit do?” I also do gestures when making the sounds. For example, for the dog I clap my hands together like a mouth and say “woof, woof”. For the cat I put my hands on my face and make whiskers, then I say “meow”. This is fun for the kids, and I think it helps them remember what the word means.

Game: Try a simple matching game. If you have two sets of flash cards, or stuffed animals and flash cards, ask the students to match the two animals. Also, a simple touch game works well. Ask your students, “Touch the Dog!”

Song: There are two ways I generally sing the song with the students:
1. Use flashcards and point to the animal as we sing.
2. Do the hand gestures (dog bark, etc.) and sing the song.

Students love to sing the “bop, bop” part. So don’t leave that out! Most important: Have Fun! If you are having fun with the song, the students will too.

Follow up: Other questions you can begin to ask: “What’s this? It’s a dog.” Or, “What can you see? I can see a dog.”

Phonics: I think it is a good idea to teach children phonics whenever possible. Using the animal names, we can teach the beginning letters of each animal. For example, B-Bird, C-Cat, D-Dog.

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email: matt (at) dreamenglish.com
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