A quick idea for using action songs to support the use and development of early green cog (behaviour) vocabulary.

As part of the science curriculum on body part names, these nursery children were learning the song “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”. To incorporate Emotion Works learning and support with word level understanding, the Early Years Practitioners created a symbol board with the key vocabulary for the song. (See image.)

As children became more familiar and independent with the song, practitioners pointed to each body part on the symbol board in turn, rather than singing and doing the actions themselves. This enabled the practitioners to ascertain whether the children could follow instructions, and independently identify and find the appropriate body part needed for the action.

For fun, and to test the children’s “reading” of the symbols further, practitioners muddled up the order of symbols. The children enjoyed this and began to create their own “song lyrics”.