CLAP YOUR HAND

Clap your hands, Clap your hands, Listen to the music And clap your hands.

Stamp your feet, Stamp your feet, Listen to the music And stamp your feet.

Turn around, Turn around, Listen to the music And turn around.

Jump up high, Jump up high, Listen to the music And jump up high.

Clap your hands, Clap your hands, Listen to the music And clap your hands.

Justification based on pedagogical principles and purpose with reference to the primary English language curriculum. According to a poetry therapist Perie Long, The word therapy, after all, comes from the Greek word therapies meaning to nurse or cure through dance, song, poem and drama, that is the expressive arts.... Though poetry as therapy is a relatively new development in the expressive arts, it is as old as the first chants sung around the tribal fires of primitive peoples. The chant/ song/poem are what heal the heart and soul.

Moreover, poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things. The nursery rhyme poem entitled Clap your hands is used in coordination with language lesson to provide successful classroom learning.

i)

Content (Learning is Fun, Meaningful and Purposeful) The song entitled Clap your hands is included in the English Language Curriculum for Primary School (KSSR) Year 3 Unit 8: Move your body. It is under the theme World of Knowledge in the curriculum. This indeed makes this song suit the content standard and learning standard of Malaysia curriculum. Primary Year 3 students will be participating in physical activity as they will perform basic motor skills and movement patterns along with the poem. Simple movements for example students clap their hands, stamp their feet, turn around and jump up high may also offers students physical activity participation.

The students can be encouraged to use simple vocabulary to give response on the movement they are doing. This will help them to develop their knowledge and understanding of English vocabulary in a fun but purposeful way of learning. When children combine action with poems, they tend to remember the poem patterns due to the repetition in the poem. Besides, they can easily focusing on them too much and pick up chunks of language subconsciously in the poem. Besides that, this activity is also relevant to a range of different learning areas. It does contribute to the learning outcomes for learning areas other than English language like moral education.

One of the reasons of infusing this poem in the classroom is the affective reasons applied. Affective reason means something that do with the learners mood and feelings. Indeed, the poem selected has positive effect on the childrens mood and feelings. The selected poem play a joyful role in which it brings entertainment and relaxing atmosphere in learning and at the same time decrease the childrens anxieties in learning something new. Through the poem and movement, children will learn to express feelings and emotions by making themselves comfortable in the new learning environment.

ii) Proficiency level (Back to basics)

Nevertheless, it is also a must for the children to develop basic literacy skills like listening and speaking skills as a foundation beforehand. Listening skills is one of the important skill children should acquired. Poems provide a rich amount of expression and vocabulary that students get used to when listening to them. It improves the overall listening ability of the children. Listening to the lyrics will make the children become familiar with the words introduced in the poem. For example, the word like Listen to the music is repeated within the stanza. The rhythm of the poem is also very straightforward and repetitive. According to the article of Mix-minder written by Brian, poem is for training the brain to memorize. The poem added a dimension to the childrens listening skills and makes it easier for the children to remember words and patterns of the language. The phrases and words are often particularly striking and seem to go on repeating themselves in the children ear without their conscious will.

Choosing a poem that is in accordance with the children proficiency level is also crucial as young children could only able to grasp with simple grammar and vocabulary. It is also equally important to expose the young children to authentic English that ensure correct English is used to teach the children. In the chosen rhythmical poem, the vocabulary used is simple and can easily comprehend by the young children with guidance. For instance, young children will comprehend the phrase Clap your hands when in daily life.

In terms of linguistic reasons, poem is indeed useful in teaching language. When language is relate to rhythmic, the words will just fall into place along with the musical pattern. These can be used to illustrate grammatical point. Young children will be able to use the grammar point from the poem and would find it easier to understand the grammatical explication later on.

iii) Interest (Students s interest, Experiences, Enjoyment)

Poem can be one of the teaching resources that impart skills as well as to attract their attention to the young children. Young children can learn through watching, hearing and participating in what goes on in their environment. The poem entitled Clap your hands provide teachable moments for young children. Students are excited and happy when they can stand up and do the movement. Despite of a tiring school day, they can just sitting on the chair, writing and reading all the time. However, when teacher tends to introduce this poem, students will attract to the rhythmic poem. It creates an enjoying circumstance. Besides, teacher as a role of facilitator rather than dispenser of knowledge, allows the students to move around and search for their answer. Therefore, students feel a sense of purpose and empowerment in learning the poem.

Instead of learning movements and actions through merely observing the teacher or looking at illustrations, students gain more experience and interest in the subject if they are allowed to engage in meaningful total physical response. The need for both the teacher and students to stand up and perform the actions can rejuvenate them and build bonds between them at the same time. It is also stated in the curriculum standard that students are expected to learn and be able to use simple verbs with actions (clap, stamp, listen, turn, jump, etc.).

Indirectly, it also develops their basic kinesthetic skill such as jump, turn around, clap hands, stamp feet as age goes by. Children delight in songs that include movement. It is good to be able to move their bodies while practicing words and sentences in another language that probably have a tremendous impact on their learning process. Another idea is to have the students choreograph their own movements to a song. A song such as Clap your hands has a lot of movement words which enable students to choose how to illustrate these with their own bodies. It definitely draw their attention in acquiring the poem.

SCHOOL DAYS

June comes and back to school Go all the boys and girls, With paper, pencils, pretty books Singing like merry birds. Its fun to read, Its fun to write, Its fun to count, Its fun to draw and spell. We learn to sing, We learn to act, We learn to dance, And pray and pray as well.

Justification based on pedagogical principles and purpose with reference to the primary English language curriculum.

Wordsworth defined poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings;" Emily Dickinson said, "If I read a book and it makes my body so cold no fire ever can warm me, I know that is poetry;" and Dylan Thomas defined poetry this way: "Poetry is what makes me laugh or cry or yawn, what makes my toenails twinkle, what makes me want to do this or that or nothing." Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Poetry has been known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means necessary. Poetry is an ancient form that has gone through numerous and drastic reinvention over time. The very nature of poetry as an authentic and individual mode of expression makes it nearly impossible to define. The Children and Teen poem entitled School Days is used in coordination with language lesson to provide successful classroom learning.

i)

Content (Learning is Fun, Meaningful and Purposeful) The poem entitled School Days is included in the English Language Curriculum for Primary School (KSSR) Year 3 Unit 11: In school. It is under the theme World of knowledge in the curriculum. This indeed makes this song suit the content standard and learning standard of Malaysia curriculum. Primary Year 3 students will be enjoyed while reciting the poem. The poem of School Days ignites childrens some aspect of the world in a new light. It gave them an unusual turn of phrase or image that focuses their attention on something in a completely new way. Commonplace objects and events take on a new meaning when tackled by poets for example frightening rule and teachers here are kind mentioned the fun days in school.

When read aloud, poetry is rhythmic, musically, sounds and beats. Young children may not understand all the words or meaning, but they'll feel the rhythms, get curious about what the sounds mean and perhaps want to produce by their own. They would really get into poetry when brought in through rhythm and rhyme. It's the most kinaesthetic of all literature, it's physical and full-bodied which activates heart and soul and sometimes bypasses the traps of their minds and the outcome is that poetry moves them.

It is necessary that they know or at least have some idea of content of the text. For example, teacher explaining the important of schooling and describing the benefits of going to school. This is to ensure that their schematic knowledge will be drawn upon when comprehending the text or doing the tasks. Children must have some background knowledge of what they are doing. The content is familiar with them and they can easily understand the text. According to Robert Frost, Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words. Of course, language is essential to all types of writing, but in poetry, vocabulary must be selected carefully in order that readers connect emotionally with the words. The language used in the poem of School Days evokes emotions without telling readers what they should be feeling. Children will feel delightful and willingly to attend school by viewing each word in the poem for example school does not has any frightening rule, teacher is kind and lovely atmosphere. Finally, every single word must be meaningful to the poem.

ii) Proficiency level (Back to basics) Besides, poetry opens venues for the language skills such as speaking and listening, much neglected domains in English Language Arts curriculum. It is crucial for students to be able to get a feel for the rhythm and sounds of a poem. This is not an easy task in second language, and so children are required for listening to the poetry either by teacher or professional recording. Children are ought to recite the poem with correct intonation and feeling. Teacher may conduct some activities for example recite competition or feedback session to improve their speaking skill.

While for listening activity, children will need some kind of preparation and task so that they can be actively engaged. They might be asked to compare their suggested rhyming couplets with the poet's, or to identify stressed words and syllables. It can be fun too to get students to rehearse and perform a poem for improving their pronunciation skill as a foundation in communication. Teacher might take a chunk, usually a line, then reads the poem to them or play a recording, and they identify the stresses and pauses. The poem of School Days is suitable for the proficiency level of year 3 students. The reason for choosing the poem of School Days are because the vocabulary is simple and easy to understand for the year 3 students. Based on an article of Dumb little man, it stated that poetry improves vocabulary. The text is current, precise, and descriptive where being an appropriate choice for their age. They can perceive the meaning right after read the sentences. The words like kind, rules, believe and so on are posing a straightforward and simplicity of the meanings of each vocabulary. Subsequently, they will begin to fall in love with school life when they read the poem.

iii) Exploitability

Poem can be incorporate with many activities due to the flexibility. The pre-lesson can be carried out by reciting the poem to refresh their mind and taking account into a new lesson. In addition to, the poem School Days can be best to develop for more activities in practice stage during the class. The adjectival words used in the poem can be integrated with language skills such as writing skill. Teacher may ask the students to construct sentences based on the adjectives, for example kind, fear and pleasure. Teacher can also ask the students to write a short description about their favorite teacher in school.

Besides, teacher gives a listening task based on a video about school and answers the questions. At the post-lesson phase, teacher can apply the poem to enhance students speaking skill by asking What you like about your school?. Lesson which utilize the benefits of poem emphasise significant contexts and consolidation of language skills in class. Contextualised as well as purposeful activities will promote the fun element in language learning through fun-filled and meaningful activities in Primary English classroom.

Teacher has to choose the poem which can encourage creativity. Creativity is the ability to produce something new in an imaginative and fun-filled way. Pupils in Year 1, 2 and 3 will display interest, confidence and self-esteem through performance and producing simple creative works through works.

FATHER

Father, we thank Thee for the night And for the pleasant morning light; For rest and food and loving care, And all that makes the world so fair.

Help us do the things we should, To be to others kind and good; In all we do, at work or play, To grow more loving every day.

Justification based on pedagogical principles and purpose with reference to the primary English language curriculum.

Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things. T. S. Eliot (1888 1965), Tradition and the Individual Talent, II (The Sacred Wood, 1922) Poetry is not bound by the constraints of sentence and paragraph structure, context, or even grammar. That doesnt mean writing poetry is creatively easy. It can be much more difficult to make a poem than it is to write an essay or piece of fiction. Theres so much creative space, and without any limitations whatsoever, it can be overwhelming. The family poem entitled Father is used in coordination with language lesson to provide successful classroom learning.

i)

Content (Learning is Fun, Meaningful and Purposeful) The poem entitled Father is suitable to be used in the English Language Curriculum for Primary School (KSSR) Year 3 Unit 1: My Loved One. It is under the theme World of Self, Family and Friends in the curriculum. This indeed makes this poem suit the content standard and learning standard of Malaysia curriculum. Primary Year 3 students will be enjoyed while reading the poem. The content of the poem can be read aloud with emotionally and include the feelings. For example, teacher may ask the students individually to read it with own rhythm, tone and mood. The texts should have a connection with students here and now learning context. For example in the topic of My Loved One is co-related to their daily life. In the poem of Father, it explained the roles of father. It would be motivating for students to study the literature which is currently being discussed in their society. Experiencing the here-andnow literature would aid the children understand that literature is neither useless nor far away, and that literature is part of our living. Besides, it also expressed how a child showed his or her love and at the same time the children will starting to bring back their previous knowledge about what had their father had done for every one of them. Constructivism will enable pupils to construct new information and conceptions based on existing knowledge or schema that they have. In addition, the texts should have the capacity to engage the students interest. A poem may not always be a favoured item in the classroom mainly because of the language used is too difficult, bombastic and metaphorical. Teaching poetry will probably become very hard especially the teacher is mainly focus on the correctness and grammatical form. It is important that texts should be simple and direct. Simpler words used and straightforward storyline would motivate them in learning something new and urge to challenge for higher level. Anyway, it could help in strengthen their inner confidence. In the poem of Father is directly pointed the meaning and the vocabulary is understandable for students in Year 3.

ii) Interest (Students s interest, Experiences, Enjoyment)

Pupils in standard 3 cannot assume the complicated text and comprehend a lengthy poem. Therefore, I have chosen short poem entitle Father for encouraging children to think about how the text are connected to their imagination. Poetry can provoke their insight and sensitivity, sometimes in profound and illuminating ways. At the same time students can develop their creativity and imagination so same goes to interest. Interest has to go with motivation, if pupils are motivated to learn, they will have high interest and receptivity. For example, the poem "Father" can let students to describe their love towards their father or design a card for their loved one in the primary English classroom.

Teacher must vary the style of teaching methods that easily increases the participation level of children. Based on poem, teacher can plan many activities and design many types of teaching aids to help the students improve their understanding. The teaching aids that can be used in this poem are pictures and videos of a great parentally loved. One of the most stimulated activities is asked the children to role play about the important role of father and mother at home. Teacher can prepare with the props such as broom and sound effects such as cooking or gardening to add on interesting elements. Moreover, children are asked to express their love towards their father in a love sharps card so they can just freely provide their feedbacks or expressing their own ideas afterwards. Based on an article of Dumb Little Man Tips for life, poetry can open up your mind to new ideas. It is a good activity that encourages them to be active in thinking skill. It helps in enhancing children's imaginative thinking which leads to creativity. The poem which related to their daily life as in their ages have attracted their concentration as well. It also encourages participation and creates a desire to continue learning.

iii) Values (Character-building infused) Other than that, we can see the poem Father as a medium to teach the pupils about moral lesson. Young children are always sticking and relying upon their father. Therefore, poem entitles Father instill a sense of gratitude to what parent had brought to them. Teacher can impart the positive value that a child should respect their incredible father and mother who always supporting, cheerful and caring for them. They have to know about how to maintain a good relationship with their parent and some moral practices in life.

Poetry can also help users develop a more acute sense of empathy. Empathy is the necessary condition in the parent-child relationship that allows teacher to teach all of the other character values to the children. When the children understand and care about their parent deeply, they have the intrinsic motivation to learn the lessons of love and character share. For example the poem of Father, as a teacher should inculcate hows the tiredness of being a father and a mother after daily work.

Children's literature abounds with great poems that exemplify important values. School is one of the places to build childrens behaviours and instill moral values. Discipline

strategies are an important tool to use teachable moments to build character. After explaining the meaning of the poem, teacher should always take the opportunity to stress on the right and wrong doings at home. According to the article of Important India written by Sanjoy Roy stated the future of our country is depends on the moral values imparted to them in their student life. Moral lessons should be properly implemented among students in school and colleges. For example, shouting loud at parents is not allow for showing. Teacher must also emphasise the positive attitude that should a child behave likely for instance respect, honest, appreciation and so on towards their lovely parent.