POOR MARCO!

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

The Twelve Days of Christmas is an English Christmas carol (Roud # 68) which enumerates a series of increasingly grandiose gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas.

 It is a cumulative song, in that each verse is built on the previous verses. It culminates on the twelfth day, when the gifts are 12 Drummers Drumming, 11 Pipers Piping, 10 Lords a-Leaping, 9 Ladies Dancing, 8 Maids a-Milking, 7 Swans a-Swimming, 6 Geese a-Laying, 5 Gold Rings, 4 Colly Birds (often given as "Calling Birds"), 3 French Hens, 2 Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

It has been one of the most popular and most-recorded Christmas songs throughout the past century.



If you want to listen to the funny version of this song from the film Shrek, just click on the links below ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UhcmUU0QpY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=337DT2AfSws&feature=related

ACTIVITIES:
Wordsearch: http://homeschooling.about.com/library/12daysword.pdf
Printable activities: http://www.first-school.ws/THEME/printables/twelve-days-christmas.htm
Coloring pages: http://www.kidsturncentral.com/coloring/12dayscolor.htm

PARA TÍ, QUE BUSCAS QUE SE CUMPRAN OS TEUS SOÑOS. Susana Lamela.

Lepouco é un val.
Lemoito é unha vila.
No val de Lepouco está Lemoito, xusto no medio do camiño entre Lerasveces e Leracotío. 
                 "Soños de andel" Susana Lamela.(escritora, compañeira e sobre todo, amiga).
Así comeza un dos libros máis fermosos e entrañables que teño lido."Soños de andel", conta a historia dun libro,"Ani", que pasa os días moi triste na biblioteca porque ninguén o quere levar para a casa. A autora relata este conto cunha asombrosa imaxinación, na que as palabras parecen xurdir da súa pluma coma por arte de máxia entrelazando metáforas e símiles cunha incomparable estratexia literaria.

A continuación cito un dos meus pasaxes favoritos: " En vez de tomar un almorzo de vogais con leite e marmelada, de comer un guiso de consoantes maiúsculas con tinta azul ou de merendar doces biscoitos con simpáticas sílabas de cores de adorno, o que Ani ía facer era comer ensaladas de números e de signos matemáticos. A sopa de letras tampouco estaba mal, pero sabía moito mellor cunha torrada de maiúsculas de amorodos".

Susana Lamela Pérez naceu en Ponteareas en 1975. Estudou Maxisterio e Psicopedagoxía en Santiago de Compostela. Comezou a súa andaina profesional como editora de libros de texto. Na actualidade dedícase ás tres cousas que máis lle gustan: ensinar aos nenos, escribir e coñecer novos lugares. "Soños de andel" é o primeiro libro que publica e ante a grande acollida que tivo entre os cativos e os non tan cativos, xa desvelou que haberá unha segunda parte.

Podedes contactar coa autora a través do seu blog, (http://andeis.blogspot.com/) no que entre outras cousas, publica as visitas aos coles nos que presentou o seu libro. Animade aos nenos/as e animádevos vos mesmos/as a ler esta entrañable historia e a coñecer en persoa a esta extraordinaria escritora. http://www.vigometropolitano.com/news/168/ARTICLE/15361/2009-04-04.html

GOOD NIGHT MOON

Goodnight Moon is an American children's book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. It was first published in 1947, and is a highly acclaimed example of a bedtime story. The content depicts the process of a child saying goodnight to everything around: "Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight light, and the red balloon..."

THE IRISH WASHERWOMAN

Irish Traditional Music is at the heart of the Irish culture and history, never as a static antiquity, the tradition is alive and vital, open to change yet conservative of its core values.
The Irish Washerwoman is a traditional and well known Irish jig. It repeats its refrain several times, sometimes by gradually increasing in tempo until being played very fast before coming to a sudden stop. The song has lyrics, but is typically rendered as an instrumental.

PARENTS´ STRESS

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS!!!

It's nearly December and that means it's time to get ready for this year's advent calendar!

An Advent calendar is a special calendar which is used to count or celebrate the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Today, most advent calendars are made for children. Many take the form of a large rectangular card with many "windows", one of which is opened every day during Advent. In less elaborate calendars, each window opens to reveal an image, a poem, or part of a story such as the Nativity story itself. More elaborate Advent calendars have a small gift concealed in each window, such as a toy or a chocolate item.

If you are interested, you can buy the chocolate ones in LIDL. I saw them yesteday in that supermarket... they are lovely!! In fact, I bought one of them in order to open it day by day in my classes. I´m sure my students will love it!

  

Click on the links below to print some templates and create your own advent calendar.
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/Xmas/madvent-tree.htm
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/Xmas/madvent-santa.htm

THE FOUR SEASONS SONG

Another catchy song by Peter Weatherall, my favourite musician. It´s very useful to learn the four seasons in English :-)

PARABÉNS, COMPAÑEIROS DO CEIP NOSA SEÑORA DOS REMEDIOS!

O C.E.I.P. Nosa Sra. Dos Remedios de Ponteareas quere reunir a tódalas persoas que estean interesadas en pasar unha velada de irmandade e de lembranza dos vellos tempos, para festexar o seu 40º aniversario.

 Por iso, queren facer un chamamento a aqueles exmestre/as e outras persoas que tivesen relación co centro, para que se poñan en contacto co centro, xa que dalgúns deles carecen dos datos actuais para facerlles chegar a invitación.

 Esta velada de irmandade consistiría nun acto de celebración no “Castelo de Sobroso” o vindeiro venres 18 de decembro e unha posterior cea-baile no restaurante “El Otro Mundo del Tea”.

Contarán ademáis coa actuación do “Obradoiro Vocal A Vila” do que algúns compoñentes formaron parte do antigo coro infantil que existía no colexio.

 Eles tamén convocan a todas as persoas que cantaron neste coro durante a súa etapa de escolaridade, xa que queren volver unir as súas voces para este acto.

Por cuestións de organización, preganlle que confirmen a sua asistencia no tlfno: 986 640 740 ou no correo e-:ceip.nosasenora.remedios@edu.xunta.es. O prazo remata o 10 de decembro.

“Vinde celebrar con nós estes 40 anos educando aos nosos nenos, xa que grazas a todos e cada un de vós, o noso colexio é un verdadeiro Nº1!!!”

TEACHERS´ JOB

"SI UN DOCTOR, UN ABOGADO O UN DENTISTA TUVIERA A TREINTA PERSONAS O MÁS EN SU OFICINA A LA VEZ, TODAS CON DIFERENTES NECESIDADES Y ALGUNAS QUE NO QUIEREN ESTAR ALLÍ Y EL DOCTOR, ABOGADO O DENTISTA, SIN AYUDA, TUVIERA QUE TRATARLOS A TODOS CON EXCELENCIA PROFESIONAL DURANTE DIEZ MESES, ENTONCES PODRÍAN TENER UNA IDEA DE LO QUE ES EL TRABAJO DEL DOCENTE EN EL AULA".
(Kathy A. Megyeri. "Chocolate Caliente para el Alma de los Maestros")

FRACASO ESCOLAR

Qué grandes verdades!!!

HALLOWEEN IN LOS REMEDIOS!

THE WASHING LINE

Excellent video to teach items of clothing!

THE BEST ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE EVER!

Peter Weatherfall has got a song for almost everything as you can see on the link below. I love them all! This one reviews some vocabulary about clothes and shows how to keep your stuff nice and clean. What would we do without our washing machines? :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLZJO80F7IA

SCHOOL OBJECTS

This catchy song will help us to teach our students some basic vocabulary related to school objects. It´s written by Peter Weatherall, an independent children´s musician and animator.

GUY FAWKES

I have just made this "Guy Fawkes" using the templates I have mentioned on the activities link below. I hope my students enjoy doing it as much as I did! :-)
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/p.asp?b=m&p=http://www.dltk-holidays.com/guyfawkes/ppaperguyfawkes.asp

REMEMBER REMEMBER POEM

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

BONFIRE NIGHT

On 5 November every year, children in Britain get excited because it is Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes' Night). They lit bonfires and enjoy fireworks displays. On top of the fire is a guy (a homemade model of a man, like a scarecrow).
They do these things because they're remembering when the King of England, James l, and the Houses of Parliament were nearly blown up with gunpowder.

USEFUL LINKS:
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Guy/history.htm
http://people.pppst.com/guy-fawkes.html

ACTIVITIES:
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/guyfawkes/index.htm

WOULD YOU EAT THESE HALLOWEEN CAKES?

SCARY HALLOWEEN!

I hope my older students find this video scary enough as they have been complaining all week about my "childish" videos for "children". They are really funny!

KNOCK, KNOCK...

This is one of the best Halloween children songs I have ever listened to. You can take advantage of its lyrics to tell your students about the "trick or treat" tradition and they can learn many Halloween costumes while having fun.
Click on the link below to listen to it and to download the flashcards you can use to teach this lovely song.
http://www.supersimplesongs.com/freesong1.html

TRICK OR TREAT SONGS

Would you fancy some Halloween food?

THIS IS HALLOWEEN!

I have taken this soundtrack by Marilyn Manson from the movie "The nightmare before Christmas" . I think this is a very good song to spot Halloween stuff once we have introduced our students some vocabulary related to this festival. Children love it because it is very scary ;-)



http://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/n/thenightmarebeforechristmaslyrics/thisishalloweenlyrics.html

DANCING BONES! :-)

COMING SOON...

October, 31st is just around the corner, and with it comes the fun and spooky Halloween! Time to choose your customs, organize your parties, and make your decorations. Have fun!!!

SHAPES

Nowadays, there are many schools where English is used to teach another subject ( Arts, Music, Maths...). I think it´s a very good idea as I have always thought that we have never enough time to do all the things we want to do in our English lessons. We always run out of time!!! That´s why, having an extra hour of English to teach any other subject is a great opportunity for our pupils to learn a bit more.

In my school Arts is taught in English and I have just found this useful and funny song to teach some shapes. I´m sure they will enjoy it as much as I did ! :-)

ROW YOUR BOAT

I am in love with nursery rhymes!!!

WHAT COLOUR IS THE....????

WHAT´S THE WEATHER LIKE?

HOW ARE YOU SONG

Hello children, how are you? This is the first question that most teachers ask when they get into their classrooms. This song helps your students to learn it. Moreover, it shows how to express the way they feel and it reviews the days of the week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7Wls5Nw_lk

ABC SONG

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA.

Thanks very much for your suggestion, Fiona (Doug´s sister) I love the story!

DOES IT RING YOU A BELL?

THANKS, DEAR DOUG ;-)

I´ve got a very good friend from Scotland. His name is Doug Jewsbury and I always have really interesting chats with him.
I asked him to take a look at my blog and he advised me to try some different new things with my students. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did ;-)
"Teachers might like to try 'London's Burning'. The language is modern, although the subject is a little macabre (it refers to the Great Fire of London). It's fun to sing, because it's a round - a continuous song in which each group of singers starts singing after the previous group has sung one line of the song. It's best illustrated by an example; there is a brief snatch of it here:
www.stickykids.co.uk/lyric/109-Londons_Burning.aspx (you have to press the 'Listen' button).
Because the song has 4 lines, you would divide the kids into 4 groups. The only problem is knowing when to stop singing! By the way, the 'engine' referred to in the song is the 'fire engine' - el coche de bomberos, I suppose!"

THANKS VERY MUCH, DOUG!!!
The BBC also has an interesting little page about nursery rhymes: www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A288966

FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED

BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP

I WANNA BE LIKE MUMMY!!

Click on the image below :)

I LOVE YOU ICE CREAM !!

This is a lovely song to learn the days of the week and the months of year in English : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5bEbgBBAyU&feature=related

TEACHING PREPOSITIONS

Just click on the link below to listen to the "in, on, under" song :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx8i-Wq_jtc

HOW TO MAKE BAKED POTATOES

Cheap Recipes: How To Make Baked Potatoes

Try them... they are delicious! Yummy!!!

THE POTATO SONG

TO THE GARDEN

INTERACTIVE VISUAL DICTIONARY

Click on the link below:
http://centros.edu.xunta.es/contidos/dictionary/

HAPPY HOLIDAY TO EVERYONE!

WHAT DO YOU DO??

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK!

I have just found this adapted song by Bill Haley for kids. I think it will motivate them to learn how to tell the time in English as they find it quite difficult.

If you want to listen to the original version, click on the link below:
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/bill_haley/rock_around_the_clock.html

END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

HOW TO TELL WHEN SOMEONE´S LYING...

INCY WINCY SPIDER

Children will love trying to mimic the actions of this particular nursery rhyme. It assists them with improving manual dexterity whilst remembering the words of the song. The name of the spider seems to vary but 'Incy Wincy spider' is believed to be the correct and original version. The original history and origins of the Incy Wincy spider nursery rhyme cannot be traced, it is believed just to be a fun action rhyme that has survived the test of time.

USEFUL LINKS:

http://www.oxfordteachersupport.com/pdf/RTG_INF_05_09_1.pdf

http://www.oxfordteachersupport.com/pdf/RTG_INF_05_09_2.pdf

http://www.oxfordteachersupport.com/pdf/RTG_INF_05_09_3.pdf

COLIN´S BREAKFAST

Today, Colin, a good friend of mine from Liverpool sent me this e-mail and some pics of the English breakfast he cooked for his family this Sunday morning. Thanks a million, Colin! :)

One of my stranger emails, I've never photographed our breakfast before! These photos are from today, Sunday, for 4 people, bacon, egg, beans, sausage, black pudding & toast. All cooked by chef Fletcher. The silver spoon in the beans is from a Paris antiques market - posh beans! And I nearly forgot the sauces, most important, we always have brown sauce & tomato ketchup, and I love Worcester - pronounced 'wuster' - sauce. Great with the 'morcilla', the most popular Worcester sauce brand is Lea & Perrins, but any brand is better than none! Not in the photos are the other essential ingredients, fresh orange juice, and a cup of tea. Ooooh, I could eat that again!Hehe. Has this made you hungry?!

YES, IT HAS COLIN! ;-)

WOULD YOU LIKE A CUPPA?

Britain is a tea-drinking nation. Every day they drink 165 million cups of the stuff and each year around 144 thousand tons of tea are imported.
Tea in Britain is traditionally brewed in a warmed china teapot, adding one spoonful of tea per person and one for the pot. Most Britons like their tea strong and dark, but with a lot of milk.

English people are really in love with tea. When an English friend came to visit me, she brought her own English tea as she said she couldn´t survive without it! English tea is the best tea all over the world according to her:) Maybe she is right but I don´t care where tea comes from, I don´t like it at all! I love the next song though!

Lyrics: http://letrascanciones.mp3lyrics.org/p/paul-mccartney/english/

WE ARE THE BEAVER!!

This is a very funny song by " The arrogant worms" about the beaver as Canada´s national symbol. It was made a national symbol in 1975. The beaver was the primary fur traded and trapped by the Hudson Bay Company, and was also shown on Canada's first postage stamp.

http://members.shaw.ca/kcic1/beaver.html

DID YOU KNOW THAT...?

"Stressed" spelling backwards is " desserts"!
Soooooooooo....enjoy them! ;-)

THE TALE OF THE SUN AND THE MOON

"The Tale of the Sun and the Moon" is a lullaby about why the sun is up during the day and the moon is out at night.
Children's musician Eric Herman is at it again with a brand new video of his song, with lyrics by Kenn Nesbitt.

http://www.lyricstime.com/eric-herman-the-tale-of-the-sun-and-the-moon-lyrics.html

DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?

No, I don´t ! :-)

OUR BEST TREASURE...

What would we do without them? :)

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE WORD "TICK"?

I like the fact that some words in any language can´t have an accurate translation into other languages. That happens for example with the Galician word "enxebre"...
Something enxebre is ... traditional... ? well, yes, it is, but... it means something else ... you can´t get the inner meaning unless you are a native speaker or you can have a very good example of the word in a very specific context.

Other words are easier to translate but you would need more than one word to do it. As an example, " a tick" or " to tick". In English, when you listen to those words , you just do the action but when my students ask me what they mean I have to say: "to tick is to write this sign". And I draw it on the blackboard. You can´t use just one word to translate it. If you look it up in the dictionary it says: tick: marca... but... what kind of "marca"?

I have always liked this sign: "listen and tick", "tick the words you hear", "tick or cross"... That´s why I dedicate this post to one of my favourite English signs :)

WHY ARGUE WITH SOMEONE WHO´S ALWAYS RIGHT?

ENGLISH TRADITIONAL BREAKFAST

I am still wondering how English people can have all this food for breakfast... I love English traditions but I wouldn´t swap my toasts and white coffee for the traditional English breakfast!
It looks lovely though! If you want to try it, just click on the link below and shoulders to the wheel!
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-traditional-full-english-breakfast

THE GINGERBREAD MAN

This is a great story that everybody knows and nobody tells. If it's told well, it can make a BIG hit at a student storytelling assembly.

USEFUL LINKS:
http://www.starfall.com/n/holiday/gingerbread/load.htm?f&n=main
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/gingerbread/index.htm
http://www.kidzone.ws/thematic/gingerbread/index.htm
http://cfschools.net/schools/ch/heazak/ginger/ginger.html
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/gingerbread-man/index.htm
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/gingerbread/felt.htm
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/gingerbread/sequencing.htm
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/stories/gingerbread.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/stories/colour/gingerbreadman.shtml?page9

GINGERBREAD

Gingerbread is a sweet that can take the form of a cake or a cookie in which the predominant flavors are ginger and raw sugar.

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-gingerbread-men-cookies

IT FINALLY HAPPENED...

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”— Proverb

WHAT´S THE TIME, MR. WOLF?

What's the time, Mr Wolf? is a form of tag played in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the English-speaking Caribbean. In the United States it may be called "What time is it, Mr Fox?" .
It bears some resemblance to Red light, green light and Dahrumasan ga koronda.

I've no idea why this game works, but it does - kids find it exciting and fun!

Click on the link below to see how to play this fun chasing game:

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-play-whats-the-time-mr-wolf

USEFUL LINKS:

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/party_games_and_activities.htm

http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/welsh/

http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-games-time.htm

SLIPPERY FISH / I AM A PIZZA

Thiese are cute rhymes and the kids love them. They are on the Charlotte Diamond CD " Ten Carrot Diamond".



USEFUL LINKS:
http://www.songsforteaching.com/charlottediamond/octopusslipperyfish.htm
http://www.charlottediamond.com/music/soylyrics.htm

GOT ANY GRAPES?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ANNOYING AND FUNNY DUCK? :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtN1YnoL46Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2nCsqujCsQ

WHAT TIME IS IT?

From my teaching experience I have noticed that children find difficult to learn how to tell the time in English.

I tried to do my best when explaining it but as soon as I corrected the exams, I realized that my way to teach it didn´t work as I expected to. I felt so dissappointed!

Next year, I will try this interesting website to practise telling the time with some online and printing games and all the stuff related to the time: the months of the year, the days of the week...

You can even print and make your own clock!

http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-topics-time.htm

WHERE´S MY LITTLE JOE?

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND!!

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO THE USA

I hope my American friends don´t get mad at me! lol!

Click on the image :-)

EASY WORLD MAP FOR CHILDREN

Sometimes, we want to show our students where the facts we are talking about take place so I find colorful and easy maps very interesting to do that.
*Click on the map!

TEST YOURSELF!! :)
http://www.mapsofworld.com/games/world-quiz/

YURI´S NIGHT- A CELEBRATION OF HUMANS IN SPACE

Yuri’s Night is an international celebration. It takes place every year on 12th April.On this night, people celebrate space exploration. In particular, they remember a Russian man called Gagarin. He was the first man to travel into space. This historic event took place on 12th April 1961. Yuri was only 27 years old at the time. He travelled into space in a capsule called Vostok 1. He orbited around the Earth once. His historic voyage took 108 minutes. On Yuri´s Night, people also celebrate the launch of the first space shuttle into space. The first space shuttle travelled into space on 12th April 1981-exactly twenty years after Yuri´s historic voyage.
The space shuttle’s name was Columbia. It was much bigger than the capsule, Vostok 1. It contained a team of astronauts and lots of equipment. This time, the voyage into space lasted for two days.Twenty years after the launch of Columbia, people decided to organise an international party to celebrate these two historic space events. They called the celebration Yuri´s Night. The first Yuri´s Night celebrations took place on 12th April 2001. There were big parties in different countries around the world including The United States, Australia, England, Turkey, South Africa and Canada. The objective of Yuri´s Night is to create public interest in space exploration and inspire a new generation of explorers. Today, Yuri´s Night parties and associated events connect thousands of young people around the world who are passionate about space travel and exploration.
USEFUL LINKS:
Activities:
http://www.oxfordteachersupport.com/pdf/RTG_PRIM_04_09_1.pdf
The NASA Space Place:
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/games.shtm
Amazing Space:
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/eds/
Kids Astronomy:
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/

HIPPO POWER!

We are already on holiday so please listen to this song and just chill out. Tomorrow is Tuesday... but... who cares? :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qC9WkJV_TI

ELEPHANTS...NA, NA, NA, NA, NAAAAA....!

I really love this song!

APRIL FISH!!

April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day occurs annually on April 1. The day is generally observed by playing a practical joke on a "victim" who soon becomes known as an April Fool. This custom is thought to have started in France during the 16th century but the British are credited with bringing it to the United States.

The commonly accepted origin of April Fool's Day involves changes in the calendar. At one time, the New Year celebration began on March 25 and ended on April 1. However, in 1582, King Charles IX adopted the Gregorian calendar and accepted the beginning of the new year as January 1. Those who refused to acknowledge the new date or simply forgot received foolish gifts and invitations to nonexistent parties. The butt of such a prank was known as a "poisson d'avril" or "April fish."