Music is a powerful tool to help your young children learn English. Singing songs can improve pronunciation, grammar skills and overall language proficiency. And singing with your child is fun and gives everyone an excuse to dance!
These songs in English are suitable for primary school-age students. They can help your young child learn new English words and pronunciation, and you will create special memories together.
We often use singing and play activities in our English classes at the British Council, because children learn better when they are having fun. You can find out more about our classes for young children here
Does all this fun sound like music to your ears? Let’s get ready to sing!
Songs to sing together at home to help your primary school child learn English
These easy songs are fun and easy to add to your usual routines at home. They can help your children lean new English words and have fun singing them out loud.
Hello Hello
Integrate music and English into your days with this ‘Hello Hello’ song. The song has a cheerful rhythm and easy-to-follow lyrics, and the video has characters doing actions that you can follow. You can sing it first thing in the morning or when the kids come home from school.
Once your little ones know the words to ‘Hello Hello’, try showing them the video on the same website. It features greetings like ‘How are you?’ and possible responses. This song can slowly advance your child’s English understanding and make them feel confident starting basic conversations in English.
Clean up
Asking your children to help tidy up their toys can be a challenge, but adding music makes the activity enjoyable and you can practise English.
This ‘Clean up’ song is clear and repetitive. This makes it easy for kids to sing along. The song is meant to be used as a signal to your children that it is time to pack things away, like their toys or clothes. Luckily, the song is so much fun, it won’t feel as if playtime is over.
Songs for children to teach names and colours in English
These songs are a great way to build your child’s vocabulary.
Children’s songs to teach animal names in English
‘Old McDonald had a farm’ is a classic for a reason – it’s catchy and it encourages children to participate in the song. The song structure is easy to sing. There are also multiple moments for you and your children to showcase your animal impressions.
You can also ask your primary-age child what animals they would like to sing about. You could also choose to follow a theme. For example, you could sing about animals from certain parts of the world, animals beginning with a specific letter of the alphabet or even animals that are all the same colour – like white sheep, white rabbit, white mouse, and so on.
Children’s songs to teach colours in English
‘I see something blue’ is just one of many songs to learn colours in English. With the song, kids sing ‘I see something blue’ and point out any objects around them that are blue. This activity works well because it supports language learning in context. Kids aren’t just told a new word, they are given items to associate it. This gives them a deeper understanding of what the colour means. Of course, you can make your own version of the song, changing blue for other colours.
After kids have mastered individual colours, try the ‘I can sing a rainbow’ song to put all the colours together. They can also play a few activities to reinforce what they have learned.
Children’s songs to help your child learn to count in English
Help your kids master counting with these songs.
5 Little Ducks and Monkeys
‘5 little ducks’ tells the story of five ducklings and their mum. The lyrics count down from numbers five to zero, as the ducklings explore their surroundings before returning for a cuddle with Mama Duck.
Similar to ‘Five little ducks’, the song ‘Five little monkeys’ follows five cheeky monkeys as they fall off the bed one by one.
Kids can re-enact each monkey’s head bump and impersonate the angry doctor as he warns ‘No more monkeys jumping on the bed!’
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Once I caught a fish alive
‘1,2,3,4,5, once I caught a fish alive’ is a lively song that helps children learn how to count from 5 up to 10. They can count out the numbers on their fingers while they sing about fishing. This song helps your child develop thinking skills and fine motor skills.
Hickory dickory dock
‘Hickory dickory dock’ is a timeless nursery rhyme that helps children when they are learning to count in English. It can also be a good way to introduce telling the time to little ones to the idea of using a clock or watch to tell time. When your child is familiar with the song, move on to ‘Hickory dickory crash’ as different animals run up the clock.
Alternatively, ask the kids to think of their own animals to include in the song – for example, ‘Hickory dickory dock, the lizard ran up the clock!’
Children’s songs in English with fun dance moves
Add actions and dance to your children’s songs and you can make learning the English language more memorable for your children. Movement helps your children remember new English words because they can associate the word with the action.
If you’re happy and you know it
‘If you’re happy and you know it’ is a jaunty song that gets kids and adults singing and moving. The song encourages your child to clap their hands, stamp their feet and wave their arms, all while singing their hearts out in English.
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes
‘Heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ is a catchy tune that makes it easy to learn parts of the body. Kids tap different parts of their body as they sing along, which helps them remember the names for different body parts. If your kids have a lot of energy, try the version ‘Animal aerobics class’ -- it speeds up with each round of singing.
The wheels on the bus
‘The wheels on the bus’ allows kids to pick up some transport-themed language and perform some actions along with the song. This song is always a favourite with kids because they get to use their arms to mimic the wheels going round and round or they can pretend to be the different types of people getting on and off the bus.
Incy wincy spider
‘Incy wincy spider’ is a nursery rhyme where you can sing along and use your hands to act out how the spider climbs up the water spout. The song introduces your kids to a wider English vocabulary and also supports their motor muscle-building.
Alphabet and grammar songs to help your child learn English
You’ll be surprised how fast your child will learn the English alphabet as they sing along with these songs.
English Alphabet
This ‘Alphabet song’ has a funky beat and cool animations and slowly works through the alphabet to help kids with the ordering of letters. It also gives examples for each letter of the alphabet and has game activities for kids to complete after listening.
English Grammar chant
These English chants focus on different grammar structures in English. They’re a good way to improve English pronunciation. Each chant has a specific focus – for example, a birthday party, family photo or a plane trip. Plus the song uses a catchy call-and-response structure, so your kids can anticipate and chant at certain moments.
Find more free teaching songs for children on the website LearnEnglish Kids
As we’ve seen, songs in English for primary school students are a fantastic way to make learning English more enjoyable! If you want to find more easy songs in English to sing with your kids, you can browse fun songs for kids on the British Council website LearnEnglish Kids.