What are Figerplays?
Babies play with their fingers, these are the first toys and tools that they use for learning. There are some songs called “Fingerplays”, they are brief stories that rhyme and can be dramatized by the fingers.
Are they useful?
😃👍
They can be used to: provide transitions, motivate,
relax, introduce theme, provide theme for integrating skills and concepts,
provide for a project, begin group time, develop listening, develop language,
develop number and counting, work with order and sequence, develop self-esteem,
develop coordination, encourage discussion, follow directions, encourage cooperation.
And these can be used to develop different areas:
- The play are great emotional potentials.
- In social terms fingerplay is a great opportunity for the child. The child plays the game in two, together with an adult, and in the play it is about a unique partnership.
- Develop motor skills.
- Develop cognitive abilities. Fingerplay provides challenges in the areas of mathematics, language, music, society, movement, and, of course, arts.
Some Tips at the moment to introduce it
When you teach a new fingerplay, it is best to repeat the rhyme at least a couple of times. The first time through, go slowly enough so that the children can catch onto the words. Don’t forget to explain the motions. Consider the following steps when presenting finger plays:- Introduce the fingerplay to the children by saying rhyme and using the finger movements. Use media if appropriate.
- Invite the children to repeat the rhyme and repeat one line at a time.
- Repeat again using finger movements.
- Continue to use the rhyme during the day and during the study.
- Present extended learning activities with the rhyme.
- Encourage children to share the rhyme with parents or "important others" in their home.
Example
Teddy
Bears
Five little teddy bears ready to
play.
(hold up right hand)
The first one said, "Let's have a
happy day."
(move
thumb)
The second one said, "I'm ready for
some fun."
(move first finger)
The third one said, "I can see the
sun."
(move
second finger)
The fourth one said, "I will play
with Mary."
(move third finger)
The fifth one said, "I will play
with Jerry."
(fourth or little finger)
Five little teddy bears ready to
play.
(hold up right
hand)
Five little teddy bears ran away.
(place hand behind you and repeat rhyme with left hand)
By Betty Ruth Baker
By Betty Ruth Baker
REFERENCES
Baker, B. R. (1992). Fingerplays: An idea
from the Past with Learning Opportunities for the Present and Furture. 1-12.
Shin, J. K. (2017). Get Up and Sing! Get Up
and Move! Using Songs and Movement with Young Learners of English. English
Teaching Forum, 14-25.
Cvetko, J. S. (2015). THE VALUE OF
FINGERPLAY AS A FORM OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CURRICULUM OF THE FIRST AGE PERIOD.
RASPRAVE
I ČLANCI,
411-423.
It´s an awesome activity. I mean you can use it to introduce complex topics such mathematics and also you help the with their motor skills and listening skills because they have to listen to the chant. When we work with kids, and specially with preschool, we need to really consider and analyze the activities we implement because we have to be conscious of the outcome we want but at the same time we need to be aware of their needs. This activity in my personal opinion, has all these requirements and is not really complex to implement it. Thanks Chayito, I really liked this topic!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is an incredible subject, is amazing everything you can achieve with tools like this. You keep the attention of the children, as well as the interest in the class, something that is complicated in some cases. Also for this type of activities it takes great creativity on the part of the teacher, but that is not a problem in your case. Excellent subject. Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteI have never worked with fingerplaces, but they seem useful for learning vocabulary through movement and music. Applying it in your class helps you work a kinesthetic activity and auditive activity that helps the students who have these types of intelligence to understand a topic or stay focus. Thanks for sharing!
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