Songs don't come much simpler than "Head Shoulders Knees And Toes," right? Well, actually…most experienced ESL/EFL teachers can share with you the experience of asking a student to name a part of the body and that student pointing to his knees and saying proudly, "Knees-an!" Or another student pointing to her toes and saying, "An-toes!" It can be difficult for young learners to hear the separation in the words.
Our super simple version of "Head Shoulders Knees & Toes (Let's Learn)" begins by first saying each of the body parts clearly and leaving room for the children to repeat as they touch/point to each part. When we begin singing in the second verse the children are able to better understand the linking of sounds and how words blend together, and they can generalize that skill to other listening activities.