Songs, rhymes, chants and raps are frequently used in most primary classrooms – and for good reasons. They develop listening and speaking skills and provide opportunities for movement and drama. They are also memorable and provide enjoyable repetition practice which reinforces pronunciation, vocabulary, language chunks and grammatical structures in a contextualised way.

When every child is engaged at the same time in singing a song or saying a rhyme, chant or rap, this creates a sense of community and class identity. It also allows shy children to participate without risking exposure, which boosts their confidence and self-esteem. Songs, rhymes, chants and raps also encourage children to take English home as, for example, when they spontaneously repeat what they have learnt to parents and siblings.

However, in order to achieve positive results with songs, rhymes, chants and raps, you need to choose them carefully and exploit them in ways that enhance and extend children's enjoyment and learning. Evidence of this may come, for example, when children take ownership of a song, rhyme, rap or chant and use it independently. One example from my own teaching is a group of lower primary children who, after learning the traditional rhyme and game, Queenie, queenie, who's got the ball? in class, were later spotted playing it independently in the playground. Another example is a group of upper primary children who chose to learn by heart the long, and quite complex, lyrics of a current pop song in order to make a karaoke dance video as part of a project.

My key tips for songs, rhymes, chants and raps are:

• 33 Make the most of music (not just songs!)

• 34 Use songs, rhymes, chants and raps for different purposes

• 35 Vary your teaching techniques

• 36 Invent your own songs, raps and chants!

33 Make the most of music (not just songs!)

It's helpful to have music available for different occasions and activities. This includes calm, relaxing classical music and lively, dance music, as well as karaoke versions of songs, that you and the children enjoy.

Music changes the mood. You can use music to liven children up or, perhaps more frequently, to calm them down.