Year 2: Singing Our Way to the End of the School Year!
It’s always an honor for a teacher to be the first to plant a seed — to create the very first memory or emotional connection to a subject. Or rather, at this age, to an area of exploration.
We adults love to define things: I like it / I don’t like it. And children are no different — in fact, they tend to make these decisions even faster. Why? Because they are honest and unfiltered. They don’t pretend.
That’s why it’s such a big responsibility for us teachers — we don’t want to be the ones who ruin it! 😄
And German? Oh, that famously “difficult” language, with all its articles, conjugations, and declensions — a total catastrophe, some experienced adults might say.
But here’s the magic: our little learners don’t know that.
They come in with curiosity, enthusiasm, and a pure desire to explore. In our program, we would call them Inquirers. They are still small, and when they arrive at school, they mostly want to play with their friends, see their teacher, enjoy a tasty lunch — and along the way, they just happen to learn something.
Learning at this age is not forced — it is completely natural and just happens, often without them even realizing it.
What helps this natural process is that they don’t just learn with their heads. Learning is full-body. It happens through movement, drawing, dancing, acting, playing, singing, manipulating objects.
And drawing? Oh, how they love drawing! If they could choose just one activity to do 24/7, I’m convinced it would be drawing. (Though running and singing come close behind!)
As a teacher who also works with older students — including those in the Diploma Programme, preparing for their final exams and focused intensely on academic performance — it’s fascinating to then walk into a classroom and spend the whole lesson singing German songs with Year 2 students.
This year, I truly came to appreciate how powerful songs are for young learners. What works better for vocabulary learning than loud, joyful, enthusiastic repetition? Absolutely nothing.
That’s why I’d love to share a few of our favorite German songs for kids. They’re fun, catchy, and perfect for summer listening — especially while we’re taking a short break from German lessons.
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What children remember from a lesson is important — but how they felt during it matters just as much. If they felt safe, curious, and eager to explore, they learned more than we often realize.
Enjoy singing, moving, and learning together. And thank you, Year 2, for such a beautiful, inspiring year! 💛
