Hello! A names circle and a hello chant
The very first English lesson. Children sit in a circle, wave, chant hello and say their name when the ball reaches them. No reading, no writing, lots of waving.
At a glance
- From
- Level 0, Little Steps English: Week 1, Hello and goodbye
- Grammar
- Hello. Goodbye. I'm Ana.
- Key language
- Hello. / Goodbye. / I'm (name). / What's your name?
- Children make
- A spoken "Hello, I'm..." in the circle and a drawing of themselves waving.
- Class size
- Works with 10 to 50 children; pair and group steps say how to scale.
Objective
By the end of the lesson children can wave and say hello and goodbye, say their own name in English ("I'm...") and listen for a friend's name.
Success criteria for children
- I can say hello and goodbye.
- I can say my name: "I'm Ana."
- I can listen when my friend says their name.
Timing: 30 minutes
| Minutes | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Circle and wave | Sit in a circle; wave and say hello in big, small and silly voices. |
| 5 to 11 | The hello chant | Teacher says the chant with actions; children join the actions, then the words. |
| 11 to 19 | Names circle with the ball | Roll the ball across the circle; the catcher says I'm... and the class says Hello, (name). |
| 19 to 23 | Hello and goodbye game | Walk and wave: say hello when music plays, freeze and say goodbye when it stops. |
| 23 to 28 | Worksheet: draw and trace | Trace hello, draw yourself waving, colour one circle per friend greeted. |
| 28 to 30 | Goodbye | Wave goodbye to Pip and to each other. |
Materials
- A soft ball or a beanbag that rolls
- A puppet or soft toy (give it a name, we use Pip)
- A circle of mats or a rope circle on the floor
- One worksheet per child, pencils and crayons
- Song: Hello, hello, hello (free, linked from Week 1)
- Song: Bean bag hello (free, linked from Week 1)
- Classroom language flashcards (free, linked from Week 1)
Before the lesson: Learn the chant below so you can say it without the page. Check how each child's name is pronounced with their family before the lesson and say it that way every time.
Step by step, with teacher talk
0 to 5 minCircle and wave
- Sit with the children in a circle. Wave and say "Hello!" in a big voice, then a tiny voice, then a sleepy voice. Children copy each time.
- Wave to each child in turn with a smile and say "Hello". Wait for a wave or a word back, but never insist.
"Hello, everyone! Wave with me. Hello! Now a tiny hello... hello. Now a big hello... HELLO!"
- (Wave.) Am I saying hello or goodbye? (Hello. Children may wave instead of speaking.)
5 to 11 minThe hello chant
- Say the chant line by line with big actions: wave, point to a friend, hand on chest for "I'm".
- Say it three times. The first time children only watch, the second time they do the actions, the third time they say the easy words (hello, goodbye).
- Play the audio once so children hear a second voice.
"Watch me. Hello, hello, hello to you! Now you do the wave. Now say it with me."
11 to 19 minNames circle with the ball
- Introduce Pip the puppet: "Hello! I'm Pip." Show Pip rolling the ball to you: "I'm (your name)." Everyone says "Hello, (your name)!"
- Roll the ball to a child. The child says their name (or whispers it to Pip, who says it out loud). The class answers "Hello, (name)!"
- Keep going until every child has had a turn. In a big class use two circles, each with an adult or a confident child as helper.
"I'm (your name). Hello, (name)! Now roll the ball to a friend. What's your name?"
- (Point to yourself.) Is this me, or you? (Teacher / me.) What do I say? (I'm...)
- Who has the ball now? (Name.) Do we say hello to them? (Yes.)
19 to 23 minHello and goodbye game
- Children walk around the room. When you say "Hello!" they wave to the nearest friend. When you say "Goodbye!" they wave and sit down.
- Repeat three times, getting a little quicker each time.
"Walk, walk, walk... Hello! Wave to a friend. Goodbye! Wave and sit."
23 to 28 minWorksheet: draw and trace
- Do the tracing together: "Hello" with a finger in the air, then a pencil on the grey letters.
- Children draw their own face and a waving hand. An adult writes the child's name on the picture if they cannot yet.
28 to 30 minGoodbye
- Pip waves goodbye. Children say "Goodbye!" and wave as they leave the circle one by one.
Differentiation
Support
- Allow a wave, a nod or a whisper to Pip instead of speaking aloud.
- Let the child hold Pip and let Pip say the name.
- For children who speak little English, say their name for them first and let them copy.
Stretch
- Add "Hello, I'm... What's your name?" so the child asks the next friend.
- Ask children to say "Goodbye, (name)" to the friend who rolled the ball.
- Add "How are you?" and answer with a thumb up or down.
Chant
Say it slowly with actions. Children join in. There is no set tune, only a steady beat, so any teacher can use it.
Hello, hello, hello to you!
Wave your hand and say it too.
Hello, hello, what's your name?
Say it loud and say it again.
I'm (name)! Hello, (name)!
Hello, hello, hello to you!
Goodbye, goodbye, wave goodbye.
Wave to the ground and wave to the sky.
Questions
- What do we say when we meet a friend?
- What do we say when we leave?
- What do we ask a new friend?
- What do we say when we answer?
Printable worksheet
Prints on its own A4 page. Use Print the worksheet above, or print the whole plan and the worksheet starts on a new page. One copy per child, or one per pair to save paper.
Hello! I'm...
A grown-up reads the headings aloud. Children do not need to read.
1. Trace the words with a pencil.
Hello Goodbye
2. Draw yourself waving hello.
3. Colour one circle for each friend you said hello to today.
Answer key
Chant questions
- Hello.
- Goodbye.
- What's your name?
- I'm... (the child's own name).
Worksheet
- 1: children trace over the grey letters. Praise the attempt; letter shape does not matter yet.
- 2: any drawing of themselves with a hand up. Write the child's name on it.
- 3: any number of circles from 0 to 8; accept the child's own count.
Exit ticket
Ask each child one by one as they leave: "What's your name?" Tick a class list: said their name alone, said it with help, waved only. Everyone waves goodbye.
Homework
Tell a family member "Hello! I'm (name)" in English and draw them waving. Bring the drawing next lesson.
Teaching this to a whole class?
Litlings lets you plan lessons like this one, set photo and voice homework, and see who needs help. Free for up to 40 pupils.
Start free with LitlingsMore lesson plans
- Level 0, Week 1: Hello and goodbye (the curriculum week this plan comes from)
- All reading texts, dialogues, scripts, worksheets and answer keys on this page are original to Litlings and free to copy for classroom use.