Would a puppet help your children
speak with confidence?

Exciting possibilities in language learning.....

HOME

How to order
Catalogue request

What's in a pack?
Big Book CD-ROMs
EURO Play-money
Software
Puppets

Our approach
Which language?
theotherside
Visiting northern France
Contact us

• Using puppets in language learning
• Black boy/girl, white boy/girl PC Puppets
• Bird puppets
• Finger puppets
• How to order

Muppet mouths:
Black Girl or Boy ; White Girl or Boy

 Price (excl.VAT): ONLY £ each
+ VAT and P&P

Muppet mouths

Learning French with a puppet called Pierre This video shows how a non-specialist primary class-teacher, who describes himself as an "absolute beginner", learns a little French for each lesson and then uses a puppet called Pierre to help communicate with his class of 7-year-olds. Watch online at - http://www.proteachersvideo.com/Programme/24302/ks1-ks2-mfl-absolute-beginner

Working mouth Each of these characterful "Muppet Mouth" puppets is 24" high with a fully working and highly visible mouth - ideal for doing language work in a classroom or with a group. Picture shows the size of Black Girl and Black Boy - ideal for group work, and easily handled by children. There is mouth but no arm movement, which is good for inexperienced operators, and ideal for language work.

Lightweight

These are light weight and very responsive puppets that fit both child and adult hands. Imported specially from Germany, we were delighted to find these new 'PC Puppets'.

A "foreign visitor" to your classroom!

Whoever you pick, they will make the the perfect foreign visitor, who can only understand when you and the children talk in their own language - and can tell you all sorts of things about where they came from.

Excellent value and easy to use - each comes fully dressed with its own sturdy polythene storage bag.

Big birds by PC Puppets 

 Price (excl.VAT):  £
+ VAT and P&P

Good size for class- and group-work

Toucan is 18" (45cm) tall , while Blue and Gold Macaw is a full 22" inches long.

Easy to operate

Both have a loud squawk in their beaks - useful for counting or just expressing his feelings! They also have full mouth movement.

Children love their wonderful colours and really cheeky faces. These puppets are SUPERB value for money - either would be welcomed as the foreign guest in your classrroom,

Finger puppets

 Prices (excl.VAT):  £ (each), £ (set of 6)
+ VAT and P&P

These finger puppets are great for giving EVERYONE their own puppet to speak with in a language activity.

They fit most finger sizes from children to adults. Swinging cord legs give lots of movement.

Each puppet is CE marked and made to the highest standards. Choose from these sets or buy just the ones you want:

African zoo wildlife set (crocodile, elephant, giraffe, lion, monkey, or zebra);

Farm animals set (chick, cow, duck, horse, pig, or sheep).

Sets of finger puppets to go with stories:

I want my banana
Python, Parrot, Hyena, Tiger.and Monkey

£ (set)

Puppy wants a friend
Horse, Cow, Duck, Hen, Cat; Puppy and Mouse.

£ (set)

I'm Too Big
Elephant, giraffe.

£ (set)

"Our class puppet"
Using puppets in learning another language.....

Our French puppet comes from Africa

...Our class puppet - Michelle - tells us about where she lives in Bakino Faso. We talk to her in French because we don't know her other language, but sometimes she whispers things to our teacher...

She walks to school and has all her lessons in French. She says it's very hot in Africa near the Sahara desert. She showed us to how to make "couscous" which they have for school dinners.

Michelle tought us some of the songs and games they play in their playgrouns....

Our class puppet speaks French and comes from Africa....

For teachers introducing a foreign language at Key Stages 1 and 2, puppets represent an invaluable resource.

Children who are shy about speaking to others using strange new language and different sounds will often chat and be more outgoing with a puppet.

What can I do with a puppet in the classroom?

• Let your class correct the deliberate mistakes made by you with your puppet. Let them correct the puppet when it says the wrong thing. It's in these situations where a puppet can open up a pressure free space where children begin to learn.
• When you are reading a foreign-language story, let the puppet sit on your knee and be your best audience. Make it react at the key moments in the story or help turn the pages or produce a series of props from a box linked to the story.
• You can use a puppet as a weekly 'visitor' to your classroom who can tell the children about where it's come from and what it has done since they last met. Your puppet can introduce new topics and activities to your class and bring things in for them to see.

Children often feel less self-conscious talking in a foreign accent via a puppet. For work in pairs or small groups, you can give each child a finger puppet , or they can make their own, or bring them from home.

How do I move a puppet convincingly?

One of the great secrets is to make the puppet's movements appropriate to its character. It should not talk too much - movement, action and the careful use of props are more effective than words.

• Eye contact with your puppet is very important; we look into each other's eyes when talking so your puppet should do the same. If the puppet looks at your class, they will look at it. Get the puppet to look from one child to another - it appears to know what it is talking about.
• Moving when talking - It does NOT need to move its head or jump about when it's talking - save large movements or noise until you need real dramatic effect!
• Mouth movement - your class will always pay most attention at the beginning and end of a sentence.- so just open and close the mouth of the puppet with the correct number of syllables for the first few words. When it matters, the mouth opens and shuts once for each syllable: it opens on the vowels and closes on the consonants.
• You do not need to be a ventriloquist - the class will be watching the puppet not your lips. The children want that puppet to be alive - if you make no attempt to hide the fact that it is you talking, there is no reason for them to point out the fact that you are!
• Your puppet might have lost its voice - simply say "the puppet can only whisper to me"; you are now free to concentrate on YOU talking, while the puppet moves, gestures and brings out props.
• Coming out of the box - Always make sure the child sees the puppet animated from the start and let him go back into his house still 'alive.'

 How your puppet can express emotion

• Quick glances back and forth - it's worried.
• Double takes back and forth - it's surprised.
• Avoids eye contact - if you ask the puppet something using its name and it looks at the ceiling or away - it's trying to ignore you.
• Stiff head and eyes fixed in the opposite direction - it's angry and rejected.
• Slow glances back to you then away again - it's embarassed or hurt.
• Head dropped - it's sad
• Slow head movements - it's depressed or sleepy.
• Head up - it's stubborn.
• Head to one side - it's angry or confused.
• Keep the mouth open a little as this can be like a smile. Tight shut can look like a frown.

Mouth movements emphasize how the key words are spoken - and you can express emotions too...

How to order

Just click Add to basket by the puppets you have chosen to go to our secure order form; at the checkout, choose whether to (1) pay by card, (2) by cheque, or if you are ordering for a UK school, (3) pay on invoice.