By Sanne, Educational Advisor at Jungle the Bungle
In conversations with schools and teachers, we regularly hear questions about how Jungle the Bungle can be given a practical place in the school day. Do you put the app on the weekly schedule? Do you plan a fixed practice moment? Or do you let pupils practice at different times instead? In this blog, we share practical ideas that you can apply directly in the classroom.
With Jungle the Bungle, pupils can independently practise new words in Dutch, English, French and Spanish, among other languages. But how do you incorporate that practice into daily teaching practice?
The short answer is: there is no single right way.
What works well depends on your pupils, the way you organise your teaching, the number of devices available and the space in the timetable. Jungle the Bungle does not have to be a standalone component for which you turn the whole curriculum upside down. By aligning with routines that already exist in particular, you can easily incorporate practice into the classroom.
Below you will find five practical options.
Put Jungle the Bungle on the weekly task list
Does your class use a weekly schedule? If so, you can easily incorporate Jungle the Bungle into it. This way, practicing fits in with a routine that pupils are already familiar with, meaning you don't have to plan a separate classroom session for it every time.
Put, for example, on the weekly schedule: Jungle the Bungle – 10 to 15 minutes practice
Depending on how you work with the weekly task, pupils can plan for themselves when they do this. Not every pupil needs the same degree of freedom for this. Some pupils are perfectly capable of choosing a suitable moment themselves, whilst other pupils benefit from more structure, for example an agreed day, time or task.
You can also provide direction in terms of content. In Jungle the Bungle, you can set a theme per pupil. For example, one pupil can practise with words that tie in with a theme in the classroom, whilst another pupil works on a different theme.
Through the dashboard, you can then see how a pupil has worked with Jungle the Bungle. Among other things, you can see their progress, playtime, played minigames, and the number of unique words a pupil has encountered.
Tip: start with pupils who are not yet used to planning independently with a clear agreement. Does that go well? Then you can gradually give more scope to choose a practice time yourself.
2. Use Jungle the Bungle as a choice activity
Not every practice session needs to be scheduled in advance. Jungle the Bungle can also be used as a choice activity. Has a pupil finished a task? Is there a free working period? Or do you use a choice board? Then Jungle the Bungle can be one of the activities pupils can choose from.
For example, include the app on a choice board alongside activities like reading or drawing. This creates opportunities to engage independently with language at other times as well.
Freedom of choice does not mean that everything has to be free. As a teacher, you can still provide frameworks. For example, a student can choose for themselves when they use Jungle the Bungle, while you decide which language or which theme is practiced.
That can also vary per pupil. You can give a pupil who is good at making independent choices more freedom. For example, you can let a pupil who needs more guidance know in advance which language or theme he or she is practising.
Tip: keep an eye on which pupils choose Jungle the Bungle of their own accord from time to time and which ones do not. An optional activity is a nice extra opportunity, but does not have to replace a planned practice session when you want a pupil to practise regularly.
3. Plan a regular Jungle the Bungle moment
For some groups or pupils, a fixed practice time works particularly well. For example, agree that the whole class or a small group works with Jungle the Bungle every Tuesday and Thursday morning, or choose another time that fits within your daily routine.
A set routine provides clarity: pupils know when it is time to practise and what is expected of them. That can be especially helpful for pupils who still need support with independent planning.
Moreover, a set time gives you as a teacher the opportunity to consciously watch along. Walk around, listen to what pupils are practising and see what difficulties they encounter. You can also use the dashboard afterwards to review things like playtime, progress and played minigames.
You can also bring the session to a brief, joint conclusion. For example, ask: ‘Which words did you practise today?’ Have a few pupils name a word or invite them to talk about something.
This not only turns a regular Jungle the Bungle moment into a recognisable routine, but it also creates a natural opportunity to focus on the language the pupils have practiced.
Tip: a set time does not have to mean the exact same thing for every pupil. Within the same practice session, pupils can work with different languages, themes and levels.
More ideas to briefly work with the practised words after playing? Read our blog ‘From practising words to talking together: how to get more out of Jungle the Bungle’.
4. Create a language corner in the classroom
Do you work with corners or workshops? Then you can give Jungle the Bungle a place in a language corner. And that corner doesn't just have to consist of a tablet or laptop.
Make the words and themes that pupils are practising visible in the classroom too. For example, use pictures, word cards, drawings or real objects that fit the theme. This way, words are not only offered in the app, but pupils also encounter them in a different way.
Are pupils working with the theme of food and drink, for example? Then place a number of objects or pictures of food and drink in the corner. You can do the same for themes such as animals, clothing or nature.
Then have pupils also do something with the words. After practising with Jungle the Bungle, they can, for example:
- point to and name an object;
- to draw or act out a word;
- sorting words that belong together;
- use a practiced word in a short sentence.
Adapt the activity to the pupil's ability. For one pupil, pointing and naming might already be a great step, whereas another pupil can explain, describe or make a sentence using the word.
This turns the language corner not only into a place to practise with Jungle the Bungle, but also into a place where pupils see, recognise and use words themselves.
5. Incorporate Jungle the Bungle into a circuit
Are you working with a rotation activity in the classroom? Then you can include Jungle the Bungle as one of the activities.
For example, divide the class into different activities. One small group practises with Jungle the Bungle, another group reads or does a language activity, and another group works with the teacher. After an agreed amount of time, the pupils rotate.
For example, this format is useful when a tablet, laptop or Chromebook is not available for every pupil at the same time. Because pupils rotate in smaller groups, you can still let several pupils practice with a limited number of devices.
Moreover, a circuit makes it easy to combine practising in the app with other activities. For example, have pupils speak, read, draw or play a language game using words from the same theme.
Tip: where possible, have the various parts tie in with the same theme. For example, is a small group practising food and drink in Jungle the Bungle? Then another activity in the circuit can also revolve around words from that theme. This way, words recur at different times and in different ways.
How long do you let pupils work with Jungle the Bungle?
Rather regular and short than the occasional long practice session. As a practical guideline, we recommend having pupils practise with Jungle the Bungle for about 10 to 15 minutes multiple times a week. This also aligns with the advice in the current teacher's guide.
See those 10 to 15 minutes primarily as a guideline. How long an appropriate practice session takes depends, among other things, on the age, attention span and needs of the pupil and on what works within your school day.
Therefore, pay close attention to your own group. Do you notice attention waning? Then that could be a good moment to wrap up. Is a pupil working with concentration and does practising a bit longer fit within the programme? Then, of course, a practice session does not have to stop at exactly fifteen minutes.
The exact number of minutes is less important than finding a practice rhythm that suits your group. Multiple short practice moments spread throughout the week offer pupils the opportunity to engage with the language at different times.
And at home?
Practising language doesn't have to stop when the school day is over. Pupils can also use Jungle the Bungle at home. To do this, they log in at home using their username and password.
You can send the login details home and briefly inform parents about how to use the app: what Jungle the Bungle is, how their child logs in, and how the app can be used at home. Practising at home does not have to be compulsory homework. You can also offer it as an extra practice opportunity for pupils who want to continue working on the language at home.
Choose what suits your class
There is not one right way to use Jungle the Bungle. Perhaps a regular practice time suits your group well, while another class benefits more from a weekly task, choice activity, language corner or carousel. Nor do you have to try everything at once. Start with one format that aligns with how you already work and see what works for your pupils. From there, you can always expand further or combine different ideas.
Choose what suits your class and make Jungle the Bungle step by step part of your own routine.
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