Mabel Sainsbury from Kilmodan Primary

Ou est les enfants? 

Cinq enfants dans la classe, 

Ding, dong! 

La cloche sonne, c’est la fin de pause. 

Seulement quatre enfants dans la classe. 

 

Quatre enfants dans la classe, 

Ding, dong! 

La cloche sonne, c’est la fin de pause. 

Seulement trois enfants dans la classe. 

 

Trois enfants dans la classe, 

Ding, dong! 

La cloche sonne, c’est la fin de pause. 

Seulement deux enfants dans la classe. 

 

Deux enfants dans la classe, 

Ding, dong! 

La cloche sonne, c’est la fin de pause. 

Seulement un enfant dans la classe. 

 

Un enfant dans la classe, 

Ding, dong! 

La cloche sonne, c’est la fin de pause. 

Pas d’enfants dans la classe. 

 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Where are the children? 

5 children in the class 

Ding. Dong! 

The bell rings, it’s the end of break. 

Only 4 children in the class. 

 

4 children in the class 

Ding. Dong! 

The bell rings, it’s the end of break. 

Only 3 children in the class. 

 

3 children in the class 

Ding. Dong! 

The bell rings, it’s the end of break. 

Only 2 children in the class. 

 

2 children in the class 

Ding. Dong! 

The bell rings, it’s the end of break. 

Only 1 child in the class. 

 

1 child in the class 

Ding. Dong! 

The bell rings, it’s the end of break. 

No children in the class. 

More about this poem

Mother Tongue Other Tongue is a celebration of poetry written by young people in the languages they speak as a first language or at ...

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About Mabel Sainsbury from Kilmodan Primary

I wrote this because I thought it would be funny and mischievous to have children disappearing after break time. After each break there are fewer and fewer children until finally there are none. Then the teacher finds them climbing in the tree! In our playground we have good trees for climbing.

I thought a poem which used numbers would help other children to learn French numbers. I liked number songs when I was little. Songs and rhymes help us to learn in a fun way and I hope my poem does the same.

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