Why Are Nursery Rhymes Important For Your Childs Future Learning

Nursery rhymes, you remember them, right?

• ‘Humpty Dumpty Sat On The Wall…’
• ‘Hickory Dickory Dock…’
• ‘Mary Mary quite contrary….’ 
• ‘Mary had a little lamb it’s fleece was white as snow…..’

When I was growing up, nursery rhymes were always sung to children from a young age. Ok, so yes, I am 34, but thats not exactly old now, is it?! 

As a kid, I can always remember singing nursery rhymes and having a favourite nursery rhyme book. 

Kids now a days spend a lot of time in front of screens. They’re every where we turn. TV’s, tablets, mobile phones. I’m sure we all know a toddler who loves to just sit and watch some sort of children’s show that has been introduced on YouTube. I let my boys do it too. It’s not wrong to do it, but  in moderation is best.

So, Are Nursery Rhymes Becoming A Thing Of The Past? 

I really hope not. Nursery Rhymes, believe it or not, help child development. Let me explain. To some people they are ‘silly’ little rhymes that mean very little. But in fact Nursery Rhymes help a child…

• Develop listening skills
• Learn new words
• Develop their non-verbal communications skills
• Learn early maths skills
• Building memory skills
• Understand how words are formed
• Enables children to copy actions
• Boasts language, communication and literacy skills
• Helps develop social skills
• Develop understanding of concepts such as big and little, slow and fast, up and down etc
• Learn about different beats and rhythms which aid phonemic awareness
• Provides the opportunity for children to value language and become confident learners.
• Creates a close relationship between adult and child

All of which are important stepping stones to children’s future in education and learning.

PIN FOR LATER

So What Is The Adults Role In Nursery Rhymes? Can’t I Just Put Them In Front Of The TV? 

Now don’t get me wrong. Children can learn from the tv, which I write about. But interaction with adults is best for them. 

As an adult, your role when singing nursery rhymes is to 

• Be confident
• Sing songs slowly and clearly
• Use a clear tone
• Use props to support the songs
• Involve the children
• Use actions, pictures or widget symbol

Here are some lovely little bits to enhance Nursery Rhymes I have found on Amazon

Don’t worry if you haven’t got the best singing voice, believe me when I say that I have a  singing voice of a strangled cat. But the kids don’t care, they love the interaction and the fact i’m right beside them singing the songs and doing the actions with them. 

How To Implement Nursery Rhymes Into Your Everyday Routines?

Nursery rhymes don’t just have to be restricted to an allocated song time. Why not try 

• Putting a nursery rhymes cd or  podcast on in the car
• Find nursery rhyme videos on YouTube
• Sing during nappy changes
• link songs to activities such as ‘i’m a little tea pot’ during a kitchen role play set up. Or ‘miss polly had a dolly’ during a doctors role play.
• Sing a few favourites rhymes and songs before or after meal times. 
• In fact sing absolutely anywhere! 
• At bedtime read rhyming books and nursery rhymes books.

Your little one will love the interaction with you. At first they might look at you like ‘what on earth are you doing?’ but don’t feel ‘silly’, give it time. Soon enough your child will be laughing along and eventually joining in! 

This video is brilliant as it shows the actions to the songs using Makaton. 

Do you sing nursery rhymes to your little ones?

How do you include nursery rhymes into your everyday routines? 

If you do, does your little one have favourites? 

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