Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce young children to the rhythm and flow of language. By singing or reciting nursery rhymes, children can learn about the structure of language and how words are put together. Nursery rhymes can also help children to develop their listening skills and memory skills. In addition, nursery rhymes can be a lot of fun for both children and adults! Many of them have been passed down through the generations. Nursery rhymes can be enjoyed by children of all ages, and they are a great way to bond with your child while also promoting brain development

Nursery rhymes are far more than entertainment — their rhythm and rhyme build the early literacy skills (especially phonological awareness) that reading later depends on. The way to 'teach' them is simply to enjoy them together, often and repeatedly. Sing and recite the classics, and let repetition do its work; young children love hearing the same rhyme again and again.

Add actions, clapping, and gestures to engage the whole body and make them memorable, and use picture books so children connect the words with images. Pause before the rhyming word and let the child fill it in — that little game builds the sound awareness that helps with reading. Any language works, and homemade or cultural rhymes count just as much as the traditional ones.