Research in early childhood education has since confirmed that Friedrich Froebel was indeed on the right track when he suggested that playing with sounds in language has significant benefits for children’s learning and development, and nursery rhymes are one of the best and most fun ways we can do this.
Among the benefits of nursery rhymes for young children are:
- Nursery rhymes are ‘mini’ stories and are a great way to begin to foster children’s engagement with storytelling.
- Nursery rhymes support children’s receptive and expressive language development.
- Through nursery rhymes, children become familiar with the sounds and rhythmic patterns in a spoken language.
- Nursery rhymes can reinforce mathematical concepts such as number, shape, and space in fun and enjoyable contexts.
- Children’s imagination and creativity are nurtured as they engage with the characters and scenarios in nursery rhymes.
- Nursery rhymes, through suggesting actions, physical movement, and dance, promote children’s fine and gross motor development.
- Nursery rhymes create an opportunity for children to participate in enjoyable interactive and social contexts with adults and with each other.
- Creative expression through Art and Drama is nurtured as children often spontaneously draw/paint/sculpt images suggested by the rhyme and/or naturally become the characters in the rhyme.
Here in Longfield Academy the children love Nursery rhymes/song time and a few of their daily favourites are:
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
- Wheels on the bus
- Five little ducks
- Baby shark
- One little Finger
- Happy and you know it
- Head, shoulders, knees, and toes
- Old Mc Donald
- Row, row, row your boat
- Incy wincy spider
Now think about your favourite nursery rhyme, can you still recite it with all those actions and how much fun it still is! Why not try one of Longfield’s favourite Nursery rhymes and practice with your little expert at home?
By Siobhán Shelly - LINC Co-ordinator
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