Jessie Yang

Nursery Rhymes: Seven Reasons Why They're Still Critical For Your Child's Development

Nursery rhymes have been around for hundreds of years.  Are they outdated and worn thin? Or could they  be just as important today as they were three or four hundred years ago?
The truth is, nursery rhymes have stood the test of time because they are critical to early childhood development.  Here are seven reasons why:
  1. Nursery rhymes are the best preparation for the development of more complex speaking skills. That's because they are loaded with developmentally appropriate basic sounds, words and phrases that make up our language.
  2. Traditional nursery rhymes and Mother Goose are still the best way to begin teaching reading, language, literacy and counting skills. Plus, if you let your child "read along" by showing him/her the printed text that goes with each rhyme, it's a great way to familiarize your child with letters, sounds and words in print and numbers.
  3. Nursery rhymes help develop intelligence. When you add movement while chanting nursery rhymes (as in finger plays, clapping to the beat or playing another type of rhythmical game), both sides of your child's brain are accessed at the same time - and that's always a big plus for learning and brain development.
  4. Nursery rhymes boost mind-body brain development. Since many rhymes are sung, this lead to musical experiences, which again access both sides of your child's brain at the same time. When you add appropriate movement at the appropriate time (as when the song is extremely familiar) you boost mind-body brain development exponentially.
  5. Traditional nursery rhymes encourage left-right brain coordination, the acquisition of motor skills and musical fluency. Repeating songs with movements over a period of time also accesses parts of the brain that nothing else can access.
  6. Early childhood is the perfect time for this type of brain development.  If a child doesn't get ample experiences in singing and moving rhythmically to simple tunes in childhood, its extremely difficult to make up for that later.  Ultimately a lack of mind-body brain and left-right brain coordination experiences can slow a child's learning in other subjects such as reading and math, as well as slow learning and coordination in general.
  7. Mother Goose and traditional nursery rhymes teach the rhythm of the language, along with the nuances. Every language has its own rhythm. The best way to learn the rhythm and the nuances is hear them and practice them until they are second nature.





  8. Although WE may think they're old, nursery rhymes are brand new to each new crop of toddlers. Today's toddlers have never heard the traditional nursery rhymes before.





The reason that nursery rhymes have lasted throughout the ages is because they are developmentally perfect for young children.  The best thing you can do for your young child is to involve him or her in a rich experience of nursery rhymes - teach the rhymes, read the rhymes, move to the rhymes and color illustrations of them.  Repeat regularly, and you'll have a child well on their way to good learning.


 

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man?
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane?
Why, yes I know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane.
Now, two of us know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man
Two of us know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane!

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man?
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane?
Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane.
Now, four of us know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man
Four of us know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane!

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man?
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane?
Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane.
Now, all of us know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man
All of us know the muffin man
who lives on Drury Lane.



 



Three Blind Mice
Three blind mice,
Three blind mice, See how they run!
See how they run!
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails,
With a carving knife.
Did you ever see such a thing in your life,
As three blind mice.


Baa, baa black sheep
Baa, baa black sheep
Have you any wool
Yes sir, yes sir
Three bags full.
One for my master
And one for my dame
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.




Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory dickory dock the mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one the mouse ran down
Hickory dickory dock
Hickory dickory dock the mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck two the mouse said "Boo!"
Hickory dickory dock
Hickory dickory dock the mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck three the mouse said "Whee!!"
Hickory dickory dock
Hickory dickory dock the mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck four the mouse said "No more!"
Hickory dickory dock



Im A Little Teapot 

I'm a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up
Hear me shout
"Tip me over
and pour me out!"