Child Development with Nursery Rhymes
The first five years of your child’s life are the most important years. Researchers found that 90% of a child’s brain develops in the first five years, and brain development starts from day one. It is important to sing, rhyme, share stories, and play with your child starting from the day of birth to help build a strong foundation for the child’s future and development. These interactions last a lifetime.
Using Music to Interact With Your Child
Music influences the growth and development of newborns and children. Mothers have a natural instinct to rock their baby to sleep while humming a nursery rhyme. Although this might come naturally, there is a very important interaction taking place between the mother and child. When a mother is humming or singing to their baby that baby experiences a social connection to their mother. There is naturally an emotional attachment between mother and baby. Baby develops motor and language exposure when being sung to. Both connect physically and visually when mother sings to the baby. It is important to learn little songs and rhymes to sing to your baby as often as you can.
How Music Influences Development in Children
Elementary Students are introduced to nursery rhymes throughout their educational development. It begins in pre-school and continues through their educational experience. Elementary teachers have use songs and rhyme to introduce new students into the classroom. Songs like “If Your Happy and You Know it” or the “Picking Up A Baby Bumble Bee”. Children that sing and clap together are engaging in social interaction with everyone in the classroom. This alone creates a comfortable environment for children and provides a natural setting to make new friends.
Educational Influences
Teachers invite children to make a circle and hold hands together to sing circle songs. This allows children to partake in language development including melody, poetry, and individualized self-expression.
Top 10 Popular Songs For Kids:
1. “Happy Birthday”
2. “Ring Around the Rosie’s”
3. “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
4. “London Bridge”
5. “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”
6. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”
7. “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
8. “Rock-a-Bye Baby”
9. “Five Little Monkeys”
10. “The Hokey Pokey”
The Importance of Rhyme
When a child is taught about rhyme, they develop a connection between how the word sounds. The child can then use what they hear to write the word down on paper. Teaching the importance of rhyme helps children build phonics skills. Ways to help children build these skills is to play rhyming games and play games that put together sounds and rhythm of words. Tongue twisters are great ways to help children develop rhythm skills. Examples of tongue twisters include “ Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” or “She sells seashells by the seashore.”
Singing songs in the Car or on the Bus
Parents should invite their children to join them in a song when riding along in the car. Whether the car ride is short or long it is good to engage with your child. Most cars and vans today have radios and TV’s but it is important to take a moment and sing a few car songs with your child even if it is annoying. These songs can be sung while riding in the care and your child can also sing them on the bus.
Top Car and Bus Songs
1.”Little Red Car”
2. “Road Rangers”
3. “Police Car Song”