About the Farmer in the Dell

The Farmer in the Dell Nursery Rhyme
The farmer in the dell nursery rhyme is a staple in the toddler nursery rhyme world. It is a fun and easy rhyme with a great rhythm and easy to follow lyrics. But how did this fun, and energetic nursery rhyme begin and what is the benefits of it? That is what we are here to talk about today.
History of the Nursery Rhyme
Although not much is known about the actual origin of the nursery rhyme, it is thought to have originated in Germany and brought over to the U.S via immigrants during the early 1800’s. The farmer would represent how prevalent farming was here in the United States when the early settlers first arrived, and the dell is a common, wooded work space for farmer’s, some think it is similar to barns and stables. The interesting part about this nursery rhyme is that it tells a story of a farmer and how the routine would go for farmer’s and stablemen back in the 1800’s. It starts with the farmer in the dell alone, he then finds a wife, a child and then from there he gains various different farm animals until finally the cheese stands alone. There are a few different interpretations to the cheese standing alone, but in modern day we see it as the farmer eventually goes on to produce food which is then served to the community.
Learning Tools
This nursery rhyme is not only incredibly catchy and fun for children to sing, but it is also a great learning tool for parents and educators. The routine and repetition of the rhyme makes it a great way for children to learn lyrics and test their memory. As they go through the song they will learn the repeated words rather quickly and then eventually learn the rest of the song as well, which is a great learning tool for young children. It is also good for young children to learn from because it uses small, relatively simple words and phrases but when put together as a whole song, it tells a story, one that young children and adults can both benefit from. As they go through the story it helps them to learn how to follow a plot and listen for key phrases and words that help them to understand the story line. When using this nursery rhyme as a learning tool, educators will benefit from showing the children how the story comes together and explaining the origin of the American farmer and how families and work habits have changed from then to now.
So overall as a parent, teacher or educator this nursery rhyme is a great tool for learning and for having fun with young children who are eager to learn and enjoy singing a fun song. Music is known to help children learn and this is just another great example of that.