What children learn from Nursery Rhymes
Nursery rhymes songs are commonly heard early on in children’s lives. Whether that be in their homes or in school. One can come to wonder where and when these songs originated from and we can come to wonder what is the purpose of someone to create them. One thing is clear about these rhymes and that is that children are drawn to them. These rhymes are usually fun and interactive for children but it also helps develop many skills they need to grow. Some of these skills include social skills, literacy skills and motor skills.
Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes
The rhyme Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes became known around the 1950s and has since been a bit modified over the years. There is no actual information on why or who created this song but it is a good thing they did. The song consists of body parts which are named and pointed at throughout the song. By doing so it is teaching children where their body parts are located and allowing them to remember and store the word with the part of the body they are pointing at. And the rhythm allows them to enjoy as they are learning. Children can be curious at times so this song allows them to explore more about their body parts. This song is easy to learn which can allow parents to sing them to their children as well as their teachers in school.
Alphabet Song
Another commonly known rhyme is the Alphabet Song. This song just consists of the whole alphabet. Now this melody dates back to the 1700s. The composer was a French man who went by the name of Bouin. But that was just the melody. The melody wasn’t associated as the ABC song until 1835 in America by Charles Bradlee. This song allows children to learn the alphabet while having fun. Some teachers or parents use flash cards or posters with the letters as they sing it so that the children may be able to recognize the letter with the pronunciation. This helps adults open a gateway to expand the child’s knowledge of the letters. For example, A is for apple. Allowing them to learn to recognize the letter and object. This can work with colors as well.
Bingo/ Bingo Was His Name O
Among many rhymes there is Bingo. This one in particular is a spelling rhyme. The origin of this rhyme is still a mystery. There are a few old songs that sound similar to it but it isn’t clear who wrote it. But overall the song is about a farmer and his dog. The song goes on to spell out the dog’s name which is Bingo. Then it replaces the letter with a clap. It helps them interact with their classmates or siblings if they aren’t in school yet. The rhyme is catchy and friendly allowing the children to enjoy hearing and singing along.
In conclusion
There are many other nursery rhymes and more are being written for children. The focus of these songs are to help children of many ages and cultures to be able to learn and grow. Children are often compared to sponges in the way they are able to soak up knowledge. The platform for them to expand their understanding comes from what parents as well as teachers show them. Maybe these rhymes weren’t originally written for children but over the years they have modified to help children learn. These skills that they learn help them begin to write and read in a fun healthy way.