Origins
Everything has an origin, including most fairy tales and other stories children have heard before. One of the most famous is This Little Piggy, which is a rhyme loved by children all over. At first, I did not believe this had an origin, but it does. In 1728, there was a song or a medley written called The Nurse’s Song. The full version wasn’t recorded until about 1760, when it appeared in the Tommy Thumb’s Little Storybook.
Theories
Most of the nursery rhymes we know today are about three centuries old. Some theories are that they were a modern way of remembering things from history. Another theory abounds where it’s a story where one pig eats quite a bit and another doesn’t to show it’s not all about food or gluttony. Some nursery rhymes were a vehicle to remember historic events of the age. Theories abound, but there are few actual meanings to some.
Kids 0-5
Kids this age grow fast. They grow to have a great vocabulary and great skills by the time they start kindergarten. It turns out there are many benefits to singing and doing rhyming during this time. These little people are learning and growing all the time. One of the main benefits of these little songs is to teach word recognition. The more we say words and the way we identify words with things in our world, the better little people can recognize what we say. If we say ‘no’ often enough, they learn what it means and then they say it all the time, too.
Play
As we play and sing This Little Piggy we are developing their gross motor skills. They can grab their toes and sing along if they are able. They also learn to count, and use simple logic. An example of logic would be that 2 comes after 1.
Topics
Children learn quite a bit when they hear a rhyming song like this. They learn repetition, counting and other lessons as well. They also teach that it is fun to sing and play together, especially a parent and a child. They also learn predictability. After a while of hearing the song several times, they know what’s going to happen next. They also anticipate the tickling at the end, which is the most fun among infants, toddlers, and preschoolers alike.
Experiences
Parents can create educational experiences for their children through the Little Piggy rhyme. They can count to five, they can also compare the piggy that went to market if, they too, are going to the market. The parent can also get little people excited about food, especially roast beef, if they want!