History of “Ten in the Bed” Nursery Rhyme
It is unclear exactly when ten in the bed and the little one said originated or who wrote it. The only hard fact is that it was reportedly written in the United States. There are not any theories about why or how the rhyme was written. People can guess for themselves that perhaps it was written by a parent with several children sharing a bed.
How Nursery Rhymes Can Help Your Child 0-5
The first, and most important skill learned in this popular nursery rhyme is counting. Preschool age children especially can benefit from this song by building number memorization, language support, and communication skills. It is often said that a child’s education begins at home and the use of fun, playful nursery rhymes can help small children learn with enjoyment.
Beginning Mathematics
Parents can show their children that learning is fun by showing a video of “Ten in the Bed” featuring bunnies, children, or other fun characters. This will give them a visualization of not only numbers but also the beginning forms of subtraction. Each video depicts a character leaving the bed as the number goes down. They won’t even realize that they are already learning about math!
Build Language and Reading Skills Early
Rhyming is an excellent method of building language skills and overall literacy. This particular rhyme is repetitive, which helps children learn and hone new skills. Encourage your child to participate by singing along with the song. Older children can count backward on their fingers. Younger children might like a more tangible demonstration. Take ten items, that are not choking hazards, and remove one item as the song progresses until there are none left. Your child will think of it as a game and stay engaged during the course of the song.
Free Play
A child’s imagination is truly a beautiful thing. It can build their mind and project creativity in many ways. After going through the rhyme several times it is a good idea to engage your child in free play. Ask your older toddlers and children to reenact the story. First, let them do it how they would like. Next, join in the fun and play their version of the game with them while including numbers. Meanwhile, ask them questions to encourage them to remember details about the song or video. Younger babies and toddler can simply play or dance while the song is playing in the background.
Wrapping It All Up
Nursery rhymes are a wonderful way to build language skills and there is quite a variety to choose from. There are many other benefits such as building counting skills and using repetition as a way to build vocabulary. Overall, no matter what way you choose to use nursery rhymes to interact with your child simply exposing them to different styles of songs will benefit them long-term in their education.