Rhymes form the initial learning blocks in the development of a child. A nursery rhyme attracts a child through its music, entertains it with a funny story and gently teaches the language without much difficulty. The repetition of words in the lyric gives the child multiple chances to learn a language. The stories narrated by a rhyme are often relatable to a child and help in overcoming its fear of learning new things.
History and Origin
Bus rhyme is known to have originated from an American folk song of the mid-20th century. The Wheels on the Bus is similar in tune to the famous British nursery rhyme ‘Here we go round the mulberry bush’ and is often sung by children during a bus trip to amuse themselves. It is also similar to the song ‘99 bottles of beer on the wall‘, which is also sung by children on long journeys. Because of its catchy tune, this song became well known in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
Educational Value
This rhyme is ideal for children to sing in groups. Apart from entertaining them during long trips, it’s also useful in classroom teaching for preschoolers. It is easy to incorporate body movements to this rhyme’s recital, which is one of the reasons for its popularity. Children often clap their hands, jump on their toes and hold each other’s hands, while reciting this rhyme. This kind of body and hand motion is what the doctors recommend for the development of motor skills in toddlers.
Varieties of this Rhyme
‘The Wheels on the bus’ is one of the staples in any school. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the very first nursery rhymes a kid learns growing up. Because of its popularity, this became a go-to song for teachers to teach a variety of things to children.
The original song talks about the various parts of the bus and its uses like the wheels, wipers, horn, and doors. It also narrates the different sounds the bus makes during its ride and the talk of the passengers, which also includes animals, on the bus. There are many variations to this original song, which merely extends the narration of the bus ride by talking more about the bus parts and the description of the actions of the various passengers riding the bus.
Some of the later versions of this song have been changed to teach different things which are of importance to children. One version of this rhyme talks about the breakdown of the bus in the middle of the road. This song shows how the passengers are given a ride on another vehicle, while it is towed away for repair. It also discusses the fixing of the bus in the garage and how it gets back on the road again for its ride.
A bus ride is a familiar concept, which a child can relate, as it involves fun. As this rhyme has bus ride as its theme, it can teach a variety of things to children while keeping them entertained.