Many of our nursery rhymes were made with messages behind them. Those American classics have given us years of joy and laughter. One in particular that we are all familiar with is the “Wheels on the Bus.” Which was written by Verna Hills. This is considered an American folk song and was created during the year 1939. It was well-known in Australia, United Kingdom, United States and Canada.
As well as being a very popular song, it was often sung by children on the bus to keep them entertained throughout their ride. The song has a repetitive rhythm so it is easy to remember. It can come in handy when trying to memorize something for a test, speech or business meeting. Children have a hard time remembering numbers and words at a young age. But if you put it in a song it will improve memory which is super beneficial for them.
Now let’s take a brief trip to the past, shall we? The tune to the song was originally from another song called “99 Bottles of Beer.” Verna found a way to make trips and bus rides fun for children. As oppose to them whining and crying from boredom. Now they just sing to what ever they see on the bus with an easy-to-remember tune. Traveling should not be boring to anyone in general. So why not entertain yourself with something fun? Singing what you see and putting a little spice in it will make it fun for any age group.
Within time, children will begin to replace the wheels on the bus lyrics with something that they would like to memorize. For instance, they have a huge test coming up and they need to find a way to boost their memory. Replace the lyrics with vocabulary words, terms, anything really and what do you have? A grade that will blow your mind. Now this technique won’t work for anyone. Others have their ways of memorizing information. Some maybe quicker than others.
Fun fact really, the song was also designed for children to interact with each other. The song is considered a common interest among them. Usually when kids have something they all like, they are more likely to get a long together. Next, the song does describe features of the bus, educating them about the vehicle that they are in. So that they are aware of their surroundings. Of course the lyrics can be replaced with anything else really.
Finally, do I think I would recommend this song for early development? Absolutely. One thing that all children need t develop at a young age is memorization. Without it they would have a difficult time learning any subject. Some kids have weak test taking skill and that is because they never strengthened their memory at a young age. So starting now is crucial. Finding a fun way is better. No child wants to be bored. Learning for them is already a drag. So find fun way for them to learn without all the fuss and you will see a change in their education.