History of this Nursery Rhyme
This nursery rhyme was first recorded in 1825 in Germany. This game was used to help a man select a wife and then other members that would be working in his household. The nursery rhyme was popular and it was not confined to Germany alone. The rhyme was first heard in New York City in 1883 and has been adapted since this time. A dell is considered to be a wooded valley and a place where the farmer would work. There is a version of this nursery rhyme in several languages and they all have the same central theme. This rhyme has a Roud Folk Song Index of 6306 and is considered to be a classic.
Rhyming for Children
This nursery rhyme will teach child how to rhyme words. They will also learn repetition of sounds since the chorus repeats. The child will learn phonic awareness as they need to sound out the words and are able to pick out the words that sound alike. In addition to teaching the child some language skills this nursery rhyme will help a child with this gross motor skills. It is easy to turn this rhyme into a game. The children will sit in a circle and one child will start off by playing the farmer. The farmer will get up and move around and without looking select someone to be the wife. This will continue until the last character is selected. This will also help children with social skills. They will learn how to take turns and will learn that is it okay to be selected last which is a big deal for some small children.
Topics
This rhyme will teach a child some new vocabulary such as the meaning of the word dell which is not commonly used anymore. The child will learn about a basic family structure even though in modern times the structure of the family will vary. They will also learn about some animals that can be found on a farm. On a more academic note a child learn phonic awareness skills as well as rhyming. It will increase their ability to make rhymes and they may even learn a new vocabulary word. They will also learn proper interaction with their peer group.
Rhyme for Education
Rhyming can be used to build the foundation for education especially reading. Children will be able to recognize the different sounds the world make and will help them sound out letters. They will recognize similar patterns in words in which they can use to help them identify new words in the future.
When a parent or educator is looking to teach young children they can use nursery rhymes including the Farmer in the Dell. This nursery rhyme has been around for hundreds of years and is still teaching children basic social skills and rhyming patterns.