Development is a crucial element in every child’s life. Nursery rhymes aid in child development especially for children who are between 0-5 years old. The nursery rhyme can be defined as a traditional song or poem used all over the world to aid in the development of children.
Nursery rhymes were first recorded in plays from England during the 16th century. Their earliest compilation was published as English rhymes. Mother Goose is probably one of the earliest forms of the rhymes.
Grandma’s Turn/ One Two, Buckle My Shoe:
Also known as “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”, a rhyme such as this one helps children develop not only their language skill but also their number work prowess. The fact that it recounts word by word each number between one and ten and gives it a definite activity means that the child will develop the ability to count numbers and also to pronounce various sounds. This rhyme also helps the child develop spelling and reading skills.
History of the rhyme:
One Two Buckle My Shoe is ideally an English language counting rhyme. The popular rhyme was first published in 1805 in Songs for the Nursery. However, the rhyme was reportedly used as from 1780 in the Wrentham area. Originally the numbers were counted up to twenty but these days they have been shortened to ten only and it is very rare to hear someone sing the long version. This might have happened as it was learned in various areas and people adapted it in that shorter way. Moreover, the longer version has different recorded adaptations which have different words tied to the numbers. That is probably why it was shortened to a shorter more understandable version. Besides this, children below five years tend to grasp numbers one up to ten, the other numbers follow suit gradually as they grow older.
Skills it helps children develop:
The rhyme Grandma’s Turn helps children develop early mathematical abilities. In addition to this, it also assists the children in developing the phonetics of sound. Moreover, it helps the children distinguish between two of the 42 main sounds of the English which include st and sh. This automatically gives the children their first knowledge of literacy skill sets. Furthermore, it helps the children learn organizational skills at an early age. This is because, at the end of each sentence, the rhyme encourages the child to complete a specific task. Additionally, they also assist children to develop imaginative play skills. In turn, these skills automatically lead to the ability of reasoning at an early age.
How it can be used to develop children:
Parents and the society at large need to actively encourage children to sing it in order to encourage the One Two Buckle My Shoe rhyme to help them develop. Before the child learns it, the parent should ideally sing it and teach the children how to do it also. Ideally, it should be sung loud and it should also be accompanied by activities which show what each number represents in order for it to be effective.