Nursery Rhymes and Language
Nursery rhymes are fun, joyful and often silly. They offer children a chance of learning at their own pace. The very nature of this can assist young children in becoming proficient readers. When hearing, learning, and reciting them children, not only enjoy the pleasure of words, but they also learn early reading skills. Phonemic skill development gained from nursery rhymes has even been scientifically shown to significantly improve reading, spelling, and other literacy skills. [1]
Nursery rhymes and fine motor development
One of many wonderful things about babies and young children is that they really don’t seem to mind if you sing out of tune, or don’t remember absolutely every word for the songs and rhymes that you sing. That means that you can enjoy singing songs and saying rhymes with an audience who will think you are great even if you might be a bit out of tune!
The magic of nursery rhymes; a storytelling tradition
I thought it might be helpful to start this investigation into the importance of nursery rhymes by answering the question ‘What is a nursery rhyme?’
Why nursery rhymes are magic when it comes to helping children to learn
Traditional English nursery rhymes and songs, have played a role in early childhood for a long time. From the medieval “Baa Black Sheep” to today’s “The Wheels on the Bus,” the lives of young children have been enriched with verses and songs orally passed down through generations.
Nursery Rhymes and Cognitive Development
Nursery rhymes are one of the most useful and versatile learning tools in the first few years of a child's life. They have often been passed down through generations and are one of the few activities that don’t require any equipment.
Prematurity - A unique journey
Our first interactions with our son Tom were not as we had anticipated. He arrived preterm at 32 weeks and caught us by surprise! He was whisked to the neonatal special care unit as he was not quite ready for life outside the womb. We followed behind and peered in at him in the incubator with a mixture of awe, excitement and fear.
I am a huge fan of balance bikes!
I am a huge fan of balance bikes. I discovered them for my own children, 12 years ago. I had a 4-year- old that was struggling to learn to ride a bike and I hadn’t considered two wheels for my 18-month-old.
Swinging, spinning and rocking! Developing sense of movement and body position
Young children love to move and soon after taking their first steps they often seem determined to unsteady themselves again. Children seek out opportunities to make themselves dizzy by spinning or tipping upside down, or to challenge their balance with swinging or rocking.
The Importance of Learning Through Play in the Early Years
Have you ever sat and thought about how you managed to master a skill?
