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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.  

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. 

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?’   

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!  

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] 

Oh, there is so much fun to be had when singing nursery rhymes with young children! Some children love nothing more than to move around and have a feeling of freedom and energy. Many nursery rhymes are active and naturally promote the physical instinct of getting up and moving to the words. There is a natural beat and rhythm in nursery rhymes, offering the youngest of children the opportunity to join in by wriggling, bouncing, smiling and giggling.