Where Have all the Nursery Rhymes Gone?

As a child growing up in the 70s, and very much attached to the 60s, 50s, and beyond, I grew up in a world of nursery rhymes. These rhymes had been passed down from generation to generation. Their meaning may have been obscure, but they were known and recited ad nauseum by young and old alike.

While parents likely never truly understood the crucial role such rhymes played in their child's oral development, nonetheless, they read them, recited them, and unknowingly built a foundation for oral and written language around them.

That foundation is sadly missing today.

I am shocked today at the number of students who have no idea what a nursery rhyme is, much less can they recite any. That includes rhymes such as Jack and Jill, Old King Cole, and Humpty Dumpty, just to name a few. I will say, I do not think it is necessarily neglect on their parent's part. The fact of the matter is, parents these days do not know the rhymes either. Thus, the rupture with the past occurred before this current generation of learners.

What needs to be understood is that the whimsical world of nursery rhymes isn't just for fun; it's a foundational building block for literacy. While these verses may seem simple and archaic, they can play a vital and critical role in a child's early education, especially when it comes to reading.

Here are five reasons why nursery rhymes are so important, and why they need to be at the forefront of a preschooler's learning . . .

Reason #1: Nursery rhymes foster phonological awareness.

Nursery rhymes can provide a necessary foundation for a child's first introduction to the sounds and structure of language. The repetitive rhymes and rhythms help children recognize patterns in words, a key element of phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This skill is a strong predictor of later reading success.

Reason #2: Nursery rhymes expand a child's vocabulary.

Although the language of nursery rhymes might seem dated, they nonetheless introduce children to new words in a memorable context. Think of "tuffet," "curds," and "whey" in Little Miss Muffet. Or how about "diddle" in Hey Diddle Diddle and "sixpence" and "rye" in Sing a Song of Sixpence. These new terms, often accompanied by illustrations, help expand a child's vocabulary naturally and in fun and interesting ways.

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Reason #3: Nursery rhymes enhance memory and sequencing.

Simple and predictable, the structure of nursery rhymes makes them easy for children to memorize, and thus strengthens their memory skills. They also come to understand the concept of sequencing, which is crucial for following a narrative and understanding the order of events in a story.

Reason #4: Nursery rhymes engage children with printed material.

These days, unlike a hundred years ago, nursery rhymes are more often than not accompanied by books with vibrant illustrations, encouraging children to engage with printed material. This early, positive exposure to books fosters a love for reading and makes the process of learning to read feel more like a joyful discovery than a chore.

Reason #5: Nursery rhymes encourages storytelling and the narrative structure.

Even in their brevity, many nursery rhymes tell a story. "Jack and Jill," "Sing a Song of Sixpence," and "Mary Had a Little Lamb" all have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Such early exposure to basic narrative structure provides a foundation for children to comprehend more complex stories as they begin to read on their own.

Let's Bringing the Nursery Rhymes Back!

By singing, reciting, and reading nursery rhymes with children, you are not just sharing a timeless tradition; you are laying the groundwork for a successful and enjoyable reading journey.

Not sure where to start? There are a number of rich books to choose from. Choose from one or several, and let your children compare and contrast them as they grow and learn!

Donna entered education at the tender age of six, when she would come home from school, line her stuffed animals and dolls into rows, and teach them what she learned that day in first grade. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in education and a specialty in reading. It was while teaching that she also developed a passion for the craft of writing, both personally and as an educator. She has since published over ten books, including five award-winning novels. She currently teaches middle school literature and composition at a local private school, and she is working on her sixth novel.

Donna lives in southeast Texas just outside of Houston even as longs for a log cabin in the woods. She rescues old furniture from the side of the road, stops at all garage sales, and never meets a thrift store she doesn't fall in love with!

And when she finds old libraries and even older books? Don't ask . . .