“Baa Baa Black Sheep have you any wool? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full!” Now that is one of my favorite nursery rhymes along with The Cat and the Fiddle and Old Mother Hubbard. And, I adore the rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe.
The captivating and far-fetched stories, intriguing characters, and dramatic prose of nursery rhymes have enthralled children for generations and helped challenge their imaginations. Blind mice, cows that jump over the moon, and eggs that fall off of walls provide an engaging introduction to the world of storytelling, literature, and make-believe.
As you prepare your children to become lifelong learners, using nursery rhymes, poems and songs will provide opportunities to develop an appreciation for rhyme and rhythm, memory and auditory skills, listening skills, a love for learning and literacy, an understanding of humor, proficiency with vocabulary, and even motor skills and coordination (if introduced through finger-play, puppetry, and clapping songs!)
So, pick up a great book of nursery rhymes this month and begin introducing your youngest learners to the nursery rhymes that have been a vibrant and integral part of our language, literary, and cultural heritage for many generations.
Remember, learning does not have to take place just in the classroom. It can happen right in your very own home. All you have to do is get ready, get set, and learn!
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