Today's guest post from Lilly Deane is all about the benefits of nursery rhymes. Who knew those sometimes nonsense stories could be so important for development!
Do you know what makes bedtime stories interesting? You get to play as the patient kindergarten teacher to your own kids. Your kids, on the other hand, even though they have heard you read the story to them for a billion times, will be all eyes and ears as they listen to you read the nursery book. It was meant for you to bond with your kids, to make them feel cherished. But did you know that every tune or page on a nursery rhyme story or song nourishes your child in more ways than you could possibly ever imagine?
A nursery rhyme song with its repetitive nature could be annoying for an adult. But for a kid, this presents a window of opportunity to learn some more. Here’s how nursery rhymes are beneficial for small babies and children.
A nursery rhyme song with its repetitive nature could be annoying for an adult. But for a kid, this presents a window of opportunity to learn some more. Here’s how nursery rhymes are beneficial for small babies and children.
- It helps them speak. Many nursery rhymes are making use of simple words that can be mimicked by a baby. Baby may not be able to say “black” after hearing “ba-ba-black sheep.” But the “ba” in it is simple enough for any baby to mouth, starting them in learning how to talk.
- Will hone their imagination. For small tots, nursery rhymes will help them visualize what they hear in their own minds. Do you remember how it was when your own mom or dad told you a story? It was like having your own personal movie theater inside your head. And that’s what your kids do, too, when you read them a story.
- They become interested in words at an early age. Kids will naturally want to learn how to do it themselves. Their curiosity will let them ask you to teach them how to read on their own. Consider this early homeschooling education at home. For the others, watching a nursery rhyme song on the television is enough to let them recognize their numbers and even the alphabet.
- Their listening skill is improved. A bedtime story helps kids learn to be better listeners. Now, you might think that speaking is a better skill. But, you see, communication also requires you to be a great listener. Listening and speaking should come hand in hand in order for a meaningful exchange to take place. Without the other, communication fails.
- Kids will learn what facial expressions mean. “And the wolf went into the kitchen and ate all the pasta. It left quietly with a grin, its belly satisfied. Grandmother awoke hoping to eat the pasta for her breakfast. Alas! All of it is gone. Could it be that she sleepwalked and ate it while dreaming of candies?” It’s a story that’s not yet printed on paper, but if you read this to a child, you will surely find a way to make it more meaningful by making use of facial expressions. From the theme of the story, your kids will be able to know what the folds or twists on your face mean.
- Helps them understand complex words. It was mentioned earlier that many nursery rhymes use simple words. While this may be so, the other nursery rhymes belong to the opposite category. Your kid will be able to pick one, two, or even more complicated words and will be asking you what they mean. So read the book in advance and be prepared just in case.
- They learn about story plots. Kids will learn how stories follow a plot or sequencing. They will start to think and answer the why, where, when, who and how of the story, too, improving their logical and reasoning skills.
- Kids have a taste of family tradition. Watching or hearing it over the television is not the same as doing it the old-fashioned way. Reading or telling stories can be traced several generations back and your kids are privileged to still have this in your family.
So should you head out to the bookstore and grab hold of as many books as you can? Take note that when it comes to books, the old adage that says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” holds true. Whenever you make a book purchase, consider the things it can offer to your kids. Will it make them laugh or is this the perfect way to teach them valuable lessons in life? With this said, consider nursery rhymes as an avenue not only for improving their learning curve, but also for molding them into better individuals.
Does a story have to be overly complicated to be considered admirable? Or does a song need to use a full orchestra in order for this to be considered as great as a Chopin piece? Because nursery rhymes will not be using these at all. Some will be complicated, but not too complicated to rival a Sherlock Holmes story. However, in order to understand the complex information before you, you need to understand the basics first. And this is what nursery rhymes are all about- they are ladders that will let your babies or small kids be able to understand more complex information in the future.
Lilly Deane is one of the content curators at Madfun . Aside from writing, she loves to spend time with her family, paint, cook and organize kiddy parties. You can find her on Google+ and Twitter @LillyDeane01