Songs and Rhymes With Mr Gleeson

Importance of songs and rhymes in the Early Years

USING songs, rhymes and picture books is a great way to help your child develop their language and communication skills. It’s never too early or too late to start signing and rhyming with your child. Not only is it fun but it is also a great way to get to know each other. Children’s communication skills develop at different rates but there are many things parents can do to help their child develop the skills to read, write and communicate effectively.

Rhymes help us to learn to play with words. They tune our ears to all the sounds in the word. By hearing different sounds we learn how sounds combine and blend together to form a word.

If we can learn the sounds and hear the different sounds that make up a word then we can learn how to play with them, how to change them and most importantly, we can learn to recognise what sounds can be paired with other sounds. A child who knows four nursery rhymes by the time they’re four will naturally be a better reader at eight years old.

When saying nursery rhymes, we tend to speak more slowly and clearly. This is great because it means that children have a chance to catch the words and the way they’re formed. If you can, ask your child to face you. The eye contact will help your child develop their non-verbal communication skills.

Songs and rhymes have a hugely positive impact on a child’s language and literacy development. Children love rhyme, rhythm and repetition. These three things found in songs and rhymes can naturally help to boost a child’s language and literacy skills.

So take some time every day to sing and rhyme with your child. Make up silly little songs and rhymes as you go along. Use active songs and rhymes during playtime. You can work them into your day. Play games on the move like ‘I-spy’. Make up nonsense words. Have fun playing with language. Talk, sing and read with your child. The benefits will stick with them forever.