March in Nursery Rhymes
March, 2008 -

Nursery rhymes are an important part of our literary heritage, and they are as engaging for children today as they were hundreds of years ago. Their “magical” quality is testimony to the fact that they have endured through the years. Nursery rhymes are also an excellent way to nurture literacy skills. Phonological awareness, oral language, print connections, and many other reading skills can be developed in a meaningful and child-friendly way with nursery rhymes.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (naeyc.org) has a position paper called “Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices” that you should download and use as a resource for yourself and your parents. The research presented validates the importance of using nursery rhymes, songs, and poems with young children to get them ready to read. You can also check out these websites for additional activities with nursery rhymes:

You will find some simple activities for integrating nursery rhymes daily in your classroom on the following pages.

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