10 Reasons Why We Sing Nursery Rhymes to Children?


When you were a child, did your parents or teachers sing nursery rhymes to you? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of children around the world have been sung to sleep with these simple, repetitive songs for centuries. But why do we sing nursery rhymes to children?

One of the most important reasons we sing nursery rhymes to children is to help them develop language skills. Nursery rhymes use rhyming words, rhythm, and repetitive phrases, which are easily remembered by children. They also often introduce new vocabulary words, which can help children learn and share more about their world.

Nursery rhymes can also be fun and entertaining for kids, and provide a bonding experience for parents and children. So next time you’re singing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” know that you’re doing something good for your child’s development too! But there are more reasons why we sing nursery rhymes to kids which we will explain in detail in this article!

1. Nursery Rhymes Help Develop Communication Skills

Nursery Rhymes help develop communication skills in children in various ways.

Children learn new words quickly and are able to communicate with words they have learned to others.

Singing nursery rhymes helps children learn about pitch, intonation, and rhythm – all important aspects of communication.

Also, the simple act of singing together is a great way for children to experience communication with another person.

And lastly, nursery rhymes often involve actions or gestures, which help children learn how to express themselves non-verbally.

two little kids drawing with crayons

2. Nursery Rhymes Increase a Child’s Vocabulary!

Nursery Rhymes often contain words that are not commonly used in everyday speech, so by hearing these words over and over again in a fun and familiar context, children are more likely to remember them.

Nursery rhymes can also help children develop important language skills such as pronunciation, word order, and sentence structure. So not only will they be learning new words, but they’ll also be improving their overall language skills!

3. Nursery Rhymes Improve the way a child talks

Nursery rhymes are a great way to help learn proper pronunciation and articulation.

Nursery rhymes improve a child’s pronunciation and articulation by familiarizing them with the sounds of language.

They learn how to make the different sounds that makeup words, and how to put those sounds together to say words correctly.

They strengthen the muscles in their mouths and their tongue and are able to watch the way others shape and use their mouths to make the repetitive words that are in nursery rhymes.

4. Children’s Listening Skills Improve when singing Nursery Rhymes

toddler kids listening to their teacher

Nursery rhymes improve a child’s listening skills by teaching them to focus on one thing for an extended period of time, and they also help children develop their memory skills.

When we listen to nursery rhymes, our brains are processing a lot of information at once.

We’re hearing the words, the music, and the rhythm all at the same time. This helps strengthen our listening skills and allows us to better focus on other things later in life.

Nursery rhymes also help us memorize information more easily. The more often we hear a nursery rhyme, the more likely we are to remember it. This is because our brains are storing the information in both short-term and long-term memory.

5. Nursery Rhymes Help Develop Kid’s Cognition or Thinking!

Several studies have shown that children who are exposed to nursery rhymes early on tend to develop better thinking and reasoning skills than those who are not.

There are a few possible explanations for this.

First, nursery rhymes often contain repetitive phrases and patterns, which can help children learn to recognize and understand concepts more easily.

Additionally, the rhyming nature of many nursery rhymes can help children learn to associate words with one another, which can aid in vocabulary development.

The familiar sounds and structures also help to embed information in their memory so they can recall it later on.

In addition, the use of imagery and metaphor in nursery rhymes gives children a richer understanding of the world around them. For example, the rhyme ‘Little Miss Muffet’ introduces young children to the concepts of spiders, fear, and bravery – all in an easy-to-understand way.

Finally, the sort of playful singsong delivery often used when singing nursery rhymes can help engage a child

6. Nursery Rhymes Help to Develop Kid’s Motor Skills

Nursery rhymes are a great way to help young children develop their motor skills.

The repetitive nature of nursery rhymes can help a child learn the sequence of movements needed to perform the song.

Different movements, such as marching, clapping, and waving arms, can also be incorporated into nursery rhymes to help kids improve their physical movement skills.

Nursery rhymes also help children develop their coordination and balance. Singing and dancing to nursery rhymes help kids become familiar with different rhythms and tempos. This can improve their coordination when they start

learning other activities that require coordination, such as riding a bike or playing a musical instrument.

Singing nursery rhymes is also a great way to get kids active and moving around, which is important for their overall physical development.

7. Nursery Rhymes Teach Musical Awareness

Nursery rhymes help children develop musical awareness in a few ways. First, nursery rhymes are typically sung in a specific beat or rhythm, and by singing along, children learn to mimic that beat or rhythm. This helps them develop a sense for what sounds “correct” and “incorrect” when it comes to music.

Second, nursery rhymes typically use melodies that are relatively easy to remember and sing. This makes it easier for children to learn new songs and rhythms. As they become more familiar with the melodies and rhythms of nursery rhymes, they’ll start to be able to pick up on similar patterns in other types of music as well.

Lastly, many nursery rhymes contain lyrics that are

repetitive and easy to remember. This helps children learn the words to the song more easily, and they can start singing along with confidence.

All of these things together help children develop a better understanding and appreciation for music.

8. Nursery Rhymes Instigate Reading and Writing Skills

Nursery rhymes are a fun and easy way to help kids learn to read and write.

The rhythmic nature of nursery rhymes helps kids develop a sense of timing and pacing, both critical aspects of reading fluency.

The rhyming patterns in nursery rhymes also help kids learn phonetic building blocks of language, laying the foundation for future reading success.

In fact, one study found that kindergartners who were exposed to a greater number of nursery rhymes scored higher on reading comprehension tests than their peers who were not exposed to as many nursery rhymes.

9. Nursery Rhymes Teach Kids About The World

kids touching desk globe

Nursery rhymes are a fun way to help children learn about the world around them. They teach kids about different animals, numbers, colors, and more.

For example, the nursery rhyme Old MacDonald Had a Farm teaches kids about animals and farms, The Wheels on the Bus explores not only the features of a bus, but the people who use them as well.

Nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce children to different concepts in a fun and engaging way.

10. Nursery Rhymes are Educational

So basically as you have read, nursery rhymes can be educational for children in a variety of ways.

They help children learn new words, and they also can teach children about rhythm, counting, and other important concepts.

In addition, nursery rhymes are often fun and entertaining for children, which means they are more likely to remember the things they learn from them.

Samantha

Samantha Bellerose has a Bachelor of Education as well as a Diploma in Performing Arts. She is a mom to four children and is passionate about education and learning. Samantha created Nursery Rhyme Central as the go to place for parents, teachers and carers about all things to do with Nursery Rhymes. She is also the Main Author and creator for websites Dance Parent 101 and Move Dance Learn, where she shares her knowledge and expertise for dance and learning through movement.

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