How to Teach Nursery Rhyme to Your Child

My son is seven but still needs some assistance in dozing off to sleep at night. And the one thing that comes in handy is the instrumental version of the nursery rhymes that we learnt together. He is an auditory learner. And so he grasped best while listening to his favourite rhymes all over the day. Initially I bought a bunch of CDs that I would play while he would just keep listening.

Nursery Rhymes are the perfect stories kids can relate to. They are short and rhythmic. While most parents enjoy singing rhymes to their children the task arises when they have to make their children learn a few (aah pre- school preps).

While making them learn their rhymes, mommies make sure, you know it pretty well. Take the help of youtube.com and google.com to get it straight. Most of the nursery rhymes have their own sweet rhythm and tone. Keep it simple. Stay with the original and do not modify it. The rhythm is as important as the words. Keep your attitude cheerful while singing to exhibit how much fun this can be.

For the kids who are visual learners, **get creative and sketch out** a character from the rhyme; like Humpty Dumpty, or a Black Sheep. This will create an image in their heads and help them connect better with the story of the rhyme. Also try making sock or finger puppets to engage and enhance their imagination.

**Action and expressions** are as important as getting the tune right. Dramatise. Wave your hands (Twinkle Twinkle), roll your eyes, sway your body (Jack n Jill), and count on the fingers (Baa Baa Black Sheep) with the rhyme to show them the impact. This also improves the fine motor skills and increases control over body coordination. These actions and expressions also develop the hand-eye coordination of the child.

**Use technology**- We are in this age of technology wherein youtube videos provide a great learning experience. Just make sure, kids view the videos in a supervised manner.

Rhymes are great facilitators of developing the reading habit in children. Bring home colourful rhyme picture books and read to them. They might not know how to read, but if the practice is maintained on a daily basis, they will start reading out soon after looking at the pictures. Just remember to be patient and make it an exciting parenting experience.

A strict no no to this- Mumma says : Johnny Johnny, Child says : Yes Papa…….

Let the child learn the whole sentence of the rhyme on their own. Do not make them so dependent on you to even finish a sentence. This hinders the future development of the child.

Learning nursery rhymes also improves their memory. So sing together while your kid is bathing, or while having a snack. The constant revalidation will enhance their memory and will engrave in their heads for a long time.

Also mommies, do not make a show of your kid’s skills in public unless they are ready to. If they say ‘no’ respect that. In the end praise your child; even for trying.