Why Children Still Need Mother Goose Rhymes by Nellie Edge

Research shows that children who have memorized nursery rhymes become better readers because they develop an early sensitivity to the sounds of language.

Nursery Rhymes are short and full of alliteration and rhymes. Children can quickly internalize the language and make them their own. These memorized rhymes are ideal vehicles for playing with language and developing phonemic awareness.

Children delight in the visual images and strong rhythmic character of nursery rhymes. Visual imagery and the rhythms of sound have a powerful effect on cognition.

Many authors of children's books assume knowledge of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. (See Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown.)

Memorizing nursery rhymes effortlessly plants the grammatical structure (or syntax) of language in the child's long term memory. This accelerates both language and literacy development.

Nursery rhymes invite movement and dramatic interpretation, allowing children to personalize meaning and build language concepts and vocabulary. This is especially vital for children acquiring English as a second language.

Every culture has its own "nursery rhymes" or "out-loud culture".

Reading rhymes that children have first memorized supports them in self-concepting or role-playing themselves as a successful reader. Repeated experiences with "magical memory reading" develops fluency, teaches concepts about print and lays the foundation for "guided reading" instruction.

Nursery rhymes feature common and consistent decodable words (rimes) conducive to explicit phonics instruction within a meaningful context.

Parents as Partners can engage their children in memorizing nursery rhymes.

Many nursery rhymes have survived since the time of Shakespeare. They have been polished by children into a form that is almost indestructible.

When children memorize, recite and perform nursery rhymes they are developing listening and speaking skills in a joyful, non-threatening context.

Active, imaginative teaching with nursery rhymes takes advantage of how the brain learns best- it is meaningful, memorable and multisensory.

Kindergarten children can adapt nursery rhymes and use the patterns to make their own individual books or contribute innovations for group books. Children love being authors and illustrators.

Nursery rhymes are basic cultural literacy - they are gifts of language that all children deserve to own.