I hear thunder,
Hark don’t you, hark don’t you?
Pitter patter raindrops, pitter patter raindrops,
I’m wet through – so are you!
In a language-rich setting, nursery rhymes are part of everyday practice. We might sing one-on-one with a young baby, together with a small group of toddlers, or during carpet time in a reception class. We often weave opportunities for singing nursery rhymes into our daily routines.
World Nursery Rhyme Week’s ‘Rhyme a Day’ challenge reminds us of the importance of intentionally planning learning connected to the rhymes. However, there are so many resources and suggestions online that it can quickly become overwhelming!
Focusing on what is important
It can be tempting to plan for an event like World Nursery Rhyme week by choosing a rhyme for each day and preparing props and other resources to make the rhymes fun and engaging. This is important, but it is not sufficient.
Evidence suggests that educators provide the most effective support for young children’s language development when we understand which pedagogical strategies we are using and why we are using them (Mathers et al, 2022; EEF, 2024).
Research evidence can help us to keep developing our expertise in choosing the right pedagogical strategy at the right time, and our understanding of why this strategy will optimise the children’s learning and development. For example:
- Communication and Language:
As part of a balanced approach to supporting children’s communication and language development, we can use nursery rhymes to repeat and reinforce vocabulary in context, as well as for storytelling (Ofsted, 2024). - Early Literacy:
Evidence suggests we can support early literacy outcomes by teaching children how to identify sounds (sound discrimination) and change them (manipulation). These approaches appear to be mutually reinforcing. In the evidence we found, educators used songs which included alliteration and rhyme to deliver these approaches. - Early Maths:
Evidence suggests that we can improve children’s mathematical development by encouraging them to practise and repeat the count sequence. We could use nursery rhymes as one way of doing this.
- Self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances.: Professor Sara Baker has previously written for the EEF about how nursery rhymes can promote self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances.:
- Songs like ‘Old MacDonald’ help children to develop their working memory: they have to keep in mind the verse that they have just sung, and remember to choose a different farm animal for each new verse
- Songs with physical actions (like ‘A Ram Sam Sam’ or ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes’) help children to develop their self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances.. They have to join in with the group and keep together by copying the actions.
- Songs that involve saying good morning to each person in turn help children to develop positive relationships. These are foundational to children’s sense of belonging and are associated with improved self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances. in the long run.
Questions for your planning
With the joy and excitement that World Nursery Rhyme Week can bring, it is easy to get caught up in planning activities or thinking about resources. However, your interactions with the children are one of the most powerful tools for improving outcomes.
So, as you plan, consider the following questions to focus on your role as the educator:
- What do I want children to learn?
- Which strategies will help them to learn it?
- Why and how will I use those strategies?
When implementing anything new, it’s important to monitor the impact on all children. This can help you to target extra opportunities and support to children who need it most, which may include children from lower-income families.
To explore the evidence in more depth, visit the Early Years Evidence Store.
Find out more: World Nursery Rhyme Week
Further reading: Sara Baker’s EEF blog, self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances.-have-in-common?x‑craft-live-preview=06199e572978594ac59a18f58491f3e2a6c22289f9eff8edf32b1352e30ea75fueglttxzna” target=“_blank” rel=“noreferrer noopener”>What do nursery songs and self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances. have in common?