There was a time when children would happily rush back from their nursery to make us listen to the English rhymes they had learned. But now, they are familiar with the nursery rhymes from Youtube and kids channels that they make up new sounds and songs to amaze their teachers. Such rhymes for kids are a great way to capture their interest, and they would be learning the English language in no time.
The kids’ days at school begin and end with nursery rhymes, and they seem to enjoy themselves when they recite them with actions and rhythms. Let us understand what the most popular English rhymes are and how they help in the development of their minds.
Importance of English Rhymes
We cannot undermine the significance of rhymes even if we have moved into a more advanced world. Think of how we used to be when we were kids. Didn’t we feel happy and excited when we sang our favourite rhymes in school and tapped our little feet to their beautiful rhythm? Children today are no different from enjoying these tiny little tunes of the poem as they get introduced to the language and learn to express themselves through words, phrases and gestures.
- Aiding their language development – English rhymes are usually short with clear words to which children get acquainted easily. This is how they start using English words wherein they repeatedly listen to and sing these rhymes, thus using it as part of their communication in bits and pieces. Gradually, they pick up the pace and will become more confident in speaking English as they grow up.
- Improving their interaction – If we closely watch the way the kids respond to a particular poem or rhyme, it would be simple for us to come up with an idea to hold their attention. While some rhymes contain a story, others focus on introducing the kid to different animals, birds, nature and the sounds associated with them with no particular logic. This is what engages them, and when we show actions, they become further thrilled to enact and sing.
- Learning to show emotions – While the rhyming poems for kids deal with various topics, they come to terms with many emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, doubt, surprise etc. Kids will be able to better express their feelings and distinguish between each emotion by understanding the situations that led them to feel in a particular way.
Types of Rhymes
Anything that runs from a few lines to pages can be classified as rhymes, and they are mainly aimed to enhance the vocabulary and the language of kids. One could find many rhyming poems for kids and each category addresses specific functions like communication skills, motor skills or facial expressions.
- Finger Play rhymes – ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ and ‘Wheels on the Bus’ are the famous finger play rhymes that enable children to associate words with certain sounds and actions.
- Counting rhymes – As the name implies, these rhymes help introduce kids to simple maths and numbers. ‘Five Little Ducks’ and ‘One Two Three Four Five’ are some of the most popular counting rhymes.
- Clapping rhymes – These rhymes help kids to understand the rhythm of a rhyme with unique hand claps. Examples include ‘A Sailor went to Sea’ and ‘Miss Susie.’
- Action rhymes – Rhymes like ‘Hop a Little, Jump a Little’ and ‘Ring around the Rosie’ involve body movements and actions while telling a story through the rhyme.
Young children are not aware of how language works, and hence, English rhymes are the best way to speed up their learning abilities. As rhymes contain simple words and phrases, kids pick them up quickly, and they begin discovering new meanings and ideas. Therefore, rhyming poems are essential for their holistic development.