Reading to your baby is an essential activity that promotes language development, cognitive skills, and a love of books. I have found that nursery rhymes, in particular, are an excellent way to introduce your baby to the world of reading. A nursery rhyme is something that will also remain in your memory for most of your life. I am sure that most who are reading this post will not have too much trouble working out what the picture above is about. In this post, I will discuss some of the reasons why nursery rhymes benefit your infant.
Nursery Rhymes Promote Language Development
Nursery rhymes are such a good way to promote language development in your baby. The words are usually simple and the repetitive nature of the nursery rhymes make them easy for little ones to understand and learn. The rhythm and cadence of nursery rhymes also help babies to start to recognise different sounds, and this is essential for speech development.
Nursery Rhymes Help with Memory and Recall
Repeating nursery rhymes over and over again can help your baby develop their memory and recall skills, which is important for cognitive development. Babies love the repetition of nursery rhymes and will often try to anticipate what comes next. You will find that your child will probably have a favourite one or two and these can be repeated even when you do not have your nursery rhyme book with you. This leads me on to the next benefit.
Nursery Rhymes Encourage Social Interaction
Reading nursery rhymes to your baby is an excellent way to encourage social interaction. As you read the rhymes, your baby will begin to recognise and respond to your voice, facial expressions, and body language. It is often a good idea to exagerate your expressions to give more of an impact and make it more fun for your little one. You will start to notice that they will sometimes try to copy your expression and this certainly can bring out a giggle or two. This wiil help to develop both social skills and emotional intelligence in your baby.
Nursery Rhymes Help Develop Gross and Fine Motor Skills
Nursery rhymes often involve hand movements, such as clapping or finger play, which can help to develop your baby’s gross and fine motor skills. As your baby learns to move their hands and fingers in response to the rhyme, they are developing their coordination and dexterity. When your baby is a little older and moving about more, you can create all sorts of actions to go along with the nursery rhymes that will make them fun and more memorable. Don’t be afraid to act out the rhyme, your baby will love it and as your little one grows, will probably join in with the acting. There are so many nursery rhymes that encourage activity and those are especially usefull in the day time when you want to use up some of your infant’s extra energy. .
Nursery Rhymes Provide a Sense of Comfort and Security
When it comes time to soothe or calm your little one down, nursery rhymes can also provide a sense of comfort and security. The rhythm and repetition of the rhymes create a predictable and familiar environment that can help to soothe your baby. This can be especially helpful during times of stress or when your baby is feeling overwhelmed. The softer, more gentler and quieter rhymes are really good to read as they are about to settle down for a nap or at bedtime. They can almost lull them into that calm and resful state and it is just as good for the parent, as it gives you both a chance to relax into the comfort of the familiar rhyme. Take a breath and enjoy the moment.
Nursery Rhymes Foster a Love of Books and Reading
Introducing your baby to nursery rhymes at an early age can help to foster a love of books and reading. As your baby grows older, because of the fun that goes along with the rhymes, they will associate the rhymes with positive experiences and may develop a love of reading as a result. Be on the lookout for brightly coloured, well illustrated nursery rhyme books. I still have a number of books that I bought when I had my babies and you would be surprised how often those books are still picked up and looked through by my children, who are now out of school. The memories that go along with those rhymes are so precious and will last a life time.
Nursery Rhymes Help Develop Pre-Literacy Skills
Reading nursery rhymes to your baby can help to develop their pre-literacy skills, such as phonemic awareness and vocabulary development. As your baby learns to distinguish different sounds and words, they are developing the building blocks of reading and writing. As your baby gets a little older, the more ways that you can encourage your child in this area without the pressure of the classroom, the better. This will help your child to learn naturally without realising it and that is so much more beneficial for them and makes them far better prepared when they get to school going age. Most words in nursery rhymes are simple and easy to understand and this helps to expand your child’s vocabulary and reading ability.
Conclusion
In conclusion, reading nursery rhymes to your little one is a lively, fun and effective way to promote language development, cognitive skills, and a love of books. Nursery rhymes can help with memory and recall, encourage social interaction, develop gross and fine motor skills, provide a sense of comfort and security, foster a love of books and reading, and help develop pre-literacy skills. To me, it seems that there are so many benefits for the child, but also for the parent, to reading nursery rhymes. I would suggest that you make sure you get hold of a least one good brightly coloured book of nursery rhymes which you can read, perhaps even sing along and act out with your child. Together you can find out which rhymes are your favourites and enjoy the memories you make in the magical world of rhyming.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or leave a comment below.