Getting preschoolers ready for reading has tons of developmental benefits, but it can also be challenging. Mother Goose Club is dedicated to preparing parents for this challenge by breaking down the process and explaining tools and strategies that work. One of the best tools for getting preschoolers ready for reading is nursery rhymes.

Nursery rhymes prepare children for reading by introducing vocabulary, teaching story structure, developing phonemic awareness (the ability to hear the different sounds that make words) and fostering parent-child relationships.

Vocabulary

Through memorization, children can learn new words, even if they don’t fully understand the meaning yet. Later on, if they encounter the word in a new context, they will have the context of the nursery rhyme to draw from and compare against. Tongue twisters like “Peter Piper” and “How Many Seashells” introduce new vocabulary and offer opportunities to practice pronunciation using challenging, but fun, themes.

Story Structure

By introducing simple cause-and-effect stories, nursery rhymes develop imagination and prepare children for reading comprehension. Classics such as “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Humpty Dumpty” are two great examples of story-based rhymes. Introducing stories through simple rhymes helps prepare kids for longer and more challenging stories and books.

Phonemic Awareness

We admit that some nursery rhymes just sound silly, but even the silliest songs introduce language patterns, inflection, tone and volume. Perhaps most importantly, rhymes allow children to hear how letters and word endings can sound the same. Children who understand these patters will be more prepared for learning to read. Catchy and repetitive music helps form habits of memorization that will become an essential part of a child’s language development and readiness to read.

Parent-Child Relationships

Finally, nursery rhymes present a valuable opportunity to bond with children through playful and imaginative activities. One of the most important parts of learning anything new is applying what was learned to real life. Through a simple conversation, an outing, a craft or other activity, children deepen their understanding. When children see adults valuing time spent with nursery rhymes, they’ll learn to value that time as well. We hope that our collection of nursery rhymes will inspire you and the children in your life to dance, sing and play along with us!

Mother Goose Club offers an enormous library that includes videos, streamable songs, sheet music lyrics and printable coloring pages – all excellent tools to help your child prepare to read at any age. You can also check out the Mother Goose Club App, available on the App Store and Google Play, for exclusive books, videos and games.

Happy rhyming!

You’ve seen our educational nursery rhyme videos, but have you checked out our board books? Based on some of your child’s favorite nursery rhyme videos and characters, Mother Goose Club board books engage children and parents with beautifully illustrated pages that are designed to educate and entertain. Each board book has thick pages and rounded corners to withstand the daily use and encourage the development of fine motor skills when little fingers page through.

Even very young children feel like readers with Mother Goose Club board books. Memorizing and reciting familiar nursery rhymes and songs are among the first steps in learning to read. Each page features large text so children begin to associate printed words with the content they know and love.

Why Read Nursery Rhymes?

Many parents ask, “Should I read to my child even if they can’t understand all of the words?” Although a child may not yet fully understand every word, it’s never too early to start reading to them. Reading aloud is one of the most effective early teaching tools – you can even start before your baby is born. When your child hears you read (at any age), they internalize the basic sounds and patterns of language. When your child sees you read, they aspire to read and begin to understand that printed words have meaning. So start now!

Our “Favorite Nursery Rhymes” book features a collection of familiar nursery rhymes so children can develop phonemic awareness (the ability to recognize the different sounds that make a word) and build vocabulary. Even before your child can name all the letters in the alphabet, they may be able to point to the farm animals you’re reading about in “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” or tell you the words “pie” and “sky” sound the same when you read “Jack B. Nimble”. Celebrate when these things happen! Your child is on their way to becoming a reader!

Tips for Reading

Because children are familiar with nursery rhymes and able to memorize them quickly, they feel empowered, in control and like experts. Take advantage of their confidence and foundational knowledge as you explore and discuss new vocabulary or related stories.

Teach your child that printed words have meaning by pointing to words as you read them and run your finger under sentences so that they can learn that English is read from left to right.

Any time spent with books is good for your child. Let them flip through the pages, turn the book upside-down and play – they are exploring the book’s texture and function. The durable pages are designed to withstand experiences like this – children acquire most of their knowledge from sensory experience so playing with books is another important step to learning to read.

Also try acting out the rhymes! Pretend-play with your child to help them understand a nursery rhymes’ story more deeply and perform the hand motions where applicable to develop the fine motor skills necessary for future tasks associated with language development, such as writing. For example, try mimicking the hand motions in “The Wheels on the Bus” or “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” to develop motor skills!

When you make time to read with your child, they associate positive feelings with reading. These positive feelings will remain with your child throughout their life and predispose them to be lifelong readers.

We Want to Hear From You!

Have you tried Mother Goose Club’s books yet? Which are your family’s favorite children’s books? Share your tips and learning experiences with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Happy reading and rhyming!

The itsy bitsy spider
Went up the waterspout.
Down came the rain and
Washed the spider out.

Out came the sun and
Dried up all the rain,
And the itsy bitsy spider
Went up the spout again.

View on YouTube!

View on YouTube!

The itsy bitsy spider
Went up the waterspout.
Down came the rain and
Washed the spider out.

Out came the sun and
Dried up all the rain,
And the itsy bitsy spider
Went up the spout again.

The itsy bitsy spider
Went up the waterspout.
Down came the rain and
Washed the spider out.

Out came the sun and
Dried up all the rain,
And the itsy bitsy spider
Went up the spout again.

View on YouTube!