Rhymes are an integral part of our lives, both internally and externally. Before birth, babies hear the rhythmic beat of their mother's heart. From birth, babies are conscious of different rhythms, including their own sucking rhythms, as well as breathing and rocking.
From birth, babies have an innate desire to find out about the world and to build some communicative interaction. They seem to be ready to tune into rhythms of speech and most seem to respond enthusiastically to rhymes. In fact, babies seem to pay more attention to rhymes and be more responsive to them than to speech in open dialogue.
Why rhymes?
Sharing a rhyme creates a micro-linguistic environment as the adult and baby focus on each other and on a compact rhythmic communicative interaction that has a beginning and ending, plus possibly some physical involvement too. This special micro-linguistic environment provides the ideal circumstances for developing language learning strategies and acquiring language.
The value of rhymes for babies and young toddlers:
- Adult's attention is available solely for them as their eyes make contact.
- Adult's speech is soft, slow and higher-pitched, which makes understanding easier and reflects warmth and love. Intonation and word-stress also facilitate understanding.
- Repetition of rhythm within the rhyme is a source of comfort. Repeating the rhyme twice or in other sessions gives babies opportunities to tune into the familiar, which contributes to the necessary 'feel good' factor as well as increasing opportunities to acquire the words.
- Adult's face is close, so they can more easily 'read' and later imitate the sounds made by the lips and 'decode' the message in the facial expression.
- Most rhymes include some physical interaction, which adds fun and surprise and gives opportunities for smiles and laughter.
- Through rhymes children learn naturally about turn-taking and joining in, whic is essential for dialogue.
- n Through rhymes children find out about themselves, their emotions and their world.
The value for adults:
- Some adults find it difficult to talk to babies. Saying a rhyme can be an effective way of starting communication and sustaining interaction, as the baby is likely to respond enthusiastically and want more.
- Rhymes provide ideal one-to-one bonding situations, as the adult is available only for that child or small group.
- Rhymes can be used from early in a baby's life, as the baby can tune into the rhythm which can soothe and provide a vehicle for communication, even if the baby can understand little of the meaning.
- Well-selected rhymes provide good opportunities for language acquisition in the pre-linguistic period.
- Rhymes are portable playthings with no need for equipment. They liven up the daily routines of changing, feeding and so on.
- Rhymes can be selected to fit the baby's needs and moods.
- Rhymes provide learning experiences for acquisition of sounds and language for meaning.
The value for older toddlers:
- As toddlers burst into speech, they no longer need to watch faces and are capable of picking up new words and phrases from hearing them spoken.
- They enjoy joining in and seek ways to show their mastery of a complete rhyme.
- Any merited adult praise stimulates and motivates further acquisition.
Selecting rhymes
Rhymes are a complete unit of meaning. They can be a complete story, offering little descriptive background to set the scene or a game activity.
It is important to build up a good collection to meet individual needs and the wider interests of toddlers. Children enjoy building up a repertoire of rhymes they can say and to which they can add their own verses and create their own word plays.
Traditional rhymes such as the Mother Goose rhymes are generally known by parents, so it is important to include a selection in your repertoire. It is also important that toddlers become familiar with the better-known rhymes because, like fairy tales, they are part of our literary heritage.
However, there are some difficulties using traditional rhymes with under-threes:
- They include old-fashioned words.
- They are set in rural surroundings which may be unimaginable for some inner-city children and immigrant families because they are unconnected to their own lives. This is where rhyme picture books, illustrated information books or photographs provide support.
- Some can convey concepts easily misunderstood or misinterpreted, like 'Baa Baa Black Sheep', or 'Georgie Porgie' if there is a boy in the setting called George!
- Some include violent imagery and may be best left until children are more mature and can discuss them.
Modern rhymes tend to be:
- Shorter and thus easier to acquire and understand
- Sometimes more interactive and play-like
- Easier to respond to and join in.
Presentation
Ideally, rhymes should be used daily, adjusting to the child's interests, mood and well-being.
- Physical routines like changing nappies provide opportunities for close interaction.
- Toddler activities often provide opportunities for including related rhymes.
- Regular Rhyme Times, linked with Story Times, give toddlers a chance to say rhymes in pairs or groups to an audience.
Practise beforehand so that you are familiar with the rhyme's beat, stress and tune as well as play-like actions. It is important to be consistent in presentations, as exact repetition makes acquisition simpler. Prepare several rhymes so you can respond to the child's mood.
Presentation tips:
- Make sure that children 'feel good' before you begin. Make sure that babies' eyes are engaged and that toddlers are looking at your face, which is a little higher than theirs.
- Introduce and accompany the rhymes with a running commentary, such as, 'Are you fine? Listen to me. Time to stop now. Well done.'
- Praise - words, a clap or hug - is important. Children like an audience and appreciation.
- If toddlers get over-excited, change the tone and level of your voice. A loud whisper generally quietens.
- Begin with the familiar, which comforts, and work towards the new.
- Introduce half a new rhyme at first, adding the rest in a later session.
- Cut down any background noise so that your voice can be heard clearly. Your voice is the role model for language acquisition.
- Pause to give time and indication when you would like them to join in.
- Add fun by the way you use your voice. Pause to add suspense. Add your own fun words like 'zoom' or 'splish-splash-splosh' to lend atmosphere. Children love silliness and they will soon imitate, making up their own nonsense rhyming words.
Personalise rhymes by changing the word 'baby' or the usual names to personal names, for example:
Diddle, diddle, dumpling,
My son (personalise)
Went to bed with his trousers on.
One shoe off and one shoe on.
Diddle, diddle dumpling
My son (personalise).
After presentation
Even if children are only just beginning to talk, it is still important to listen to their reactions, opinions and ideas and, where possible, follow up on them with:
- Rhyme books
- Pictures
- Making up verses or responses to favourite rhymes
- Drama
- Favourite rhyme days, when children can select their favourite rhyme to say aloud.
The value of rhymes
Where rhymes are included in daily programmes the rate of language acquisition tends to be faster. Toddlers also become more confident speakers and begin to transfer language from rhymes to initiate dialogue. The key to this success, however, is the ability of the adult to turn these portable language activities into interactive play-like experiences from which language can be acquired naturally and happily.
