Repeating favourite rhymes and acting out gestures to songs are more than just fun for the youngest children. Jennie Lindon explains their role in development
Babies are born ready to be social, to start early communication from day one. Research into how babies' brains develop has found that the part of their brain that deals with hearing has been working before birth. So parents who say that their newborns seem to recognise particular songs or pieces of music are not fooling themselves. A very young baby probably does recognise the nursery rhyme she frequently heard from inside the womb when it was a favourite of her toddler brother.
0-12 months
Babies are responsive to words and facial expressions that are more exaggerated than those we use in ordinary conversation. They benefit from the rhythmic nature of what is called infant-directed speech: words and phrases that are said with plenty of expression and have a repetitive, circling quality, as well as pauses for babies to 'reply' with sounds and gestures of their own. Babies of three to four months, and sometimes younger, show that they recognise a familiar song. Their face breaks into a grin as you complete the opening words and they recognise the rhythm. My own baby daughter's favourite was the music hall song 'Hello Aunt Jemima'. Babies' early sound-making is itself tuneful and repetitive. So it should not surprise us that they really enjoy singing as part of our communication with them.
1-2 years
Over this period toddlers learn words to name the people who matter to them and objects of interest in their everyday life. You will help by your encouragement and giving the words for what has caught a toddler's attention. But toddlers also need to tune into the flow of spoken language. Nursery rhymes and story songs like 'Miss Polly Had a Dolly' help very young children to hear the separate sounds and the rhythm of spoken language. An enjoyable repetition prompts toddlers as they recognise the words and hand gestures of familiar songs. This tuneful communication also supports them as they learn the give and take of listening and waiting a moment, as well as joining in.
Toddlers recognise songs, rhymes and pieces of music and may show this by using key words or hand movements to say they want a rendition. They also learn from repetition so favourite songs become familiar. You will see the glow of anticipation in a toddler's face with a song game like 'Round and round the garden'. He will show so clearly that he is waiting for the 'tickle under there!'
But communication for this age group is a personal matter. They need a one-to-one experience with singing just as much as in a spoken conversation. Toddlers may manage to share an attentive adult with one or two other toddlers, but they are not ready for a group singing time in nursery.
2-3 years
Young children's own language will now be rich with different types of words and phrases as they extend their skills of communication by asking questions about what they do not understand, as well as commenting on what they know and want to share with you.
Their memory, recognition and ability to say so many words are reflected in the tuneful sides to communication. Young children, with happy experience of singing times, now join in a wide range of songs and rhymes. They may also ask directly for a rhyme or simply break into song, with the confident expectation that you will follow.
Many songs are very playful, so they support affectionate social contact, as well as practice with actual words and the physical skills of doing the hand movements. Watch, for instance, a small group relishing a full bells-and-whistles version of 'The wheels on the bus'.
Further resources
- See the earlier features about communication in our under-threes series: Play with words (7 January 1999) and Engaging responses (13 April 2000)
- Extend your own repertoire of songs and rhymes with books such as Opal Dunn: Hippety-hop, hippety-hay - growing with rhymes from birth to age three (Frances Lincoln, 6.99)
