How Nursery Rhymes Support Early Literacy Skills

Nursery rhymes have stood the test of time for good reasons. Research consistently shows that children who know nursery rhymes at age three become more successful readers by age six.

Remember “Humpty Dumpty” or “Jack and Jill”? These simple verses we sang as children are far more powerful than they appear. They are simple but engaging songs and chants that do more than entertain. They play a crucial role in developing early literacy skills, such as boosting language development, enhancing memory, and developing social skills.

In this blog post, we’d like to look at different ways nursery rhymes support early literacy skills and how simple poems are so effective.

Phonological Awareness: The Sound Foundation

At the heart of reading lies the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the sounds of spoken language. Nursery rhymes excel at developing this phonological awareness through; 

• Rhyming patterns: When children hear that “Humpty Dumpty” rhymes with “great fall”, they begin noticing sound patterns. This awareness of how words sound alike lays the groundwork for connecting letters with sounds later. 

• Alliteration: Verses like “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” highlight repeated initial sounds, drawing attention to how words begin and helping children distinguish between similar sounds. 

• Syllable recognition: The rhythmic nature of “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” naturally segments words into beats, helping children hear that words are made of smaller parts.

  
  

Beyond Sounds: Building Vocabulary and Comprehension 

Nursery rhymes introduce children to language patterns and new vocabulary in an accessible format: 

• Rich vocabulary: These rhymes expose children to words they might not encounter in everyday conversation. Terms like "fetched," "tuffet," and "nimble" expand a child's word bank in memorable contexts. 

• Narrative structure: Even the simplest nursery rhymes often tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. This introduces children to story structure, sequencing, and prediction skills that transfer directly to reading comprehension. 

• Cultural literacy: Many nursery rhymes contain cultural references and traditions that build background knowledge—another key component of reading comprehension.

  
  

The Social-Emotional Connection

The benefits extend beyond technical literacy skills. Nursery rhymes create powerful learning opportunities through: 

• Bonding: The shared experience of reciting rhymes creates emotional connections between adults and children. This positive association with language activities fosters a love of reading. 

• Confidence: As children master rhymes, they gain confidence in their language abilities. I've seen shy preschoolers beam with pride after reciting "Twinkle, Twinkle" independently for the first time. 

• Memory skills: The repetitive nature of nursery rhymes helps children practice memory strategies that will serve them well when decoding and remembering sight words.

  
  

To maximize these benefits listed above, these are several engaging approaches you can incorporate; 

1. Make it multisensory: Add motions, clapping patterns, or props to engage multiple senses. For "Itsy Bitsy Spider," use finger movements to represent the spider climbing up the spout. 

2. Play with language: Once children know a rhyme well, try changing words or creating silly alternatives. "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of... juice?" This wordplay develops metalinguistic awareness — understanding how language works. 

3. Connect to books: Many nursery rhymes have been adapted into picture books. These visual companions help children make connections between spoken and written language. 

4. Create opportunities for application: After reciting "Little Miss Muffet," ask children what other foods might rhyme with "curds and whey." This extends learning beyond memorization. 

5. Incorporate throughout the day: Transition times are perfect for quick rhymes. "This is the way we wash our hands" can turn handwashing into a literacy moment.

   
   

The journey from nursery rhymes to independent reading follows a natural progression. First, children enjoy the rhythm and repetition, simply experiencing language as play. Next, they begin noticing patterns—rhyming words, alliteration, and rhythmic structure. As awareness grows, they start predicting the rhyming word at the end of a line, showing their grasp of sound patterns.

Finally, this sound awareness transfers to print as they learn that written letters represent the sounds they've been playing with all along.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, or caregiver, integrating nursery rhymes into daily routines offers children a head-start in literacy development. The beauty lies in their simplicity—no special equipment required, just your voice and a moment of connection with a child.