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Nursery Rhymes and Early Literacy: Why Rhymes Still Matter
Nursery Rhymes and Early Literacy: Why Rhymes Still Matter
Why are nursery rhymes important for children today?
Why are nursery rhymes important for children today?
Nursery rhymes support early language and literacy development by building vocabulary, rhythm awareness, memory, and listening skills. Rhymes remain relevant in modern education.
How many nursery rhymes can you recall from your own childhood? How many have you passed on to the next generation?
In Rime Time with Kids, we explore the benefits of these rhymes for children and uncover the story behind Mother Goose — is she real or just a myth?
Why are we talking about rhymes?
Why are we talking about rhymes?
Just the other day, I was baking with my grandkids when, naturally enough, a nursery rhyme popped into my head
Sing a song of sixpence,” I said.
“A pocketful of rye,” came the next line.
I wasn’t surprised. Nursery rhymes form the foundation of so much learning and language development that they’re as natural as breathing. From infancy, children hear nursery rhymes and songs daily. We all love a cozy opportunity to cuddle up with tiny tots for hugs. If nothing else they give adults enough time for a breather and a cup of coffee!
But nursery rhymes are more than catchy verses; they support early literacy, memory, and language development.
Educationalists' facts
Educationalists' facts
Nursery rhymes influence cognitive development in early childhood by helping children understand rhythm, patterns, meanings, and language structure. They improve children’s language perception, processing, and cognitive abilities, foundational skills that support higher-order thinking, such as sequencing, inference, and pattern recognition. Research shows that nursery rhyme familiarity enhances phonological awareness — a core forerunner to reading and spelling achievement.
Why do we remember nursery rhymes so well?
Why do we remember nursery rhymes so well?
In her book, Remembering the Times of Our Lives: Memory in Infancy and Beyond, Bauer traces how memory develops and why early experiences (like recurring rhymes and songs) are fundamental to building long-term recall and cognitive foundations.
Benefits gained by kids through exposure to nursery rhymes
Benefits gained by kids through exposure to nursery rhymes
Memorising nursery rhymes leads to future success as a reader.
Nursery rhymes promote recall and memorisation skills by developing rhyming skills through rhythmic patterns.
3. Long-term memory and the ability to recall information is improved through nursery rhymes. This leads to higher academic achievement.
Nursery rhymes teach vocabulary expansion and language manipulation, leading to reading fluency.
Nursery rhymes provide basic storytelling skills. They teach structure, sequencing and prediction.
Nursery rhymes promote higher-order thinking skills.
They are fun, incorporating actions and music to provide a joyful learning environment.
How far back does the tradition of nursery rhymes go?
How far back does the tradition of nursery rhymes go?
Off the top of my head, I’d say that they go back to the beginning of oral communication and language development.
The oral tradition of tales and rhymes stretches back through time.
That elusive person ‘Anon.’ seems to be credited with most nursery rhymes. We do have some records of the Mother Goose tradition coming from a mix of European folklore, oral storytelling, and early printed children’s literature. In 1697, French writer Charles Perrault published Histoires ou contes du temps passé, which was a collection of fairy tales. The book’s subtitle was Contes de ma mère l’Oye, and presented them as traditional folk stories passed down by a symbolic, wise old woman storyteller.
In 1729, John Newberry published Songs for the Nursery, or Mother Goose’s Melodies, which standardised and popularised many of the nursery rhymes still known today, such as Jack and Jill and Hickory Dickory Dock.
Was Mother Goose a real woman? Claims have been made for Goody Goose in England or Elizabeth Goose in colonial America, but historians find no reliable evidence.
Today, she is a folkloric figure, representing collective storytelling rather than an individual author.
Back to Baking
Back to Baking
The kids shaped the cookies, ate the dough and added to their list of favourite nursery rhymes.
Meanwhile, I contemplated how, decades after I learned them myself, they come back to me. Unprompted, they spring into my mind, a few words at a time until the whole nursery rhyme is gathered there.
No one in the family knows as many — I’m the queen of nursery rhymes!
Let's Talk
Let's Talk
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of nursery rhymes and how to use them when playing or teaching children, please leave a comment below. You’re also very welcome to share your own tips for using nursery rhymes to support early literacy, language development, and learning in the classroom or at home.
To protect your privacy, comments are not made public, but I will reply to you as soon as possible.
Knotty Street School Series
Knotty Street School Series
Poppy’s Pocket Dragon: First Day at School is a warm, funny children’s book about starting a new school, making friends, and finding confidence. On her first day at Knotty Street School, shy Poppy feels completely alone — until she meets Spike, a mischievous pocket dragon with a love of food and a talent for classroom chaos. With Spike’s help (and a new friend called Ali), Poppy learns to be brave, speak up, and enjoy school.
You can order your copy now.
Knotty Street School Series: Book Two
Knotty Street School Series: Book Two
Captain Jack Takes Control
Can you keep a secret?
Poppy has a dragon in her pocket — and school is about to get chaotic.
Gummy bears, fizzy flying saucers, and a science lesson in outer space! When Spike causes classroom mayhem and danger looms, a quiet boy called Jack must step up and take control.
A funny, fast-paced adventure about friendship, courage, and finding the leader inside you.
Perfect for readers aged 7–9.
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