How to Tell Nursery Rhymes
According to the U.S. Department of Education, most children can read by the age of 7, but you can begin preparing your child at any age. Nursery rhymes can be a helpful reading readiness tool. Their brief length is ideal for the short attention spans of small children, and the singsong verses appeal to kids. Using a variety of methods to tell nursery rhymes to your child can help him learn new words, memorize stories and develop rhyming skills.
Instructions
Read nursery rhymes from a book. Even if you have dozens of them memorized, reading to your child teaches her to follow along from left to right, exposes her to written words and fosters a love of books. Encourage your child to complete the nursery rhyme. Once your little one starts to understand how rhyming works, say all but the last word and see if she can complete the rhyme, encouraging her to think for herself. Define new words. Many old nursery rhymes use words we may not use in daily life, so take the opportunity to expand your child's vocabulary by asking him what he thinks the word means and providing the correct definition. Act out the stories. Use puppets, stuffed animals or your own bodies to play Jack and Jill walking up the hill or Old Mother Hubbard checking her cupboard. Your child will likely pay closer attention and look forward to more stories if you engage him with this activity. Make up your own. You don't have to stick with traditional nursery rhymes. Come up with silly ones using your child's or other loved one's name. Ask her to help you create them. She'll love hearing funny rhymes about herself and people in her life. Plus, you will encourage her to be creative.
