Rhyming to Read

Our Rhyming to Read program is short and sweet- 1/2 hr. covering 2 nursery rhymes. Today, we did 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (Once I Caught a Fish Alive) and Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary.

According to the Mother Goose Club: http://www.mothergooseclub.com/ (check out this site for videos, printables and more!)
Research has shown that familiarity with Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes helps children to develop pre-reading skills, the first step in becoming successful readers. How do nursery rhymes help? As children hear, sing or read nursery rhymes, they develop "phonemic awareness" or the ability to detect the individual sounds that make up words, a crucial first step in learning to read. Nursery rhymes, especially Mother Goose rhymes, also introduce children to new vocabulary which increases comprehension and benefits learning in all subjects. The delight children experience as they engage in rhyme activities fosters an enduring enthusiasm for books and reading.

Best-selling author Mem Fox says “The importance of getting rhymes and songs into children’s heads can’t be over estimated”. “Rhymers will be readers: It’s that simple. Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know 8 nursery rhymes by heart by the time they are 4 years old, they are usually amongst the best readers by the time they are 8”.
(Mem Fox, Reading Magic. Mariner Books 2001)