Using Nursery Rhymes at school: A reading project with a 4th grade class

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I’ve always been interested in Nursery Rhymes for their multiple benefits, which so vividly David Gibson presented on various occasions (see Nursery Rhymes).

So, when I found these nicely illustrated little books on offer I bought 20 and started a reading project with a 4th grade class: every fortnight/week students would have to read a book, maybe listen to the CD which accompanied it. This CD was recorded with the help of my dear friend David who kindly read the Nursery Rhymes for us. There were 6 titles in the series and each packet also contained a leaflet giving some general, introductory information on Nursery Rhymes and some info on each Nursery Rhyme: when they were published, the story (if there is one) behind them, and the explanation of some unknown words. Every child had to present one of the Nursery Rhymes they liked- either recite it or play it or sing it, either alone or with another classmate. Every week I would choose a Nursery Rhyme and find a worksheet on it from the big variety there is on the Internet, or make my own, and teach the corresponding rhyme or song.

We also danced to the Grand Old Duke of York, following the pattern  of this video:

Folk Dance – Grand Old Duke of York (England)

Here is a short presentation of the things we did throughout the year:

Using Nursery Rhymes at school

It was a very enjoyable project. All the students were involved with enthusiasm (even boys, whom I expected to be more reluctant!) and had lots of fun! At the end of the school year we presented ‘The grand old Duke of York’ and other Nursery Rhymes to the whole school and our special guest, Mr David Gibson!

 

I presented the project (actually complemented David Gibson’s wonderful talk with this educational example) on various occasions (TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, TESOL Greece, Ekadeve) and it received a warm welcome by colleagues! (interview)

You don’t have to buy books, of course, to make this project, since there are so many things you can find on the Internet and do with Nursery Rhymes!

You can find lots of Nursery Rhymes here:

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Big Book of Nursery Rhymes, by Various

Ideas to Use Nursery Rhymes in the Classroom

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Reading & Recitation

Nursery rhymes are a great way to build some individual or group reading:  they can be used as a warm-up at the beginning of a lesson, as a closer at the end of a lesson or just something to break up the monotony of the traditional lesson. The teacher can work with the students to memorize the rhyme or assign it as homework to memorize at home, either individually or in small groups. S/he can also divide the poem line-by-line and assign each student one line of the poem to memorize. Then they can perform the rhyme in small groups with each student responsible for one line.

Illustration & Crafting

Once you read the nursery rhyme as a class and go over new words, ask the students to illustrate the nursery rhyme, letting your creative students express themselves! Then, display the illustrations on the walls to bring a sense of pride and personality to your classroom!

Here’s an incredible resource on the State Library of Louisiana which provides a whole list of free  mini books to download of the nursery rhymes I found!

Acting It Out & Tickling

Acting out a nursery rhyme is best used in addition to reciting it. The TPR (Total Physical Response) method not only gets students up and out of their desks, but it also helps with memorization and encourages a better understanding of the words. Some nursery rhymes have well-known movements attached to their lyrics (‘Incy-wincy Spider’) : you can use the established gestures or create your own for just about any nursery rhyme.

Here’s an example of the Nursery Rhyme with actions: ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’

Children love to anticipate the tickling and that’s what these rhymes are all about (children just love ‘This Little Piggy Went to Market’ and such).

Have a look at Round and round the garden – three tickle rhymes!

And do you remember the game in Magic Book 1 (Unit 2The Story of Bella the Cat, Lesson 1)

‘Round about, round about,

Goes the wee mousie.

Up, up, up, up,

Into the wee housie!’

It was a tickling rhyme!

Counting

Some Nursery Rhymes help to teach numbers and counting, either normal upwards counting or downwards counting (‘One Two Three Four Five, once I caught a fish alive…’). Some songs are not about counting but they do have a progressive nature, following some kind of sequence or pattern (‘ Old McDonald Had a Farm’, ‘Hokey Cokey’).

Here’s a clip (the first in the video) of the counting rhyme ‘Ten green bottles’.

Games & Dancing

Some Nursery Rhymes can be regarded as playground songs (including skipping, hopscotch, ball-games) and selection or counting-out rhymes such as ‘One Potato, two potatoes’), or can be danced in a ring (‘Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush’) or as a folk dance.

‘One Potato, two potato’ is especially loved in Ireland (given the importance of potatoes in Irish cuisine!) Here are the game instructions! 

Nursery Rhymes

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Nursery Rhymes are poems or rhymes for children that tell little stories, sometimes strange, whose meaning is lost in history (going back in the early 18th century!); they are sometimes padded out with nonsense words. Some of the rhymes are simply recited like poems but a great many of them are in fact songs. Nursery rhymes are catchy, easy to memorize and fun!

That’s what makes them an invaluable educational tool. Younger students will enjoy the songs and rhymes, while older students will appreciate the themes hidden below the surface.

Nursery rhymes can be useful in many ways. Depending on the nursery rhyme, students will learn new vocabulary.

Nursery rhymes also help develop phonemic awareness (thanks to the rhyming words). These little rhyming ditties also give students the chance to practice pronunciation and intonation when they recite them. The singsong nature of these poems can create a fun, less formal environment for students. Since most nursery rhymes contain several rhyming words, they have the added advantage of helping children develop their memory (they are so easy to memorise!)

Here is a wonderful presentation ( Nursery Rhymes presentation) of a wonderful talk given by a wonderful person on several occasions (TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, TESOL Greece, Ekadeve), Mr David Gibson *!

And a short but very enlightening interview on the multiple advantages of using nursery rhymes in teaching!

Here is a list of sites you can visit to get a more thorough insight into Nursery Rhymes:

 

*David Gibson was born in Northern England in 1947 and began teaching in 1964. His five diplomas were awarded by the universities of Nottingham, Bristol, and Cambridge and he taught in England in junior and secondary schools for 15 years. He came to Greece in 1979 and taught English as a Foreign Language in private schools before joining the British Council in Thessaloniki in 1987. There, he taught English Language and Literature, was a Teacher-Trainer, and served as the Coordinator of Student Social and Cultural Activities.

In 1995, he took up a post as teacher of English Language and Literature at Pinewood International Schools, Thessaloniki, becoming the Chairman of the English Department in 1999. At Pinewood, he also coached three football teams, ran Guitar Clubs and School Bands, and was involved in a wide variety of other school activities and events.

David has worked for Cambridge ESOL for more than twenty years, as an Oral Examiner, Team Leader, Supervisor, Seminar Presenter, and Inspector, and is a founder and three-time board member of TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece, being a regular speaker and active participant in conventions and similar events.

In June 2008, he retired from full-time teaching in order to concentrate on other projects, but has continued to work with Pinewood students – coaching football, playing guitar with them, encouraging them to read and to write … and to watch birds.

You can see some of his inspiring work as the one half of the two-man English Teaching Theatre Group “Dave’n’Luke” here:

DAVE’N’LUKE English Language Theatre