I watch the rain falling outside the window and reflect. The end of summer fast approaches. The reading program has raced ahead. We will be adopting at least two of our endangered animals and, no, I'm not telling until August 19th. The children's department is full of children looking for books and playing, teachers planning the beginning of their school year and parents interacting with their children. All in all, a very pleasant morning here at the Bellingham Library.
So I wanted to talk about how important Mother goose nursery rhymes are for early literacy. "What?" you might say. "Mother Goose!" Yep. They are important for developing rhythm and rhyming (although Dr. Foster from Glouster really only works if you use the BAH-stin accent)
These skills are part of the Phonological awarness skills. A Big word for hearing sound changes, rhythm patterns and word syllables. They also use "rare" words, words that are not use alot in regular language. I mean how many times do you use the word fleece or parlor in day to day conversation with your child? Knowing these "unusual" words actually helps children when it is time for children to read. The more words the child knows going into school, the easier it will be for them to learn to read.
