"Again!"
If you're a parent, carer or early years practitioner, you've probably heard that word after singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or The Wheels on the Bus for what feels like the hundredth time. While it might seem repetitive to us, children are gaining so much from these familiar songs and rhymes every single time they hear them.
Nursery rhymes have been part of childhood for generations, and their value goes far beyond simple entertainment. In fact, research continues to highlight the important role that rhyme, rhythm and repetition play in supporting children's communication, literacy and overall development. University of Cambridge researchers found that babies learn from the rhythmic patterns of language from a very early age, with songs and nursery rhymes helping them identify words and develop language skills. [DI Liberto 2023]
At Growing Together Early Years, we're passionate about helping children build strong foundations for future learning. As we explored in our blogs, 5 Top Tips for Parents: Helping My Child to Be School Ready and How Can We Support School Readiness?, school readiness is about so much more than recognising letters and numbers. It's about developing communication skills, confidence, independence, social skills and a love of learning.
Nursery rhymes help nurture all of these areas and more.
How Nursery Rhymes Support Early Language Development
One of the biggest benefits of nursery rhymes is their impact on children's speech and language development.
The repetitive words and phrases found in rhymes expose children to new vocabulary in a fun and memorable way. As children hear the same words repeatedly, they begin to understand their meaning and eventually use them in their own conversations.
Think about how quickly a child learns phrases such as "round and round" or "up above the world so high". Long before they can read, children are absorbing language patterns, sentence structures and new vocabulary through songs and rhymes.
Research consistently shows that communication and language approaches have a positive impact on young children's learning and development, particularly when adults actively engage with children through talking, listening and shared experiences. [Education Endowment Foundation 2026]
That's why nursery rhymes are most powerful when they're shared. Singing together, taking turns and talking about the rhyme all create valuable opportunities for interaction and connection.
Nursery Rhymes and Early Literacy Skills
Many parents are surprised to learn that nursery rhymes can help children become future readers.
Rhymes introduce children to patterns in language. They begin to notice that star sounds like are and wall sounds like fall. This awareness of sounds, known as phonological awareness, is a key building block for reading and writing.
Research has found that children with greater knowledge of nursery rhymes often show stronger phonological awareness skills, helping them recognise rhyme patterns and individual sounds within words.
In simple terms, before children can read words, they need to hear and play with the sounds that make up those words. Nursery rhymes provide the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Building Memory and Concentration
Have you ever noticed how children can remember every word to a favourite rhyme, even when they struggle to remember where they've put their shoes?
The predictable patterns in nursery rhymes help children develop memory skills. As they learn what comes next, they are exercising their working memory and learning to recall information.
Children are also developing listening skills and concentration. Waiting for the next line, joining in at the right moment and remembering actions all require focus and attention.
These are important skills not only for starting school, but for learning throughout life.
Supporting Physical Development Through Action Rhymes
Nursery rhymes aren't just good for language development. They're brilliant for physical development too.
Songs with actions encourage children to clap, point, stretch, balance, jump and move their bodies in different ways. These movements help develop coordination and body awareness while making learning active and enjoyable.
Simple finger rhymes such as Incy Wincy Spider also support fine motor development by strengthening the small muscles in children's hands and fingers. These skills are important as children begin mark making, drawing and later writing.
Helping Children Feel Connected and Confident
Some of our fondest childhood memories involve singing songs with family members, friends or at nursery. That's because nursery rhymes are fundamentally social experiences.
Whether it's joining in with a group at nursery, singing with grandparents or sharing a bedtime rhyme with a parent, these moments help children develop a sense of belonging.
They also build confidence.
Young children often experience success through nursery rhymes. They learn the words, remember the actions and proudly join in. This confidence encourages them to participate, communicate and express themselves more freely.
Why Nursery Rhymes Are Important for School Readiness
If you've read our previous school readiness blogs, you'll know that preparing children for school is about developing a wide range of skills.
Children need to be able to communicate their needs, listen to others, manage routines, build relationships and engage in learning opportunities.
Nursery rhymes naturally support many of these skills at the same time.
Through singing and sharing rhymes, children learn to:
Listen and pay attention
Develop new vocabulary
Take turns and participate in groups
Follow instructions
Build confidence
Develop memory skills
Recognise patterns in language
Strengthen early literacy skills
These foundations help children feel more confident and capable as they move towards starting school.
Simple Ways to Enjoy Nursery Rhymes at Home
The best thing about nursery rhymes is that they don't require expensive resources or specialist knowledge.
You can support your child's development by:
Singing favourite rhymes during daily routines
Adding actions and silly voices
Singing during car journeys or walks
Sharing nursery rhyme books together
Encouraging your child to fill in missing words
Talking about the characters and events in the rhyme
Revisiting favourites again and again
Don't worry if you can't sing perfectly. Your child won't mind! What matters most is spending time together and enjoying the experience.
A Small Activity with a Big Impact
In our previous blog celebrating World Nursery Rhyme Week, we explored how rhymes bring children, families and practitioners together. The research continues to show that these simple songs play an important role in supporting communication, language and early literacy development. [Di Liberto 2023]
So the next time your child asks for The Wheels on the Bus one more time, remember that something wonderful is happening beneath the surface. They aren't just singing a song. They're building vocabulary, strengthening memory, developing listening skills, preparing for reading and creating connections with the people around them.
And that's a journey worth singing about.
A set of printable nursery rhymes designed to promote world space week in nurseries and preschools. Ideal for promoting children’s communication and language development, physical development and early mathematic and literacy skills.
A set of Christmas songs and rhymes perfect for preschool and nursery. With helpful tips to support music time and ideas for extension activities or things that can be added to the continuous provision.