5 currant buns in a baker’s shop

Round and fat with a cherry on the top

Along came (choose a child)

With a penny one day

Bought a currant bun and took it away

4 currant buns in a baker’s shop

And so on

There is a large amount of mathematical language used in this nursery rhyme

Five – introduced numbers and counting. The idea of subtraction is introduced when one is taken away and it becomes four currant buns.

Round – Introduces the idea of shape, the currant bun is circular.

Penny – introduces the idea of money.

Took it away – reinforces the idea that the number will get smaller as one has been removed.

Being able to include the children into the song will increase motivation and involvement. It will also introduce a visual element. The teacher could have money for the child to collect and give to her in return for an item. Having the other four items on the table would help children understand the concept of 5-1=4

Before this lecture, I hadn’t thought about the use of nursery rhymes in early years. I can’t remember singing nursery rhymes in Primary 1 but I remember singing them in Primary 2. My teacher made a point of having us sing, she taught us some common nursery rhymes but also some older more unusual nursery rhymes which I still remember to this day.

While doing work experience in a Canadian school over the summer, I volunteered with early years. I spend most of my time with an ASN class with children in Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten. In the morning, when the children came in they were given some tasks to do which were the same every day. One was to listen to a song, all of which were nursery rhymes. The children all sang or moved along to them and now that I think back to it, many of them included a mathematical element to them.

Nursery rhyme introduces the idea of sequences to children. They include numbers, counting and other maths words such as size and weight all of which children have to learn (KBYU Eleven, 2010). It allows children to learn to count both forwards and backwards.

I feel that it is important to sing nursery rhymes with children in the early years as it helps with their mathematical, language and cognitive development. Some children will not have parents who sing with them so it is important that they are given this opportunity to learn as well. Nursery rhymes is an easy way to get all children involved and learning without them even realising it.

References

KBYU Eleven (2010) Rhymes are readers: The importance of Nursery Rhymes. Available at: http://www.kbyutv.org/kidsandfamily/readytolearn/file.axd?file=2011%2F3%2F2+Rhymers+are+Readers-Why+Important.pdf