Nursery Rhymes in Music and Language Literacy

Abstract

Nursery rhymes have been a part of childhood for centuries. Spanning the generations, children and adults continue to delight in their poetry and melodies. Educators consider these rhymes traditional literature for music and language instruction. Within this article, the author includes a brief historical discussion of nursery rhymes and writes contemporary music lessons for young children using traditional English verse.

Speaking as a musical expression tool according to teachers’ views

“…22-23). Cardany (2013), in her study, states that music teachers use rhymes and traditional melodies in general music teaching to help children learn about music concepts. These tools not only develop a rhythmic perception, but also, on the one hand, create a powerful communication channel that will ensure the correct and effective use of language through the correct emphasis of words, correct use of breath, intonation, nuance and body language, while also strengthening musical expression.…”

The Rhyme and Reason for Nursery Rhymes in the Elementary Music Classroom

“…The long, oral tradition of nursery rhymes can often make it difficult to pinpoint the origin. Many rhymes that are inappropriate for children in their original wording are omitted from contemporary collections for children, and some rhymes have been altered over the years to remove offensive content (Cardany, 2013). Additionally, some nursery rhymes have apocryphal histories attributed to them, such as “Ring Around the Rosy,” which is not actually about the Great Plague (Ferguson, 2018).…”

“…The oral tradition of nursery rhymes has also resulted in the alteration or abridgment of many rhymes over the years (Cardany, 2013). According to Opie and Opie (1997), the popular counting-out rhyme “Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe” was first recorded in 1888, but is said to have existed long before that, with scholars linking it to an ancient British counting system: the Anglo-Cymric Score (Raphel, 2015).…”

General Music and the Common Core

“…Two examples from these reading standards included performing the nursery rhyme, Jack Sprat, to a steady beat with movements that highlight the text's meaning, such as crossing the hands and patting legs, during the phrase that includes the unknown word betwixt (for complete lesson, see Cardany, 2012). Another example-the street cry Chairs to Mend-used discovery of the meaning of the song within the context of singing in canon (see Figure 2).…”

“…When addressing craft and structure reading standards in music instruction, the music teacher guides children to identify unknown words, notes words that suggest emotions, describes how words supply rhythm or meaning, and addresses the meaning of words and phrases. Two examples from these reading standards included performing the nursery rhyme, Jack Sprat , to a steady beat with movements that highlight the text’s meaning, such as crossing the hands and patting legs, during the phrase that includes the unknown word betwixt (for complete lesson, see Cardany, 2012). Another example—the street cry Chairs to Mend —used discovery of the meaning of the song within the context of singing in canon (see Figure 2).…”