How to Help Your Child Succeed in School

Nursery Rhymes

At Chestnut Nursery School we sing nursery rhymes daily as part of our routines. Learning nursery rhymes in the early years is a great way to help prepare your child for school life as it gives them the building blocks needed for early reading and writing. Nursery rhymes help children in the following ways:

They help children to learn how words are phrased and spoken in the English language.
They help children learn new words and give them a wider vocabulary.
They help children to hear the sounds in words and develop an awareness of phonics.
They give children an understanding of rhyme and spelling patterns.
They help children become aware of the structure of a simple story.

Did you know… “Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.” (Mem Fox—Reading Magic, 2001)

See if you and your child can learn our 8 favourite rhymes. Have fun!

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Now you know our favourite 8 nursery rhymes it’s time to have some fun. Here are some ideas of ways you can play around with the rhymes with your child.

Miss out rhyming words: encourage your child to finish the line.
Change words to make your own personalised rhymes, for example, ‘’John and Jill went up the hill’ or, ‘One for the master, one for the dame and one for Nina Hopkins, who lives down the lane.’
Devise your own actions for nursery rhymes. Let your child suggest suitable ones which they’ll be more likely to remember.
Clap along and establish a steady beat.
Say the wrong words and let your children correct you!
Make a nursery rhyme ‘prop’ box by collecting items that feature in your favourites.
Paint/draw pictures of your favourite scenes or characters in the rhyme.
Visit the library to loan nursery rhyme books to extend your repertoire.

Singing Songs

Sharing Stories

Sharing Stories with your child is crucial for their language development and underpins prereading skills. When your child starts nursery we will give you a book to share at home. Another great way of sharing stories is to watch CBeebies Book At Bedtime with your child.