| You may have noticed the prevalence of rhyme | | | | great way to increase children's vocabulary |
| in children's books and songs, but have you | | | | and knowledge of the world. Many preschool |
| ever wondered why? There are several reasons | | | | songs are actually informative and |
| why educators, authors, and song writers who | | | | instructive about various aspects of culture |
| target young children use rhyme so much. The | | | | and the world, but in addition many movement |
| first and simplest reason that rhyme and song | | | | songs also teach children important aspects |
| are such an important part of early childhood | | | | of relationships and direction that will aid |
| education is that they are fun and encourage | | | | in life as well as reading. Rhyme is also a |
| children to be active participants in the | | | | great memory aid and learning tool and |
| preschool learning activity at hand. Children | | | | learning new preschool songs, preschool |
| love rhyme and song and early childhood | | | | rhymes, and preschool poems will help |
| educators have long recognized the benefits | | | | children improve their memory skills which |
| of using these techniques based on simple | | | | can only help them when they begin their |
| anecdotal evidence but now studies show that | | | | formal education. Playing with and learning |
| indeed rhythm and rhyme can help children | | | | rhyme and songs also helps children improve |
| learn more effectively. Rhyme also helps | | | | their listening and sound discrimination |
| children learn important foundational skills | | | | skills. These will aid not only in learning |
| for reading. Reading is much more involved | | | | to read but also becoming better students and |
| than simply learning to recognize that the | | | | better people in the future. So if the simple |
| shapes and squiggles on a page actually | | | | fact that your child enjoys rhyme and song is |
| resolve into words and meaning. Learning to | | | | not enough to encourage you making rhyme and |
| read also means learning about language and | | | | song a part of your preschooler's life then |
| understanding the elements of that language. | | | | you should also consider the other benefits |
| Once children understand how language works | | | | such as setting the foundation for important |
| and the basic building blocks of words and | | | | reading skills, increasing vocabulary, |
| sentences then learning to read is much | | | | improving memory, and teaching sound |
| easier for them. Rhyme is an essential part | | | | discrimination. |
| of this process. Preschool songs are also a | | | | |