Why Mother Goose?

Young children love rhyming words and it is often the first thing they notice about a story. Much of the appeal of Mother Goose rhymes lies in the musical quality of the phrases. The rhythm and rhyme of the verses make for a very joyful introduction to language. In fact, Mother Goose is a learning experience. What young children learn when they hear and recite Mother Goose rhymes is the rhythm of the language. That rhythm of the language, when it is mastered at an early age, will help them later when they begin to read. 

Charlotte Huck, children's literature expert, sites a study done on nursrey rhymes which found that their early experience with rhymes develops "phonemic awareness." "Children's ability to manipulate the sounds of words as they sing and chant nursery rhymes is a necessary foundation for understanding relationships between letters and sounds and contributes to their emergent literacy development." (Kiefer,Barbara; Charlotte Huck's Children's Literature, 10th edition, NY:McGraw Hill, p. 114).   

Nursery rhymes also allow young children the opportunity to actively participate and respond. They love to clap hands with "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man," or to be bounced on a parent's knee in "Ride a Cock Horse." Songs such as "London Bridge" or "Ring around the Roses" are circle games that involve an action from the child. Other verses are counting rhymes such as "1, 2, buckle my shoe." What child doesn't enjoy "This little piggy went to market," when the parent has the piggy squeal all the way home, usually to the child's chin or ear.

Another appeal of many Mother Goose rhymes is their ability to tell a story quickly. "Little Miss Muffet" is only six lines. Yet in those six lines there is a story, some action and a conclusion. This could also be said for "Old Mother Hubbard" and "The Old Woman in the Shoe." How quickly things resolve, making these rhymes memorable for the young child.

Children should be exposed to the rhythm and rhyme of Mother Goose. For many children, this is their first introduction to world of literature. In addition, it is a way of parent and child to interactwith each other.