NURSERY RYMES AS A SPRINGBOARD
FOR LITERACY SKILLS
Story Elements
Discuss the characters, setting, problem, resolution, etc. in nursery rhymes.
Rhyme of the Week
Select a rhyme each week and write it on a poster or language experience chart. Reread the rhyme each day.
*Clap the syllables.
*Find words that rhyme.
*Listen for words that start the same.
*Look up unusual words in the dictionary.
*Dramatize the rhyme.
*Say the rhyme the wrong way and let children correct you.
*Leave out a word and let the children fill in the missing word.
*Connect with art by letting children make puppets, play dough characters, etc.
Piggy Back Tunes
You can sing traditional nursery rhymes to tunes such as “100 Bottles of Pop on the Wall,” “Yankee Doodle,” and ”Gilligan’s Island.”