It is also important to be clear on the distinction between 'nursery rhymes' - songs selected by adults to sing to children - and children's traditional songs, which are songs sung by children themselves. Children's traditional songs usually have simpler words and simpler melodies and are easier for them to grasp and sing themselves.
The CD I have suggested for this month is by Pete Seeger. He sings these songs slowly and very clearly. The only accompaniment is his banjo and his voice is natural. Although described as American folk songs, many of them are originally from Britain.
Set up a listening station with a CD or cassette player and a selection of CDs or tapes. If the noise disturbs the rest of the nursery, it is possible to get 'splitters', to use with a number of headphones, so that two or more children can listen at the same time.
Here are a few tips!
Wind some extra insulation tape around the connection between electrical leads and the point where they connect with plug and headphones. These are vulnerable connection points and children often tug on the wires and loosen them.
In one nursery, practitioners selected and copied two or three tracks on to five- or ten-minute cassette tapes to preserve the original tapes and CDs.
At the end of the tape, they recorded simple instructions to the children to switch off, remove the cassette and replace the headphones.
* American Folk, Game and Activity Songs for Children Smithsonian Folkways, ASIN: B00003OP49, available on www.amazon.com.
