Research has suggested that there is a link between children's early knowledge of nursery rhymes and later success in reading. Among other things, rhymes can enhance children's phonological awareness. It is important that early years practitioners provide young children with plenty of opportunities to explore songs and rhymes. An effective and interactive way to do this is through an alphabet wall hanging, providing an A to Z of rhymes.
* Buy an alphabet hanging with small pockets, or ask a willing staff member or parent to make one.
* Compile an alphabetical list of familiar and unfamiliar nursery rhymes and songs. Search websites for less familiar ones (see box).
* Make sure that the first letter of the title is phonetic. For example, in the 't' pocket, use 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star' and not 'Three Blind Mice'.
* Your A to Z of rhymes could include: A Animal fair
Ants (website 6)
B Baa baa black sheep
Bobby Shaftoe
C Cat and the fiddle
Cows in the kitchen (website 6)
D Doctor Foster
Do you know the muffin man?
E Elephant goes (website 7)
Everybody do this (website 6)
F Five little speckled frogs
Farmer in the dell
G Goosey, goosey gander
Going to St Ives (website 2)
H Hickory dickory dock
Humpty Dumpty
I Incy wincy spider
It's raining, it's pouring
J Jack and Jill
Jack be nimble
K Kookaburra
King Boggen (website 3)
L Little Bo Peep
Little Miss Muffet
M Mary had a little lamb
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
N North wind doth blow (website 3)
Never find a rhyme for orange (website 6)
O Old King Cole
Old Mother Hubbard
P Peter Piper
Pussy cat, pussy cat
Q Queen of Hearts
R Round and round the garden
Rub a dub dub
S Sing a song of sixpence
See-saw, Margery Daw
T Teddy bear, teddy bear
Twinkle, twinkle little star
U Upstairs, downstairs
Ugly bug ball
V Valentines are coming (website 7)
W Wee Willie Winkie
Wynken, Blynken & Nod (website 2)
X X, Y, and tumbledown Z (website 2)
Y Yankee Doodle (website 2)
You know you have a friend (website 6)
Z Zum gali gali gali (website 3)
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
* Place a small toy, object or picture that represents the rhyme or song into the corresponding letter pocket.
* Choose one of the rhymes to introduce the hanging to the children. Ask the children if they can think of a song or rhyme beginning with, say, 'W'.
Bring out the 'prop' as a clue.
* Let the children take turns to choose a letter on a regular basis.
* Ask them to give you a clue about their choice by telling you the sound that it starts with.
* Allow them to select the 'prop' as the rest of the group prepare to join in with the song or rhyme.
* Invite the children to recite a rhyme or song.
* Put the hanging on permanent display and make sure it is easily accessible.
Useful websites
1 http://www.zelo.com/family/nursery/index.aspcontains a list of nursery rhymes and lists words for each.
2 http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Rhymes.htmlincludes a long list of nursery rhymes.
3 http://www-personal.umich.edu/pfa/dreamhouse/nursery/rhymes/ has a large collection of rhymes that are listed alphabetically.
4 http://www.collingsm.freeserve.co.uk/alphaindex.htmcontains a large number of rhymes sorted alphabetically.
5 http://www.hendersonville-pd.org/hpdnursery.htmlprovides words and music for a variety of nursery rhymes and songs.
6 http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/tweenies/songtime/gives an alphabetical list of songs that the children can sing along with the Tweenies.
7 http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/alpha.htmllists alphabetically lyrics to favourite children's songs and recordings of the music.