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Easy as ABC

Make learning the letters of the alphabet fun and rewarding by letting children choose nursery rhymes, says Kevin Kelman 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.
Make learning the letters of the alphabet fun and rewarding by letting children choose nursery rhymes, says Kevin Kelman

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.