Rhyme Time: Fun, Active, Modern Nursery Rhymes to Help Little Ones Prepare for School

Many years ago, I was working with my grandson Anthony when he was four- years old to prepare him for kindergarten. His school district required that children entering school know five nursery rhymes. I was unable to find nursery rhymes that would be helpful in preparing for school and were readily understandable by him in the context of contemporary society. I wrote these rhymes for Anthony that cover topics for daily living (e.g., hygiene, safety, nutrition, manners), basic information (e.g., days of the week, colors, seasons) and basic math concepts (e.g., counting, word problems, shapes, geometry). These rhymes encourage active dialogue and social interaction among parents, teachers, and children, and may be used for teaching one-on-one or in a group. These rhymes may also be helpful to children for whom English is a second language in learning new words and reinforcing correct pronunciation.