Revisiting Nursery Rhymes

 

            When lots of youngsters pass ages 6 or 7, suddenly, Mom or Dad have to have a "gimmick" if they want their child to voluntarily do something that will be good for him: read.

 

            Children insist on being entertained, and they're getting more and more sophisticated and cynical every day. So if you want to keep up with the reading aloud, and being read to, through middle and late grade school, you'll have to come up with some "schtick" to make nightly bedtime stories "stick."

 

            So here's an idea. A little role reversal is always good for general hilarity. Your child will love reading aloud old, familiar nursery rhymes to you, and watching YOU act them out. No doubt you have a book of nursery rhymes left over from the recent past. You NEVER outgrow them, you know. And guess what: it's amazing how productive this exercise can be for your child's reading practice, and for lightening up and sweetening up your priceless parent-child relationship.

 

            Short is good. Nursery rhymes are brief and to the point. Often, kids will look at a big, thick book in a parent's hands, and no matter how great the story is, they'll balk because it just LOOKS like work.

 

            Familiar is good. Your child already knows the stories and, probably, the rhymes themselves. So reading them aloud properly with good expression is likely to be a piece of cake. That feels good.

 

            Rhyme is good. Even struggling readers enjoy the beat of a rhyme, and it really helps them sort out the syllables and say them in the right order. That feels good, too.

 

            Connecting words and actions are good. Nursery rhymes are full of action, and bad things happen, although not TOO bad, and funny things happen, which a loving parent can act out to make even funnier. And instructive for your child, too. There's nothing like vivid consequences to teach the laws of cause and effect.

 

            Putting the power to direct action in your child's hands is good. There's nothing like speaking words out loud - little, weightless, invisible words - and seeing a mom or dad or grandparent leap into action. Putting yourself at your child's beck and call is a brave act, but it will pay off bigtime in your child's laughter and glowing eyes.

 

            Associating fun with reading is good. In fact, it may be the best "good" of all.