Maths with Nursery Rhymes: A Guide for Early Years
Nursery rhymes play a crucial role in early childhood education, cherished for their rhythmic, playful verses.
However, beyond their entertainment value, these rhymes serve as powerful tools for introducing mathematical concepts to young learners. Early Years teachers can leverage the natural structure of nursery rhymes to teach foundational maths skills, ensuring the learning experience remains fun and engaging. Let's explore the mathematical potential of nursery rhymes in your classroom.
Counting and Number Recognition
Many nursery rhymes involve counting, a key concept in early mathematics. Rhyme-based counting provides repetition, reinforcing the ‘stable order principle’ or number sequencing.
"One, Two, Buckle My Shoe"
This rhyme effectively teaches counting from 1 to 10. It introduces children to numbers sequentially, helping them become familiar with number order. Teachers can encourage children to recite the rhyme and perform corresponding actions, which support memory and retention. For instance, when the rhyme says, "Buckle my shoe," students can act out buckling their shoes, making the learning interactive and multi-sensory.
"Five Little Ducks"
This rhyme is excellent for teaching counting. As the ducks disappear one by one, children count backward from five to zero, subtly introducing subtraction. You can extend the rhyme by using props like duck toys or drawing pictures to visualise the concept of "taking away" one at a time.
Patterns and Sequences
Patterns and sequences are core concepts in mathematics, and many nursery rhymes naturally incorporate them. Repeating structures within the verses help children recognise and predict patterns, building the foundation for later mathematical reasoning.
"Baa Baa Black Sheep"
This rhyme uses repetition and introduces a pattern: “Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. One for the master, one for the dame, and one for the little boy who lives down the lane.” Teachers can use this rhyme to discuss the concept of equal sharing, a basic introduction to division. You could ask the children, “If there were 6 bags, how many would each person get?” This builds an intuitive understanding of division and sharing.
"Row, Row, Row Your Boat"
The repetitive and rhythmic structure of this rhyme is a great way to introduce sequencing. The word “row” is repeated three times, creating a simple pattern that children can recognise. By clapping, tapping, or stamping along to the beat, children can explore the concept of rhythm and sequences. Adding additional verses like ‘drive, drive, drive,’ ‘push, push, push,’ and ‘pull, pull, pull,’ introduces more complex coordinated movements.
Spatial Awareness
Spatial reasoning involves understanding the relationships between objects in space, a fundamental aspect of geometry. Nursery rhymes can introduce children to spatial concepts through descriptive language and actions.
"The Grand Old Duke of York"
This rhyme is ideal for teaching positional language such as “up,” “down,” “halfway,” and “around.” Acting out the movements as they sing helps children understand these spatial concepts. The Duke’s army goes up the hill, down the hill, and stops halfway, giving teachers an opportunity to explore direction and positioning with their students.
"Hickory Dickory Dock"
This rhyme introduces the concept of time, but it also offers an opportunity to explore spatial concepts like "up" and "down" as the mouse runs up and down the clock. Teachers can ask students to act out the rhyme, using their bodies to show the mouse’s movement, further reinforcing spatial understanding.
Basic Arithmetic
Simple addition and subtraction can also be introduced through nursery rhymes, helping children understand these operations in a fun, contextual way.
“Five Little Elephants”, "This Old Man"
These rhymes incorporate the forward counting sequence in a straightforward way. Introducing actions to both of these rhymes will reinforce the concept of early addition through ‘one more.’
"Ten in the Bed"
Before reciting the traditional, counting back version, adapt the lyrics to reinforce the forward counting sequence. For example; ‘There was one in the room and the little one said, ‘I’m lonely, I’m lonely,’ so one came along and sat in the room, there were 2 in the room, and the little one said, I’m lonely, I’m lonely.’
Once secure with counting forward, this rhyme can be used to count down, as children “fall” out of the bed one by one, reinforcing subtraction. As each child rolls out of the bed, the teacher can ask the class, “How many are left now?” Using toys or visual aids, such as a row of ten dolls or pictures, will make the concepts of addition and subtraction more accessible.
“Five Little Ducks”, “Five Current Buns”, “Five Little Frogs”, “Five Fat Peas”
Adapt the words to these traditional rhymes so that they embed the forward count before introducing the backward count.
‘One little duck went swimming one day, over the hill and far away, Mother duck said quack, quack, quack and 2 little ducks came swimming right back.’
‘One current bun in the baker’s shop, brown and round with a cherry on top, along came the baker with a fresh brown bun, put it on the shelf and then there were….’
‘One little speckled frog sitting on a speckled log, eating the most delicious grubs, yum, yum. One jumped out of the pool, where it was nice and cool, then there were 2 green speckled frogs.’
‘One fat pea, in a pea pod pressed, 1 grew, 2 grew and so did all the rest. They grew and grew and did not stop, when all of a sudden, the pod went pop, 2 fat peas….’
Conclusion
Nursery rhymes offer more than just a 5-minute filler activity; they are packed with opportunities to develop mathematical thinking. From counting and patterns to spatial awareness and arithmetic, EY teachers can use these familiar rhymes to encourage young children to engage with complex mathematical ideas. By connecting mathematical concepts to songs, actions, and stories, teachers create a rich, engaging learning environment that makes maths fun and accessible for the youngest of learners. Next time you recite a nursery rhyme, remember that you are not just singing—you are introducing and teaching the building blocks of mathematics!
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Catherine Worton writes in her article Melody, Memory and Prosody about how to choose your nursery rhymes.
