Why Do Children’s Education Programs Have Songs And Rhymes?

“Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances. ”

― Maya Angelou

Guess what every child-centric program, whether online or offline, fun or educational, has in common?

Songs and rhymes!

Have you ever given a thought as to why so many children’s programs have songs in them?

We have!

Today we are going to explore the importance of songs in early childhood education. Read ahead to see why we have included songs and rhymes in Disney.BYJU’S Early Learn program.

Reasons for using rhymes and songs in early childhood education

Teachers interviewed for an Educational Research and Reviews paper shared their insights on incorporating songs into early childhood language education. Three compelling reasons arose:

• Songs are enjoyed by young learners and are considered one of the most effective language learning strategies. 
• When used appropriately, songs may extend children’s attention spans. 
• Due to the repetitive nature of songs, it leads to the automatic use of the target language. 

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Benefits of using rhymes and songs in early childhood education

The aforementioned paper, Teacher views about using songs in teaching English to young learners, also mentions the key benefits of using rhymes and songs. They are as follows:

• Young children are familiar with songs and rhymes in their native language. They are less likely to shy away from them in a new, unfamiliar language. 
• Songs and rhymes promote positive feelings. The rhythmical patterns are likely to accelerate learning. 
• Young children tend not to get tired of repeating songs and rhymes. They learn new sounds, words, and sentences with each performance as a result of joining in the songs and rhymes with the parts they know. It enables them to pronounce words confidently and with expressions. 
• Songs and rhymes present new structures and words in predictable patterns. They enable children to use the same in other, different contexts. They allow children to practise key vocabulary in a fun manner. 

To summarise, rhymes and songs help children learn different concepts without consciously pushing themselves to learn, as lyrics tend to be better remembered than dialogues. They also make learning interesting and fun. 

It is wonderful to see young learners singing along different educational songs and rhymes. Disney.BYJU’S Early Learn program has plenty of songs and rhymes that make the learning journey more fun and exciting. When we make early learning fun, children become better learners for life.

Download the Disney.BYJU’S Early Learn App

References

Şevik, M. (2011). Teacher views about using songs in teaching English to young learners. Educational Research and Review, 6(21), 1027-1035. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR11.250 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268434081_Teacher_views_about_using_songs_in_teaching_English_to_young_learners