Why is Singing Nursery Rhymes Important for Newborns? Scientists Explain How Sing-Song Talk Helps in Babies' Language Foundation

The foundation of language development in childhood is strongly influenced by rhythmic exposure through songs and nursery rhymes, fostering early positive interactions. The familiarity of tunes like 'Round and Round the Garden' and 'Two Little Dickie Birds' creates lasting early memories, connecting individuals to language rhythms from before birth.

Recent research underscores the significance of nursery rhymes and sing-song talk in infants' language learning, surpassing the impact of standard baby babble.

Crucial Role of Rhythm Over Phonetics in Early Learning

Using brain imaging, a joint study by the University of Cambridge and the University of Dublin investigated how infants process rhythmic and phonetic information.

The study, titled "Emergence of the cortical encoding of phonetic features in the first year of life" published in Nature Communications, revealed that newborns encounter difficulty fully processing phonetic details until approximately seven months, even though they can recognize familiar words.

Neuroscientist Usha Goswami from the University of Cambridge noted that individual speech sounds are incorporated slowly after seven months, insufficient to form the basis of language. Brain activity patterns in a cohort of 50 babies watching nursery rhymes suggested that rhythmic patterns, predating phonetic encoding, play a crucial role in early language learning.

The study involved tracking brain activity in babies at four, seven, and eleven months old as they watched a video of a teacher singing nursery rhymes. Custom algorithms analyzed brainwaves, revealing that rhythmic patterns received more consistent responses before seven months.

Goswami emphasized that infants use rhythmic information as a scaffold for phonetic information, learning, for instance, that English words follow a strong-weak rhythm pattern. This contradicts the conventional notion that language is primarily learned phonetically, challenging assumptions about the importance of rhythm in speech development.

Contrary to the prevailing idea that language development relies on phonetic learning, this research underscores the significance of rhythm. It suggests that infants use rhythm as a foundational framework for language acquisition, and a specific rhythm, with a strong syllable occurring around twice a second, is a shared element across all languages.

The study advocates for increased parent-infant interaction through talking and singing, especially employing rhythmic elements like nursery rhymes, as it positively influences language outcomes. Published in Nature Communications, the research offers insights into the pivotal role of rhythm in shaping early language skills.

'Great Rhymers Make Great Readers'

As children grow, nursery rhymes play a crucial role in fostering interaction and learning between them and adults. These rhymes contribute significantly to language development by exposing children to vocabulary beyond their everyday experiences, incorporating elements like fetching a pail of water.

Additionally, the narrative structure of many nursery rhymes, featuring a beginning, middle, and end, imparts a sense of sequence to children, helping them understand and follow stories.

Nursery rhymes, with their patterns and repetitive structures, provide educational advantages for toddlers, fostering both language skills and foundational mathematical abilities related to numbers, counting, size, and weight.

Research affirms that rhyme familiarity and singing positively impact children's language development, contributing to improved early literacy and reading skills, aligning with the belief that "great rhymers make great readers."

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