This week’s free download comes from Mother Goose. It’s a coloring page and sound recording of Little Boy Blue Little Boy Blue…with the addition of a special verse – Little Girl Green.
Why Mother Goose? Sharing these classic rhymes:
- encourages children to be readers by modeling reading, giving children character references, and phonemic awareness
- increases vocabulary…(didn’t we all learn “curds and whey” from Little Miss Muffet?)
- encourages rhythmic development in language and in general – important for athletic performance, writing, public speaking, and other empowering skills
- activates memorization skills – by memorizing brief nursery rhymes we learn how to memorize
- increases social cognition as an adult or older caregiver recites the nursery rhyme
- develops fundamental music skills by learning short songs
- and most important – it’s joyful! We build memories, deepen relationships – discovering new things about ourselves and the children in our care as we sing or recite, listen, and color together.
There is lots of research to support the importance of Mother Goose Rhymes and literacy. One place to start is here and by searching The Institute of Education Sciences (ERIC) .
So enjoy this memory-making bedtime tip and build your bedtime playlist by downloading the free coloring page and sound recording below.
Do you have memories of a family member sharing a Mother Goose rhyme? Tell us about it!