Down by the Bay

This traditional song is a great way to teach children about rhyming. Why is rhyming important? In a study with four and five year old children, Bryan and Bradley (1985) report that scores on initial rhyming tests predicted reading and spelling progress three to four years later. These researchers suggest rhyming facilitates reading and spelling. Once they get to know the song and understand how to create a rhyme at the end, sing the song a capella allowing the children to come up with their own rhymes. No need to have them make sense. Creating nonsense words that rhyme helps illustrate their understanding of the concept of rhyming and promotes creativity!

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