Raisingkids.co.uk's guest expert, Opal Dunn, has some suggestions about where to start with nursery rhymes for very young children.

Raisingkids member's question
IMy 6 month old daughter seem to like nursery rhymes but I can't remember many of them. She likes Round and Round the Garden and Incey Wincey Spider but that's about all I know. How important are nursery rhymes to a child's development and where can I find more of them?

Opal Dunn's reply
It is not surprising that your baby loves to hear traditional nursery rhymes. Generations of children have been captivated and soothed by their rhythms and sounds, even if they didn't understand their meaning.

Traditional nursery rhymes are part of English language children's culture so it is important that your baby gets to know them. Their rhyming sounds also help in later learning to read. Anthologies of traditional nursery rhymes can generally be found in children's public libraries. You may find them in books or tapes titled Mother Goose Rhymes. It is worth asking if the children's librarian has a list of nursery rhyme books in the library.

Rhymes are portable play things. They can be said any time, any place. They are an easy way to start up a fun dialogue between you and baby in the first months. As you say a familiar rhyme to baby, especially if the rhyme is accompanied by a physical activity, baby will try to join in smiling, following you with his eyes and even moving his arms and legs up and down to show involvement and pleasure.

Where rhymes are accompanied by physical activity, baby is more likely to understand the meaning of the language. In the rhyme 'round and round the garden like a teddy Bear' baby can feel the meaning of 'round and round' as you run a finger round the palm of one of baby's hands.

How you actually say rhymes is very important if a young baby is to begin to understand the language. Place your face close to baby so that he can see the expression in your eyes and the way your mouth works to make the words. Speak softly - a higher pitched voice is easier for baby to understand - and stress important words and phrases, even pausing before important words to add suspense and fun. Saying a rhyme once is often not enough for baby. The second time you say it baby is more prepared to join in!

Look out for this book. You may find the very simple rhymes included in this selection helpful, especially in the early months and first year. Hippety-hop, Hippety-hay Growing up with rhymes from birth to age 3 Published by Frances Lincoln £6.99 ISBN 0-7112-1195-7