Nursery rhymes offer universal features and local particularities. This means that the structure is easily recognizable as belonging to the children’s realm, but the specific variations offer development in linguistic and musical cognition.
Musical acquisition. Musical training in childhood shapes the adult brain. Incorporating music into education and opening the ear to variable musical structures that originate in different cultures enriches the child’s cognitive development musically, linguistically, and spatially.
Language acquisition. The child belongs first through the ear. By acquiring and generating sounds produced only in their native tongue, the musicality and frequency range of children becomes limited and influences the understanding and pronunciation of future languages. Incorporating rhymes in other languages, even if learned as ‘nonsense’ (such as Aram Sam Sam or Ani Couni), strengthens and enriches children’s linguistic abilities.
Visual competence. Current access to devices and gadgets at all ages requires the development of visual competence to understand the information offered. Incorporating quality animation engages the imagination and demands the child’s openness to diverse forms of art.
