To Sing or Not to Sing: The Effect of Singing on Recall of Nursery Rhymes with Preschoolers

Abstract

Much research has been cited which notes a positive regard for the incorporation of music and singing with young children. The study conducted here sought to examine which method of presentation of four selected nursery rhymes, singing or read-aloud, would promote greater recall efficacy with four year olds. The study included fifty-seven four year olds who participated in a two part study. The subjects were divided into two groups, Group A and Group B. For Part One of the study, Group A heard Rhymes One and Two through a read-aloud book experience and Group B heard the same rhymes through songs. After each group heard each rhyme a total of eight times over a one month period, each subject was asked to verbally recite each nursery rhyme to the examiner. Upon collection of all of the data necessary for Part One, Part Two of the study was begun. Part two was a replication of Part One but the method of presentation of two new nursery rhymes for each group was reversed. Five t-tests were used to analyze the data collected for this study. The results showed three instances in which read-aloud was a favored mode of presentation and two instances in which no significant difference was found.