Young Writers and the Nursery Rhyme Genre

This paper investigates children’s interest in the nursery rhyme genre whilst at the same time considers how children can be encouraged to write reflectively if they are working on something that both stimulates and motivates them to want to write. After reading a story book of nursery rhymes, a group of Y2 children were encouraged to consider what other adventures some of the main rhyme characters might have. By talking about the rhymes, seeing an expert writer modelling the writing process and writing collaboratively with their teacher and with each other, the children wrote an “alternative” nursery rhyme book. They began to see writing as a long term process which is recursive, takes time and effort but which is also very rewarding especially when published in the form of a book.