Fingerplay, commonly seen in early childhood, is hand action or movement combined with singing or spoken-words to engage the child's interest. According to Erikson, many children develop autonomy and "want to learn and imitate the activities and behavior of others". According to Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing, "gestures precedes speech and in this way a child communicates satisfactorily".[2] From all ages children become active listeners and can control their eyes, body, and attention on the teacher.[3]
Some chants or nursery rhymes that incorporate fingerplay include the "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Round and round the garden", and "This Little Piggy". The gestural components of the rhymes serve to attract the child's attention,[4] and reciting chants or stories can help a child to develop an ear for sounds, and discover that they can be manipulated and changed.[3] They can also help children develop such skills as fine motor co-ordination and following directions.[5]
An example of a fingerplay poem is "Five Little Monkeys":
Five little monkeys (five fingers)
Jumping on the bed—(rest elbow on other hand, jump arm up and down)
One fell off, (hold up one finger, bring down as if falling)
And bumped his head. (hand to head)
^Wentworth. Work and Play with Numbers. p. 14.
^Hockenberry, Marilyn (2005). Essentials of Pediatric Nursing. Elsevier. pp. 87–88. ISBN 9780323025935.
^ abMiller, S (2001). "Getting Silly With Sounds". Scholastic Parent & Child. 9 (2): 29.
^Church, E. (2001). Fingerplay Fun!. Early Childhood Today, 16(1), 60-61
^Curtis, Kathleen A.; DeCelle-Newman, Peggy (2004-12-14). The PTA handbook: keys to success in school and Career for the Physical Therapist Assistant. Slack Incorporated. ISBN 9781556426216. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
Fingerplay, commonly seen in early childhood, is hand action or movement combined with singing or spoken-words to engage the child's interest. According...
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garden" is an English language nursery rhyme typically accompanied by fingerplay. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19235. The version given by The...
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cases of bowdlerisation in nursery rhymes. The rhyme has been used as a fingerplay. A version from 1920 included instructions with the lyrics: Little Robin...
is an English-language nursery rhyme, children's song, folk song and fingerplay of American origin. It is usually accompanied by a sequence of gestures...
literature portal Children's music Children's song Counting-out game Fingerplay Folklore Limerick (poetry) List of nursery rhymes Oral tradition Previously...
Rhymes. Even earlier is the popular 18th-century English nursery rhyme and fingerplay, "This Little Piggy", frequently in film and literature, such as the Warner...
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York, NY: Routledge. Cole & Calmenson (1991). Eentsy weentsy spider: Fingerplays and action rhymes. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company. Burling...
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award-winning literature books along with traditional nursery rhymes, fingerplays and songs to build a strong foundation of not only music education, but...