Sharing Rhymes – I had a Little Turtle

I had a little turtle,

His name was Tiny Tim.

I put him in the bathtub,

To see if he could swim.

He drank up all the water,

He ate up all the soap,

And woke up in the morning,

With bubbles in his throat.

Why rhymes matter

• Rhymes support children’s language and communication skills.
• They help children’s listening skills and also their speech sounds.
• They raise children’s ‘phonological awareness’ – a skill involved in reading. This is the ability to identify and use parts of spoken words, such as syllables (‘sis-ter’) and letters (‘c-u-p’), as well as sound patterns in words, such as rhymes (‘cat’, ‘mat’, ‘sat’) and alliteration (‘she sells seashells on the seashore’).
• Rhymes also build children’s social skills when they are said or sung with others.
  
  

Tips for sharing nursery rhymes

• Say or sing rhymes. And don’t be embarrassed!
• Emphasise the beat (pulse) and rhythm.
• Draw children’s attention to the various rhyming words.
• Vary the pace you say the rhyme.
• Slowing down will help children to hear rhymes more clearly.
• Have fun with the words. Change some of the words or pause before a word to see if the child can say it.
• Share rhymes with parents.
  
  

Suggestions for sharing this rhyme

• Make sure that children know what a turtle is.
• Make up actions for this rhyme, for example:

I had a little turtle (Wrap one hand round the other and leave thumb free to create a turtle)

His name was Tiny Tim

I put him in the bathtub

To see if he could swim (Make swimming action)

He drank up all the water (Make slurping sounds)

He ate up all the soap (Make eating actions)

And woke up in the morning (Stretch and yawn)

With bubbles in his throat (Make popping noises)

Ideas for extending the learning

• Focus the children on the ‘t’ sounds in this rhyme – for example, turtle, Tim and tub.
• See if the children can think of other words that start or end with ‘t’.
• Put out some objects, some of which begin with the letter ‘T’. Can the children find them?
• With the children, investigate the difference between turtles and tortoises.
• Make bubble mixture with the children using a little washing-up liquid and water.
  
  

A video version is at: https://bit.ly/3fMgdoh