EYFS Rhyme Time (Early Years Foundation Stage)
In the EYFS at Milford Infants’ School and Pre School, rhyme time plays a vital role in supporting children’s early language and literacy development.
Through songs, nursery rhymes, and rhythmic activities, children begin to recognize patterns in sounds, which builds the foundation for phonological awareness — a key skill for learning to read and write. Rhyme time also helps to extend children’s vocabulary, improve their listening and concentration skills, and develop memory through repetition and playful engagement. Beyond language, it fosters social interaction, confidence, and a sense of enjoyment in learning, as children join in with peers and adults in familiar, fun activities. By embedding rhyme time into daily routines, practitioners create meaningful opportunities for children to develop essential communication skills in an enjoyable and accessible way.
EYFS Rhyme Time Progression
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Sapling Class Cycle A | Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes | Nursery Rhyme Week | There was a Princess Long Ago | Hey Diddle Diddle | I have a Little Spider | Hickory Dickory Dock |
Sapling Class Cycle B | Families | Nursery Rhyme Week | Incy Wincy Spider the Snow Version | Grand Old Duke of York | I Plant a Little Seed | Old MacDonald had a Farm |
Reception | Once I Found a Cherry Stone
Mousey Comes a Creeping…
| Five Fat Peas…
Build a House with Five Bricks…
Christmas songs… | A Tiny, Tiny worm…
Under a stone where the earth was firm …
| I saw a Slippery Slithery Snake…
Here are the Ladies Knives and Forks…. | My Little House Won’t Stand up Straight...
Here are Grandmas Spectacles…
| Here is a box…
Four Scarlett Berries…
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