Rhyming Reason: The Incorporation of Mathematics into Nursery Rhymes
Year: 2001 Authors: Tara M. Dunphy
Core claim
Rhymes can function as effective, memorable vehicles for introducing mathematical ideas to children.
Topics
nursery rhymes, mnemonics, counting and subtraction, logical reasoning, children’s learning
Domains
counting, subtraction, logic, spatial orientation, number concepts, music, oral tradition, folklore
Methods
textual examples, comparative analysis, illustrative rhyme analysis
Media
nursery rhymes, campfire songs, folktales, song lyrics
Paper text
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BRIDGES Mathematical Connections in Art, Music, and Science
Rhyming Reason: The Incorporation of Mathematics into Nursery Rhymes
Tara M. Dunphy Department of Sociology, PAS Building, University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada tmdunphy@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca
Nursery rhymes, campfire songs, and folktales are more than mere child’s play. These dynamic and poetic expressions can educate and socialize children about tradition, history, and even mathematics. Combining rhymes with mathematics is neither novel nor recent. In both modern and preliterate times, rhyming has been used for its mnemonic potential [1].
Rhymes convey mathematical principles, ranging from counting and subtraction to spatial orientation and logical reasoning. Simple counting is found in several examples of folklore and rhyme. For instance, in Newfoundland, the rhyme Counting Crows, is a counting rhyme that provides insight into the future (see Fig. 1). Tales and rhymes can provide more complex examples of mathematical principles. Ten Little Monkeys (see Fig. 1) provides a simple illustration of mathematical subtraction.
| Counting | Subtraction | Logical Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Counting Crows | Ten Little Monkeys | Going to St. Ives |
| One for sorrow, two for pain, | ||
| Three for a girl, four for a boy, | ||
| Five for silver, six for gold, | ||
| And seven a story that’s never | ||
| been told [2]. | Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed, | |
| One fell off and bumped his head, | ||
| Mama called the Doctor, the Doctor said | ||
| ”No more monkeys jumping on the bed” | ||
| (Repeat subtracting one number until you | ||
| reach one.) | ||
| One little monkey jumping on the bed, | ||
| He fell off and bumped his head, | ||
| Mama called the Doctor, the Doctor said, | ||
| “Put those Monkeys back to bed!” [3]. | As I was going to St. Ives, I met a | |
| man with seven wives. | ||
| Each wife had seven sacks. | ||
| Each sack had seven cats. | ||
| Each cat had seven kits. | ||
| Kits, cats, sacks and wives, how | ||
| many were going to St. Ives? | ||
| (Just one – the narrator. All of the | ||
| others were travelling the other | ||
| way.) [4]. |
Figure 1: Examples of mathematics in rhymes.
The simplicity of the rhyme Ten Little Monkeys is deceiving, when one considers the complexity of the mathematics involved. Essentially, this rhyme is a disguised subtraction lesson. Other rhymes, such as B-I-N-G-O, educate about subtraction in a less overt manner. B-I-N-G-O, is a song where one letter is deleted with each round of the song [3].
Rhymes convey principles of spatial orientation, as exemplified by the game Hokey Pokey, which requires participants to move their various body parts in accordance with the directions of the song leader [3]. Additionally, various rhymes, including Going to St. Ives, illustrate logical principles. Overall, rhymes are valuable for teaching and remembering mathematics. Perhaps, rhymes could be created to illustrate the concept of zero, negative numbers or even more complex concepts to children.
References
[1] George McMurdo. Written Cultures, Changing Contexts of Communication. http://jimmy.qmced.ac.uk/jisew/ewv21n2/default.htm, 04-26-2001.
[2] Philip Hiscock. Here Say: Summer Lore. Downhomer. http://www.downhomer.com/Webmag/1999/9907/page48.html, 04-26-2001.
[3] Songs for Beavers, http://www.melborponsti.com/scouts/beavers/beavsong.htm, 04-26-2001.
[4] Going to St. Ives, http://www.enchantedlearning.com/rhymes/Goingtostives.shtml, 04-26-2001.