"I think they are more important than you give them credit for. My husband was born in the US, but his family were all German immigrants. He does not know any nursery rhymes, fairy tales, or traditional children's songs. There are so many nuances of our society that are lost to him. He felt so inadequate when our children were born. " I thoroughly agree with Joy. Literary references, similes and metaphors that refer to nursery rhymes and fairy tales abound, even in adult literature. Having taught inner city fourth and fifth grade as well as suburban kindergarten, I have seen students struggle to understand the meaning of a piece of literature, or poem due to a lack of exposure to these traditional poems,chants, songs and stories. Your students would benefit from being able to join with their classmates in comprehending classroom discussions. Our middle school language arts teachers are constantly requesting that teachers in the earlier grades spend more time on these classics. Suzanne kindergarten/NJ
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