FACT SHEET – Baby Rhyme Time
Are you keen to review or run Baby Rhyme Time sessions at your library? This
fact sheet provides supportive information and ideas about delivering a quality
First 5 Forever Baby Rhyme Time program.
What is Baby Rhyme Time?
Baby Rhyme Time, or a similarly named
session, is a fun, interactive half hour program
for babies aged 0-24 months and their parents
and primary caregivers. It facilitates adult-baby
interaction, pre-literacy support and
communication development through simple
songs and action rhymes. Some libraries may
wish to add shared book reading to their Baby
Rhyme Time session. A promotional video about
Baby Rhyme Time is available at the First 5 Forever web page.
Aims of Baby Rhyme Time
• Model best practice in communication and pre-literacy activities for babies from birth.
• Create a supportive environment for parents and primary caregivers to interact and
engage with their baby.
• Provide positive key messages on the important role parents and primary caregivers
play in their baby’s language and early literacy development.
• Increase skills and confidence of parents and primary caregivers to use language and
early literacy activities at home with their baby.
• Introduce the library as a free, safe, welcoming place that offers a range of programs,
services and resources for 0-24 month old babies and their families.
• Reduce parents’ and primary caregivers’ social isolation by building relationships with
other families, library staff and community service providers supporting very young
children.
Recommended skills to deliver Baby Rhyme Time
Library staff, early childhood educators or local community Artsworkers can run a Baby Rhyme
Time session. To deliver a quality program, the following skills are recommended:
• An ability to communicate well with babies and their families.
• Familiarity with a range of simple songs, active rhymes and appropriate books for
babies.
• An awareness of early childhood development and how Baby Rhyme Time sessions
support a baby’s communication and pre-literacy skill development.
• An ability to share key messages, ideas and strategies with parents and primary
caregivers about their important role and how to support their baby’s communication
and pre-literacy skill development.
• Enthusiasm, empathy, and a flexible nature to observe and respond to what’s
happening before, during and after Baby Rhyme Time sessions to ensure maximum
engagement of babies and their families.
• Knowledge of library resources and local community services that support families and
their babies.
Helpful tips for running Baby Rhyme Time
Consider these tips when reviewing or preparing your Baby Rhyme Time session.
Before the session
• Create a space that invites parents and primary caregivers to engage and interact with
their babies on the floor and while seated on chairs.
Beginning of the session
• Welcome parents, primary caregivers and babies.
• Introduce yourself and why Baby Rhyme Time is important.
“Learning to sing, talk and share books with your child from birth gives them the best
chance to develop communication and pre-literacy skills.”
• Invite parents and primary caregivers to switch their mobile phones to silent to
encourage their active participation.
• Include a consistent start song to provide structure, familiarity and positive associations
around the session for babies.
During the session
• Use simple songs and active rhymes that are appropriate for babies and encourage
face-to-face interaction between parents/primary caregivers and their baby (e.g. Row,
row, row your boat). Babies learn best when they can see the face of someone special.
• Include messages (i.e. communication and pre-literacy messages) for parents and
primary caregivers about the choice of content and ways to repeat these ideas at home
as part of everyday activities (Refer to key messages for parents and primary
caregivers).
• Regularly repeat the simple songs and active rhymes in the session and at subsequent
ones – babies learn best through repetition as it allows them to start to initiate
communication and predict what’s happening next.
• Slow down the pace and be aware of tempo. Babies need time to be able to respond
and engage with their parent or primary caregiver.
• Include physical actions (e.g. clapping, finger plays or props to hold) to encourage
interaction and build motor skills. It also supports kinaesthetic learning styles. (Borrow
simple songs with props from State Library).
• Throughout the session provide encouragement to the group, as well as to individual
parents, primary caregivers and babies, to reinforce positive messages and behaviours.
End of the session
• Include a consistent finish song to provide structure, familiarity and positive
associations around the session for babies.
• End with an important take home message for parents and primary caregivers around
the benefits of singing simple songs and rhymes, talking with your baby, responding to
your baby, and sharing books.
• Hand out a Baby Rhyme Time take home sheet (e.g. with words to a simple song from
the session).
Following the session
• Put on a morning tea to provide time for parents and primary caregivers to connect with
each other and library staff.
• Ensure library staff are available to provide additional information about programs,
resources and services for very young children.
• Offer advice and support to parents and primary caregivers about their role in supporting
their baby’s language and early literacy development.
Positive First 5 Forever messages for parents and primary caregivers
Parents and primary caregivers play an important role in supporting their baby’s communication
and pre-literacy development. Messages to share with them include:
• Babies learn from the important people in their lives. Parents and primary caregivers
are their child’s first and most important teacher.
• Learning starts at birth. It’s never too early to sing and share books with your baby.
• Nurture your baby’s love of language by sharing rhymes, singing songs, telling stories
or playing with them.
• Everyday opportunities are the best for learning – point out, name and talk about what
your young child can see or hear (e.g. during bath time, when going for a walk, while
shopping).
• Sharing and talking about books provides the best learning. It’s OK to read slowly, skip
pages, talk about the pictures and not finish a book.
• It’s important that your baby can see your face when communicating. Crouch down or
lift up your baby to let them know you are listening.
• Babies need time to communicate. Pause and then copy and respond to your baby’s
sounds/babbling/noises and gestures. It helps them to practise sounds and encourages
early turn taking.
• Babies need to be able to hear the important people in their lives talking. Switch off the
TV, radio and mobile phones to help make this happen.
• Make comments about what your baby is doing, rather than asking too many questions,
as this gives them information from which they can learn.
Accessing further support
A video demonstrating a quality Baby Rhyme Time session is at the First 5 Forever web page.
Send a sample of your current Baby Rhyme Time session to the First 5 Forever Co-ordinator at
State Library to receive supportive and constructive feedback from a Speech Pathologist who is
consulting on First 5 Forever. Video footage should record the Baby Rhyme Time session from
start to finish and capture the interactions between the facilitator and the group.
Contact Us
If you have questions, feedback or ideas regarding key messages for parents and primary
caregivers, email [email protected] or phone 07 3840 7927 to speak with the First 5
Forever Co-ordinator.