Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
by Traditional
8 chapters · 8 chapter quizzes · 65 vocabulary words
Open the Interactive Guide →About This Book
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes is a collection of short, playful poems that families have shared with young children for hundreds of years. Each rhyme is only a few lines long, but it is packed with bouncy rhythm, rhyming words, and fun little stories about people, animals, and everyday life. You will meet a girl looking for her lost sheep, a boy and girl going up a hill, an egg who sits on a wall, a merry old king, and many more. These rhymes are meant to be read aloud, clapped to, and sung. Because they rhyme and repeat, they are easy to remember, and soon you may find yourself saying them by heart. In this guide, the rhymes are gathered into eight friendly chapters, each one about a different idea, such as animals, bedtime, counting, or silly spills. Mother Goose herself is the kindly old storyteller who ties all the rhymes together. With her tall pointed hat and her big white goose, she invites you to listen, giggle, and join in. There is no long plot to follow here, just one happy little poem after another.
Nursery rhymes are often the very first poems children ever learn, and they are a wonderful way to grow as a reader. The strong beat and the rhyming words help young children hear the sounds inside words, which builds the phonics skills that make reading and spelling easier. The rhymes are also short and joyful, so first graders can feel proud when they read a whole poem on their own, and they can talk about the little characters and events in each one.
Pre-Reading Discussion Questions
- What is a nursery rhyme, and do you know any already?
- Which words rhyme? Can you think of two words that sound alike at the end?
- Why do you think rhymes are easy to remember?
- What are some animals you might meet in a poem for children?
- Have a grown-up ever sung a little song or poem to you? How did it make you feel?
- What does it mean to clap along to the beat of a poem?
Themes & Big Ideas to Track
- Rhyming words end with the same sound, like cat and hat.
- A steady beat, or rhythm, makes a rhyme fun to say and sing.
- Short poems can still tell a tiny story with a beginning, middle, and end.
- Many rhymes are about animals, weather, food, and daily life.
- Repeating lines and words help us remember a poem by heart.
- Poems can make us feel happy, silly, calm, or surprised.
Chapter-by-Chapter Study Guide
Chapter 1: Animal Friends
Before you read — think about:
- What animals do you think you might read about in a chapter called Animal Friends?
- What sound does a sheep make, and what sounds do other farm animals make?
- Have you ever seen a lamb or another baby animal? What did it look like?
- What does it mean when we say that two words rhyme?
- Can you clap a steady beat while someone says a short rhyme?
Watch for these while reading:
- Listen for pairs of words that rhyme at the end of the lines.
- Notice which rhymes are about real things and which ones are just silly and made-up.
- Watch for a line or a word that gets repeated more than once.
- Look for the different people who are each given some of the sheep's wool.
- Notice the colors used to describe the animals, such as black or white.
Vocabulary to know:
wool (noun) — the soft, curly hair that grows on a sheep and can be made into yarn and warm clothes; dame (noun) — a lady or the woman of the house; master (noun) — a man who is in charge or who owns something; fiddle (noun) — another name for a violin, a musical instrument you play with a bow; sport (noun) — fun and playful games; fleece (noun) — the soft, woolly coat of a sheep or lamb; wagging (verb) — moving quickly back and forth, the way a happy animal swishes its tail; blind (adjective) — not able to see with the eyes.
Chapter 2: People We Meet
Before you read — think about:
- What kinds of people might you meet in these rhymes: children, a king, or someone else?
- Have you ever carried a heavy bucket of water? Was it easy or hard?
- What is your favorite snack to sit down and eat?
- What do you think a king does all day?
- What games or songs make you feel merry, which means very happy?
Watch for these while reading:
- Watch for what happens when Jack and Jill go up the hill.
- Listen for the rhyming words at the end of each line.
- Notice the special foods the people in these rhymes like to eat.
- Look for the number three showing up in more than one rhyme.
- Notice how some people in the rhymes are cheerful and others are surprised.
Vocabulary to know:
fetch (verb) — to go and bring something back; pail (noun) — a bucket with a handle for carrying water or other things; crown (noun) — in this rhyme, the very top of a person's head; tumbling (verb) — falling over and over while rolling down; tuffet (noun) — a low stool or a little clump of grass to sit on; curds (noun) — the soft, thick lumps that form in milk, a bit like cottage cheese; whey (noun) — the thin, watery part of milk left after the curds; merry (adjective) — happy and full of cheer; platter (noun) — a large, flat plate for serving food; lean (noun) — meat that has little or no fat on it.
Chapter 3: Time for Bed
Before you read — think about:
- What do you see in the sky when you look up at night?
- What helps you feel calm and sleepy at bedtime?
- Why do you think grown-ups sing soft songs to babies?
- Have you ever made a wish on a star?
- What sounds might you hear late at night when everyone should be sleeping?
Watch for these while reading:
- Notice the words that describe how a star shines.
- Watch for who is still awake and running around when it is time for bed.
- Listen for gentle, slow rhymes that are meant to help someone fall asleep.
- Look for a wish being made in one of the rhymes.
- Notice which rhymes take place up high, like in a treetop or the sky.
Vocabulary to know:
twinkle (verb) — to shine with quick, tiny flashes of light; wonder (verb) — to think about something with curiosity; diamond (noun) — a hard, clear jewel that sparkles brightly; treetop (noun) — the very top part of a tree; cradle (noun) — a small bed for a baby that can rock back and forth; bough (noun) — a large branch of a tree; nightgown (noun) — a long, loose shirt worn for sleeping; rapping (verb) — knocking with quick, light taps; trousers (noun) — pants that cover the legs.
Chapter 4: Counting and Days
Before you read — think about:
- Can you count out loud from one all the way to ten?
- What are the seven days of the week? Can you name them in order?
- How many toes do you have on just one foot?
- What sound does a clock make when it tells the time?
- What is something fun you like to do on different days of the week?
Watch for these while reading:
- Listen for the numbers as they count up in order.
- Notice the days of the week going by, one at a time.
- Watch what each little piggy does or gets to eat.
- Look for what the mouse does when the clock makes its sound.
- Notice the rhyming words that are paired with each number.
Vocabulary to know:
buckle (verb) — to fasten or close something with a clasp; market (noun) — a place where people go to buy and sell food and other things; roast (adjective) — cooked slowly in an oven or over a fire; hen (noun) — a female chicken; struck (verb) — when a clock struck the hour, it rang out a sound to tell the time; fair (adjective) — in this rhyme, lovely and pleasant to look at; bonny (adjective) — healthy, cheerful, and pretty; woe (noun) — a deep, heavy kind of sadness.
Chapter 5: Rain and Weather
Before you read — think about:
- What do you like to do on a rainy day?
- What happens to the ground and the puddles when it rains a lot?
- Have you ever felt a strong, cold wind? What was it like?
- Where do birds and animals go to stay warm and dry?
- What often comes out in the sky after the rain stops?
Watch for these while reading:
- Notice the words that tell how hard it is raining.
- Watch where the little spider tries to climb.
- Look for who stays warm when the cold wind blows.
- Notice what happens to Doctor Foster when he steps in a puddle.
- Listen for the sound words, such as pouring and snoring.
Vocabulary to know:
pouring (verb) — raining very hard, with water coming down fast; snoring (verb) — making a loud, rough sound while breathing in your sleep; barn (noun) — a large farm building where animals and hay are kept; waterspout (noun) — a pipe on a building that carries rainwater down from the roof; puddle (noun) — a small pool of water left on the ground after rain; shower (noun) — a short spell of rain; robin (noun) — a small bird with a red-orange breast.
Chapter 6: Good Things to Eat
Before you read — think about:
- What is your favorite food to eat when you are really hungry?
- Have you ever watched someone bake a cake or a loaf of bread?
- What foods do you like warm, and what foods do you like cold?
- What would you do if you opened the cupboard and found it empty?
- How do you politely ask to try a bite of something tasty?
Watch for these while reading:
- Notice all the different foods named in these rhymes.
- Watch how the baker is asked to make the cake quickly.
- Look for what Old Mother Hubbard finds inside her cupboard.
- Notice what Simple Simon does not have when he wants to taste a pie.
- Listen for words that describe hot and cold food.
Vocabulary to know:
baker (noun) — a person whose job is to bake bread, cakes, and pies; porridge (noun) — a soft, warm food made by boiling oats or peas in water or milk; supper (noun) — the evening meal, eaten at the end of the day; pieman (noun) — a man who sells pies; wares (noun) — things that are for sale; penny (noun) — a small coin worth one cent; cupboard (noun) — a cabinet or closet where food and dishes are kept; bare (adjective) — empty, with nothing inside.
Chapter 7: Silly Tumbles and Spills
Before you read — think about:
- Have you ever had a little tumble or fall while playing? What happened?
- What does it mean to be nimble, which is quick and light on your feet?
- Have you ever jumped over something? What was it?
- What do you like to play on a see-saw or at the playground?
- What makes a rhyme feel silly or funny to you?
Watch for these while reading:
- Watch what happens to Humpty Dumpty when he sits up high on the wall.
- Notice how the word crooked is repeated again and again.
- Look for Jack jumping over something in one quick rhyme.
- Listen for the funny sound words, such as a-tishoo.
- Notice which rhymes are about falling down or going up and down.
Vocabulary to know:
nimble (adjective) — quick and light in the way you move; candlestick (noun) — a holder that keeps a candle standing up straight; crooked (adjective) — bent or not straight; stile (noun) — a set of steps that helps people climb over a fence or wall; sixpence (noun) — an old coin that was worth six pennies; posies (noun) — small bunches of flowers; see-saw (noun) — a long board that children sit on so it tips up and down.
Chapter 8: Off to Work and Play
Before you read — think about:
- What jobs do grown-ups do to get their work done?
- Have you ever marched or walked in a straight line like a parade?
- Have you ever ridden a rocking horse or pretended to ride a horse?
- What do you most like to do outside when you play?
- Have you ever been in a boat on the water? What was it like?
Watch for these while reading:
- Watch the duke march his men up the hill and back down again.
- Notice where Little Boy Blue is when he should be working.
- Listen for the steady beat that sounds like marching or rowing.
- Look for the animals that have wandered off in one rhyme.
- Notice how the very last rhyme feels calm and gentle.
Vocabulary to know:
duke (noun) — a nobleman of very high rank, just below a prince; marched (verb) — walked with steady steps, all together, the way soldiers do; cock-horse (noun) — a pretend horse, such as a rocking horse or a grown-up's bouncing knee; haystack (noun) — a large pile of dried grass, or hay, stacked up on a farm; horn (noun) — an instrument you blow into to make a loud sound, sometimes used to call animals; meadow (noun) — a grassy field where animals graze; stream (noun) — a small, narrow river; pudding (noun) — a soft, sweet dessert.
About the Author
These rhymes do not have one single author, which is why the writer is listed as Traditional. They are folk poems that were made up long ago and passed from grown-ups to children out loud, changing a little bit each time, for many, many years before anyone wrote them down. The name Mother Goose became a friendly way to group them together, a pretend old storyteller said to be the teller of the tales. Over time, people printed the rhymes in books so that families everywhere could enjoy the same versions.
Many of these rhymes are very old and come mostly from England, some going back three or four hundred years. They began as songs, games, and sayings that ordinary people shared, and they were printed in some of the earliest books ever made just for children in the 1700s. A few rhymes may hint at real people or events from long ago, but today we mainly enjoy them for their sound, their pictures, and their fun. Because they belong to everyone, artists and writers have illustrated and retold them in countless different ways.