Twitter review post - 17 November 2021

Super little book of nursery rhymes.

Posted on Matador website 22 October 2021

I recently received a review copy of this book and wanted to share as quickly as possible because it’s so good!

Wizzy’s Words is a book of rhymes for building children’s oral vocabulary, from birth upwards. It is suitable for parents and all types of early years provider – childminders, nurseries and pre-schools and for all children, whether they are learning English as a first, second or additional language.

Wizzy’s Words contains a series of short, catchy rhymes, all set to tunes we already know – on the facing page to the rhyme, you find the key words from the rhyme which you can focus on when you are, for example, reading books or singing other songs with the children.

Wizzy’s Words links wonderfully to the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in England and will help you to meet Ofsted’s inspection expectation of building children’s vocabulary through books, songs, rhymes, stories and conversation.

Sarah Neville - Manchester UK

Posted on Matador site 20 October 2021

Wow what a fab book, instantly engaging and is well set out. Children can learn so much, expand their vocabulary and also practice phonetics sounds.

With each rhyme there are pictures that are related to it which helps make it fun for the child. Every page has many bright and colourful illustrations and at the. At the end of the book is an index of all the words.
The Wizzy's word book is a perfect way to get into rhyme & just have fun while leaning too.

by Caroline Ma

Posted on Matador website - 27 September 2021

As a teacher I (somewhat arrogantly) thought I wouldn’t need help teaching my son to talk however here I am with a two year old who won’t speak. I have been using whizzy’s rhymes with him and he tries to join in with me. We have a lot of fun and he claps along taking the stress and making learning fun. I would thoroughly recommend this book to all mums and I will be taking it into school with me to help some of my pupils.
by Carolyn

20 September - Amazon UK

5.0 out of 5 stars The word is out - Wizzy leads the way in rhymes
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 September 2021
Verified Purchase

Wizzy’s Words by Jacqueline E. Alexander is a children’s book of 70 modern nursery rhymes with a difference. It is evidence-based and the author has carefully and painstakingly devised every rhyme with that evidence in mind. The aim is to ensure that by the time a child reaches school age, he/she will be fully equipped with an oral vocabulary that research has shown leads to competent reading skills and, eventually, writing ability. In turn, that early knowledge and competence translates into life-long achievement. Quite a claim from the author, but it is fully backed up with robust evidence.

The rhymes can be sung to the music of traditional nursery rhymes such as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and many other familiar rhymes. While traditional nursery rhymes are the staple of young children, they contain the language of their time and this modern version updates that language, making it more relevant. Children need to hear words before they can say, read and write them and, used from birth to school age, these rhymes will encourage learning through fun.

The book is also beautifully illustrated and designed to catch a baby/child’s attention so that he/she can also contribute to the interaction that occurs through reading the book with another; a further advantage that can aid vocabulary learning. I already read it to my baby granddaughter and although there is obviously no understanding yet, the rhythmical sounds of the verses and the music associated with them are already filtering through to a young, developing brain.

There is also a helpful list of words at the back of Wizzy’s Words that provides a comprehensive list of the important ones used throughout the book’s rhymes and this is an additional section that, hopefully, directs both adults and children to the words that should be mastered by school age. Although it has a specific goal, the book is meant to make learning oral vocabulary fun for children and informative for those involved in the developmental process of acquiring language.

For anyone interested in the research, the author has written an impressive literature review, which is referenced in the book, so that families, caregivers, nursery teachers, educational practitioners or anyone else involved in a child’s development can access the evidence. Briefly, the research suggests that nearly 25% of four to five-year-old children miss age-appropriate targets for oral vocabulary. This startling but, sadly, accurate fact shows the level of attainment disparity between different children’s school entry language skills that can result in many of them being left behind, which affects their educational progress.

If you want to ensure that your child has the best grounding in early oral vocabulary that can underpin successful literacy, this book should be on your child’s bookshelf alongside other favourite children’s authors.
W. Reid (Glasgow)