Not only are nursery rhymes a pleasure to hear and to share, they provide a building block toward literacy. By playing with the short texts of rhymes, children explore the mechanics of the language. A rhyme, for young children, is a complete, short experience, which fits well with their limited attention span. It is like a compact story: it has a beginning and an end, and its own content. Once children have worked out these sequences, they feel confident, as they know that the language content is fixed, even if the speed of reciting might alter to match a mood.