Growing Bookworms – Tongue Twisters and a review of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Posted: September 13, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Children's Books, Classics, Fiction, Growing Bookworms, Literacy, Nursery Rhymes, Reading, Review | Tags: A Wrinkle in Time, Growing Bookworms, Madeleine L'Engle, Robbie Cheadle, Tongue Twisters, Writing to be Read 57 Comments
The benefits of Tongue Twisters for children (and adults too)
What is a tongue twister?
A tongue twister is a sequence of words or sounds, usually of an alliterative kind, that are difficult to pronounce quickly and accurately.
An example of a tongue twister
One of the tongue twisters I grew up with is Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Pepper.
This is a video of the tongue twister:
Benefits of tongue twisters
Tongue twisters are fun and often results in lots of laughter, but they also have benefits for children.
Tongue twisters are a great way of introducing different consonant sounds to small children. They help pronunciation by teaching the brain how to form the necessary signals and organs of speech to make the required movements.
Regular recitation stimulates control of the muscles used for speech, ensuring clearer pronunciation of words with difficult syllables. Tongue twisters help children to decease instances of pauses in speech and reduce hesitation over pronunciation.
Listening to a parent or caregiver reciting tongue twisters helps to improve a child’s listening skills and comprehension of spoken English. Learning a tongue twister, promotes memorization which improves memory and cognitive skills.
Disadvantages of tongue twisters
The disadvantage of tongue twisters is that they take children a long time to master and thus a lot of patience from the teacher.
Did you learn tongue twisters as a child?
Did you teach tongue twisters to your children?
Let me know if the comments
My review of A Wrinkle in Time By Madeleine L’Engle
I was recommended this book by a friend of mine as I am unfamiliar with American children’s books and wanted to try a few.
I enjoyed this extraordinary science fantasy which involves three children with unique characteristics, a missing father, three fascinating good witches, time travel, different planets with unusual inhabitants and culminates in a battle for the preservation of creativity and difference against robotic sameness and loss of individuality represented by a disembodied brain called IT. I thought the author used an intriguing storyline and set of characters to support her central themes of rejection of difference and pressure to conform, the importance of love, not judging based on appearances, and that total understanding of everything in life is not possible.
Ultimately, I saw this as a book that celebrated individuality and uniqueness in people and reminded the reader about the importance of art, music, prose and poetry to society. The world of Camazotz, a world controlled by IT where sameness is glorified and exceptions to the accepted normal destroyed, is not portrayed in an appealing light. It is the main character, Meg Murray’s, individuality and difference that help save her father and brother and the greater world of humans from IT.
I liked the message of acceptance of difference in this book and think it will be a great read for all children. Reading about difference goes a long way towards acceptance.
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published thirteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
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Thank you for the great review of a wrinkle in time. We have that book but I didn’t read it, my kids might have, but I saw the movie. As for tongue twisters I learned the Swedish ones as a kid:
Sex laxar i en laxask.
Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköttes av sju sköna sjuksköterskor
Flyg, fula fluga, flyg! Och den fula flugan flög
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Thank you, Thomas. I shall look up the Swedish tongue twisters to hear them spoken. I have always enjoyed them.
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I like the way yours sounds, Thomas–don’t have a clue what it means! Let’s see what Translate says…
“Fly ugly fly flights And the ugly fly flew” Close?
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It a little upside down 🙃
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That’s very close
“Fly ugly fly fly And the ugly fly flew” – with “fluga” being a fly, the insect, and “flyg” being fly the verb.
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It is an interesting one and alliteration in English too
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I will never forget my 4th grade teacher reading this book aloud to our class, I loved it and still love it
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Hi Beth, I am really pleased to know that. I really loved it too
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I love learning about books that are new to me! Yes, we did learn tongue twisters when we were younger. Most of the time, it involved laughing like cats at the ways we would mess them up. Those times when we nailed it, proud peacock moments!!
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Hi Annette, it was the same for us. I was never good at tongue twisters. This is a great book if you just want to relax and be entertained.
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I love the tw0 very different elements of your post, Robbie! Great review of a classic, and your tongue-twister thoughts? Totally terrific and tremendous, too. Oops, that was alliteration.
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🤣😂, thank you, Dave. I really enjoyed this book which Liz recommended. It may well have been in the discussion to one of your posts. I always pick up books there.
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I don’t think I’ve discussed it in a post, but it’s certainly come up in the comments section — and I’m glad it has. 🙂
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Yes, the comments section is very vibrant and lively. It’s a rival to the actual post – haha – keeps you on your writing toes
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Can’t disagree. 🙂 Thank you, Robbie!
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Lovely post, Robbie. ❤
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Thank you, Penny 🙏😀
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My grade 5 teacher read this book to us (don’t ask how long ago that was…). I remember looking forward to each chapter. It was very enthralling. There is a sequel, but I don’t remember how good it is.
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Hi Leon, I’d never heard of it and I enjoyed it very much. I’ve always liked flights of fancy when it comes to books.
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Actually, there is an entire series. I think there are three or four in the entire series. Our American Council of the Blind Sunday Edition monthly book club has been reading the series. Though I thought it a great book series, it didn’t hold as much magik when reading as an adult as it did as a child.
However, the theme of acceptance is one which is much-needed today.
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Good to know! I agree, I reread it as an adult and it wasn’t as enthralling.
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For me, the pace was too slow but thatâs because Iâm older and have gotten used to more complexed reading.
When I made myself slow down to read the first book in support of my friend who runs the book club I did get a lot out of it. Just couldnât get into the rest of it.
However, tongue twisters are a favorite pastime of mine. I like to make them up as well as reciting ones I already know.
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
See her published work and more here.
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Hi Patty, I found A winkle in time to be a nice change from my usual adult classics and war books. I didn’t have to work hard and the words just washed over me. I’m glad you enjoy tongue twisters.
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Hi,Robbie.
Iâm laughing, in fact it is my first laugh out loud moment of the day. The R got left out of Wrinkle and when my screen reader reads it the new name of the book is so funny. Sounds funny.
Makes me want to go round saying winkle, wrinkle tinkle.
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
See her published work and more here.
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That is funny. Have a great day, Patty
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Hi Patty, I had a look on Amazon and see it is the first in a series. We are never as enchanted by children’s books as adults because we view life differently due to life experiences. It’s a same we can never recapture that innocent joy.
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Well, I didnât have that trouble with Harry Potter. LOL.
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
See her published work and more here.
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She sells seashells by the seaside was the tongue twister mom taught us to say. It is not easy, especially when you repeat it a few times. I haven’t read A Wrinkle in Time yet but it is an American classic. Great review.
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Hi Darlene, I always found the s alliterations the hardest to do. A wrinkle in time is good.
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I haven’t read A Wrinkle in Time, but I know it has a very good reputation.
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Oh, I thought it was you who recommended it. Must have been Rebecca 🙃
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Probably. 🙂
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I read “A Wrinkle in Time” and also the sequels to both my children, and we all liked it. A few years ago I re-read it and still liked it.
I could never do tongue twisters (and still can’t) I never focused on them with my children, although I think they fooled around with them with their friends, as children will do, just so they could dissolve into giggles. (K)
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Hi Kerfe, I discovered there was a sequel through this post. It interests me how classic books don’t seem to travel oceans and each country has its own classics. I wasn’t much good at tongue twisters either. They never held my interest like they did they did for my peers.
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It might be interesting to do a post with readers listing the classics they read as children. How much overlap would there be between countries I wonder?
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That is an interesting idea, Kerfe. I will think about it 🙃
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Whoa! You’re going back a few years for A Wrinkle in Time. I know that book was published in 1962, long before you were born.😊
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😂😂 most books I read were published a long time before I was born.
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Good discussion, Robbie! I clicked through several sites on tongue twisters. One has a good discussion on what’s an easy and what’s a hard tongue twister. It lists some easy ones for young students to learn in the class such as “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.” – My grandkid could say this one. It also lists some hardest, such as “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.”
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Hi Miriam, I’m glad this interested you. I can’t say that last one 🫣
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The last one was among the hardest ones, Robbie. 🙂
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I enjoyed tongue twisters as a child as long as I didn’t have to recite them in front of the class 🙂 A Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorite childhood reads. Great review and insight of it!
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Hi Denise, tongue twisters seem to have been widely enjoyed. I’m pleased to know you also enjoyed this book 😀
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A wonderful review for a wonderful children’s book, Robbie. And oh yes, I loved tongue twisters as a child. My father was notorious for sharing them with us, even a few limmericks. The most fun was what comes out of our mouths when we get tongue twisted. 🙂 xx
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Haha, Debby, yes, the twisted result is fun. A lovely memory of your father 🤗💗
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Thanks again Robbie. ❤
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I haven’t read this book either, Robbie, but it’s one that is on my classic list. So many books, so little time. Wonderful post and Peter Piper was a favorite tongue twister. 🙂
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Hi Lauren, it is a good book even for adults. Peter Piper was my mom’s favourite and she sells sea shells …
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🤗
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Little Miss Muffet,
Sat on a tuff it.
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider.
Who sat down beside her,
And scared little Miss Muffet away.
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
See her published work and more here.
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Tongue twisters were always a part of my childhood. Everyone loved them, and the challenge became saying them faster. They are good for speech development and for patience. A Wrinkle in Time is a classic book, and a very engaging story. I loved it. No wonder it was a Newbery Medal winner. That’s the Holy Grail in children’s books.
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If anyone has a sense of what children would benefit from, it’s Robbie. This sounds excellent!
LOVE tongue twisters. I’ve learned many in my life, and every once in awhile, I learn a new one.
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Hi Resa, thank you for your kind comment. I think that children benefit from love and attention. They are like little sponges soaking up knowledge.
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Yes!!
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Great post, Robbie. We have quite a few tongue twisters (trabalenguas) in Spanish as well, and I’d never thought about its benefits for children until now, but you are right. It occurs to me that this would also be a great way to practice pronunciation for students of English as a foreign language, and I intend to give it a go. I’ve never read that novel, but love the sound of it. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Hi Olga, I am thrilled that this post gave you an idea for your teaching 💚
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