IT used to be a familiar scene - a group of children sitting on a mat, gathered round their teacher while she recited nursery rhymes. After a while, they would pick up the words and the rhythm and join in.

They would say the rhymes with their parents and grandparents at home - a round of Baa Baa Black Sheep before bed or Incy Wincy Spider while they were in the bath, and, of course, nursery rhymes were a brilliant way to while away a long car journey.

But the words and characters that were once so familiar are gradually disappearing. A recent survey showed that children no longer learn nursery rhymes and songs properly and very few know the rhymes that used to be part of everyone's childhood.

Jean Brown is principal of Glenfield Nursery School in Eaglescliffe and has had more than 30 years experience as a teacher. Nursery rhymes have always been a key part of her lessons.

"It's very sad that children don't learn them," she says. "Nursery rhymes should be learned because they help children with their memory. It also helps them to talk and sing. It's very important."

Some nursery rhymes date back hundreds of years and have become part of the public consciousness. They were often written about particular historical events and despite seeming nonsense, they often have sombre origins. Ring a Ring of Roses, for example, is about the Bubonic Plague, while Remember, Remember refers to Guy Fawkes' attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

Some of the lyrics were used to parody royalty and politicians of the day - a much safer method than direct criticism, which could result in a spell in jail or even worse.

The first nursery rhyme collections appeared during the Victorian era, establishing the tradition that Jean is keen to promote. And although many of our favourite rhymes don't relate to contemporary events or even make sense, children love nursery rhymes. The language, the simple stories and the rhythms all make them fun to learn and recite. They also have great educational benefits.

The children at Glenfield are all well versed in nursery rhymes, regularly reciting them as a class or learning them individually and performing them at the front of the classroom. But the school is an exception, and Jean has just published a book to encourage other teachers and parents to bring back nursery rhymes.

Just a quick flick through the pages of My Treasure Book of Nursery Rhymes and Hymns brings back many happy childhood memories. All the old favourites are there - Three Blind Mice, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - as well as less well-known rhymes. There is also a selection of hymns.

Jean wanted the book to appeal to children, and the pupils at Glenfield were instrumental in selecting what went into the anthology, choosing their favourites.

There are no lavish illustrations, just simple, brightly-coloured drawings that look as if they were made by children, although in fact, they were produced by the publishers.

Jean has also produced a CD to accompany the book. She didn't want the words to be drowned out by loud music but wanted the rhymes to be recited simply in a way that was easy for the children to learn.

At first, she says, they recorded the pupils, but for all their passion, their singing wasn't clear enough. Next, it was the turn of the teachers but they didn't fare much better. In the end, Jean decided to record the rhymes herself.

"It's very precise and clear, which is exactly what I wanted. The children will be able to hear the words and learn them from memory. There's no distracting background music. The emphasis is firmly on the words."

For Jean, the demise of nursery rhymes is indicative of a wider trend, a move away from the old methods of teaching, and it saddens her.

"I don't think people are teaching in the traditional ways any more and it's a real shame. I don't think we should ever forget tradition. It's a great thing, and it works, but it just isn't fashionable now.

"When we were children, were learned our times tables. It became automatic. We had spelling tests every week. If you're learning six words in a week, you learn how to spell them and you never forget.

"It's the same with reciting nursery rhymes and we should be doing everything we can to make sure today's children learn them in the same way we did."

l My Treasure Book of Nursery Rhymes and Hymns, with accompanying CD, costs £12.99 and is available from the school on (01642) 780552.