Final answer:
The word 'ditty' in the given sentence refers to a short, simple song or tune. A ditty is easy to remember and often created spontaneously, contrasting with the longer, structured form of a ballad.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the sentence, "Kids always sing a ditty which is made by themselves," the word 'ditty' is used to refer to a short, simple song or tune. This is typically a light and easy-to-remember melody, perhaps created spontaneously or with informal ease by children. In contrast to a ballad, which can be a longer poetic form conveying a story and often follows a specific rhyme scheme and meter, a ditty is much simpler and more meant for casual singing. For example, while learning how to play an instrument like the piano, mnemonic devices such as "Every good boy does fine" assist in remembering musical notes, emphasizing the use of simple, memorable lines akin to a ditty. Moreover, similar to how acoustic encoding allows for the retention of information through songs, as in the methods used to memorize the alphabet or the number of days in each month, a ditty employs a catchy tune that makes it easily retained in memory. In everyday life, songs and ditties can be part of our personal experiences, like a wood-cutter's song or a mother's lullaby, which reflects the fondness for short, melodic forms in our cultural practices.