Recognizing and generating rhymes is crucial to reading development, as it helps children recognize matching endings of words.
Encourage Your Child’s Rhyming Skills
Once your child is familiar with a rhyming book or song, have her try to fill in the rhyming word. For example, Dr. Seuss’ The Foot Book begins: Left foot, Left foot, Right foot, Right – Feet in the morning, Feet at _____ (your child should say “night”). For a challenge, read an unfamiliar rhyming book or sing an unfamiliar song with your child in the same manner.
Rhyming Books
Start With:
The Lady with the Alligator Purse
Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Later, try:
Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme
I Am Not Going To Get Up Today
Sing Songs and Nursery Rhymes – As a challenge, alter the rhymes (e.g., Twinkle Twinkle Little Car).
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
This Old Man
There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Pat-A-Cake
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Itsy Bitsy Spider
I’m a Little Teapot
Willoughby Wallaby Woo – Raffi rhymes names with real and nonsense words. Sing this song with your child, adding the names of family members and friends.
Play rhyming “I Spy” – I spy with my little eye, something that rhymes with bear
Try a basic Rhyming Puzzle and a more challenging one too.
Lakeshore Learning has fun rhyming manipulatives, sorting boards, and games.
Have fun rhyming!
If your child has difficulty with rhyming, or you have concerns about your child’s early reading, language, articulation, or kindergarten readiness skills, please reach out to me, Stephanie Sigal, speech-language therapist, at sayandplay@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.