| Literacy Training: Rhyme Time |
Context: |
| Making up words that rhyme helps children understand the concept that many spoken words sound the same. The ability to hear and identify words that rhyme is an important listening skill. Rhymes also help children understand that words are made up of a series of sounds that occur in a specific sequence. |
Goals: |
- To explore the importance of children's ability to identify words that rhyme
- To understand how to use poems and chants to develop children's skills
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Materials/Preparation: |
| Tutors should bring in their favorite childhood nursery rhymes or poems. |
Activity: |
| Explain to tutors that the ability to hear and identify words that rhyme helps children discover sound similarities in spoken language. Talk with tutors about their favorite childhood rhymes, and remind them that most children, including English language learners, enjoy listening to and repeating poems, chants, and rhymes.
Select one of the tutors' rhymes to use as an example. Begin by reading the poem aloud. Then, re-read the poem and invite tutors to fill in the blank with a word that rhymes. For example:
Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the ____________.
Talk with tutors about words that rhyme with dock. Many children will offer the word from the poem, while others will offer new rhyming words. Some may offer nonsense or silly words. Tutors should accept all words that rhyme, including nonsense words.
Some children may not offer words that rhyme. If so, tutors should affirm children's offerings but turn their attention to words that rhyme. "The word wall makes sense. The mouse ran up the wall. Now, let's think of a word that rhymes with dock, such as clock or sock." |
Key Questions and Points to Remember: |
Songs, poems, and chants are wonderful ways to develop children's ability to understand rhyming words. Before working with chants and poems, tutors should make sure children have plenty of opportunity to simply listen to the poems for enjoyment. To expand the activity, you may want to discuss the following questions with tutors:
- What are rhyming words?
- Why is being able to hear, identify, and produce words that rhyme an important beginning reading skill?
- What should we do when children offer nonsense words that rhyme?
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Developed by LEARNS, a partnership of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (1-800-361-7890) and Bank Street College of Education (1-800-930-5664). For additional activities or assistance, please call. |
