Rhyming- an important skill for literacy development

What is so important about rhyme?

• Recognition of rhyme is one of the first ways that a child demonstrates phonological awareness (an important part of literacy development).
•  It shows that the child is beginning to understand that as well as ‘cat’ being that furry thing that scratches you when you pull it’s tail, you can also play with the sound of the word ‘cat’, it sounds a bit like bat, mat, and sat. 
• This is a very important milestone in the development of early literacy.  
• Rhyme is important to reading and spelling, because it can help children appreciate that words that share common sounds often share common letter sequences. So if you can spell cat, you can also spell bat, rat and mat. This also applies to reading, if you can read  call, you can read, ball, tall and mall. 
• Another reason rhyme is important is that recognition of rhyme helps the child develop the ability to break words into smaller parts and recognize smaller parts in words.
• Being able to break words into smaller parts ands recognise smaller parts in words is an important skill that is needed for reading and spelling

 Nursery Rhymes are a great way to introduce your child to rhyming. I have put a list of websites at the end of the article.

Some rhyming games to play with your child 

• What is the next word?
  Say nursery rhymes and leave out the rhyming words. Have the child fill in the next sound.
  Little Bo Peep has lost her _________
  And doesn’t know where to find them
  Leave them alone and they’ll come ___________
  Dragging their tails behind them etc
•  Use rhyming book with predictable text eg  “The Icky Sticky Anteater”, “Hop On Pop” to play what is the next word. 
• Rhyming puppet or toy
  Use a puppet that rhymes the nouns in words for the children to correct eg “This is a chook” (book),“Sit on your bear” (chair).
  The children can use context to determine what he means. Then have the puppet repeat the rhyming words (and maybe even add one more) eg chook, book, hook. 
• Alter nursery rhymes
  Little Bo Peep has lost her jeep
  This old man he played one he played knick knack in the sun
  Jack and Jill went up the sill
  Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the lock 
• Make up rhyming nick names for friends and family
  Kim Tim Limb                          Sam Lamb Tam Wham
  Shane Rain Cain                                   Kate Mate Gate 
• Play ‘I Spy’ using rhyme eg “I spy with my little eye something that rhymes with cook”
• Rhyming memory or rhyming snap (need cards with pairs that rhyme) 

Here's a list of body parts and rhyming words that could be incorporated into a rhyming activity, I Spy game or maybe a song:

ear-dear,          toe-go,                         eye-bye,           hair-bare,         cheek-peek
nail-pail,           thumb-gum,      chin-pin,           neck-deck,       arm-farm
back-sack,       foot-put,                       knee-see,         hand-band’       heel-feel

 Resources

Rhyming books

(this list from various internet sources, in no specific order)

“Pat the cat and friends” books by J.E. Hawkins

Hairy McLairy by Dodd, Lynley:

Hop on Pop, by Dr. Seuss

One Fish, Two, Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss

Bears in Pairs, by Niki Yektai

The Day the Goose Got Loose, by Reeve Lindbergh

The Real Mother Goose

Each Peach, Pear, Plum, by Janet Ahlberg

Old Black Fly, by Jim Aylesworth

Silly Sally, by Audrey Wood

Barnyard Banter, by Denise Fleming

Down by the Bay, by Raffi

Bam, Bam, Bam, by Eve Meriam

Going to Sleep on the Farm, by Wendy Lewison

Here are My Hands, by Bill Martin, Jr.

Books by Pamela Allen including

Mr McGee

Mr McGee goes to sea

Mr Mc Gee and the biting flea

Mr Mc Gee and the perfect nest

Internet Sites

Word games, books, songs and nursery rhymes can be used to introduce rhyme. Nursery Rhymes can be found on several sites on the internet including http://brisbanesde.eq.edu.au/library/updatedwebpage2003/early.htm

http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/wil/rimes_and_rhymes.htm#top

Songs for teaching rhyme and other phonological awareness activities can be found at

http://www.songsforteaching.com/PA.html