Did you know that rhyming is one of the best predictors of how easily a child will learn to read? That’s because good rhymers are better equipped to notice that rhyming words often have shared letter sequences, such as –all in tall, ball, and small, which in turn gives them a considerable head start in learning to read.
Most children enjoy hearing and participating in rhyming activities, and when they are exposed to rhyming, they usually pick it up naturally.
But if your child isn’t good at rhyming yet, don’t worry! There are many things you can do to help. Read on!
Use this simple test to find out whether your child knows how to rhyme. If your child needs help in this critical area, read on to discover how to teach your child to recognize and produce rhyme.
It’s helpful to know that children don’t just start off rhyming. In fact, they generally go through three stages. In the order of easiest to hardest, those stages are:
Recognizing rhyme is a skill your child must master before he can produce rhyme, so you’ll first want to focus on helping your child recognize rhyme. Here are some activities that can help.
There are hundreds of great rhyming books, and this Rhyming Picture Books Library List is a good place to start. As you read, occasionally point out words that rhyme. (“Oh, goat and boat rhyme! They sound the same at the end. Goat, boat.”)
“Get Out of the Wagon” is a popular Stage 2 rhyming game. In this downloadable activity, three word cards—like rake, cake, and king—are placed in a wagon. The child determines which word doesn’t rhyme and tells it to “get out of the wagon.”
Nursery rhymes are conducive to reciting again and again. After your child knows the nursery rhymes, let him fill in the rhyming words to work on Stage 2. On this downloadable library list, you’ll find some wonderful nursery rhyme collections to enjoy together.
Once your child can successfully recognize rhymes, this activity will help him learn to produce rhymes (a Stage 3 skill). Just fill a bag with several common household items (here are some ideas) and you’re ready to play “What’s in My Bag?”
For more advanced Stage 3 rhyming, download this fun “Dinner Time” game. But make sure to play “Dinner Time” with the whole family. It’s guaranteed to provide lots of giggles for kids and parents alike!
It may not happen overnight, but with repeated exposure, your child will learn to rhyme. Most importantly, keep your rhyming practice fun and light—it shouldn’t feel like a “lesson” to a young child.
Is there a rhyming activity that your child enjoys? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
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Photo credit: Rachel Neumann
Vanesia D
says:My 12 year old struggles with rhyming. These are great tips.
Crystal
says:Great information!
Shanna
says:Love all the ideas for games.
Thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Shanna! I’m glad you like these.
Stephanie
says:Very interesting!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Stephanie.
Jhk
says:Still working on this with my pre-reader!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have questions or need additional suggestions.
Brittany
says:I’ve been wondering if I’m teaching rhyming right, so this was helpful! My daughter is learning to read at 4 but hasn’t gotten the hang of rhyming yet. All in time I suppose.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceBrittany,
Yes, some children just need more time and more focused attention on rhyming to master this skill. I hope you find the stages and tips in this blog post helpful. However, if you have concerns or questions, please let me know.
Aly
says:This is one of my favorite programs. Even years later.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Aly!
Stephanie Rasmussen
says:‘Get out of the wagon’ is a simple yet fun way to practice identifying rhymes.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGlad you like this activity, Stephanie!
Brooke
says:This is so interesting! I had no idea but will start with some of these ideas with my 3yo.
Michaela
says:Love all these ideas! My 3.5 year old makes up silly songs and she will naturally create her own rhymes and make up words that rhyme. She seems to do it naturally without thinking about it but if I ask her directly for a word that rhymes with cat, for example, it takes her some time to think of something.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt sounds like your child is doing very well considering her age, Michaela! She may need more practice with stage 3 of rhyming, but it sounds like it won’t take much. Keep up the great work!
Amy Ludwig
says:We love playing rhyming games, and even singing rhyming words! Glad to know this is going to help my son succeed at spelling!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmy,
Rhyming is important for reading too. Plus, as you have found, it’s fun!
Julie Herd
says:I love all the fun games that reinforce the skills taught. These are great ideas for rhyming!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Julie! Glad you like these ideas.
Jordan Shepherd
says:Thank you! So excited to start this program.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWonderful, Jordan! Let us know if you have any questions or need help with anything.
Rebecca
says:We love playing “Get Out of the Wagon” thank you for the tips!
Laurie Bradshaw
says:Thank you for such good reading materials!
Brittany N
says:Love all the free resources on top of these wonderful programs from All About Learning Press 😃
Jennifer
says:Nursery Rhymes were our favorite way to learn rhyming!
Angela
says:My son loves to just pick a random word, and then make up silly, nonsensical words that go with it!
Marleigh
says:How fun! Never thought of playing a rhyme game.
Marleigh
says:How fun! Never thought of playing a game.
Nicole
says:My daughter LOVES rhyming! In fact, she makes up words just so they can rhyme with a real word. Looking forward to some hands-on rhyming activities with your pre-reading program!
rebecca
says:a lot of parents don’t relize how important this is!!
Jenny
says:I wish I had had this information when my son didn’t pick up rhyming easily and naturally as his older siblings did.
Wendy
says:Nursery Rhymes has always been gone off my favorite ways to introduce rhyming. We also try to rhyme during everyday conversation. All printable and games we have tried have been truly amazing.
Kristin
says:Great suggestions! Dr. Seuss is a great author to read for rhyming
Holly
says:I always thought rhyming would just come natural for kids, but there certainly is a need to spend time teaching it.
Brittni
says:Great Program! We just started and I am already noticing a difference in my kids learning.
Catherine
says:Thank you for the great tips and resources.
Amanda Raemer
says:Love these rhyming activity ideas!
Heather Harrison
says:Great program for large families!