Do you know what’s one of the best predictors of how well a kindergartner will learn to read?
It’s not how many worksheets he’s done.
It has nothing to do with the educational TV he’s watched or apps he’s played.
It’s if he knows his nursery rhymes.
Jack and Jill went up the hill.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Jack Sprat would eat no fat. His wife would eat no lean.
All those nonsensical verses from your childhood really do matter.
They matter because they rhyme.
Rhyming is fun. And it’s a very important component of reading success.
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If you’d like to know more about why rhyming is important, check out this post. If you want to know more about how to help your child learn to rhyme, read on!
Read books that rhyme
These books are packed with rhyming words!
When your child is ready, leave out the rhyming word for him to fill in. Or try this fun rhyming activity with picture books. You just need the book and a counter or post-it note.
- 25 picture books that Rhyme from No Time for Flashcards
- Poetry and other rhyming books for older children from This Reading Mama
- Ridiculous rhyming books from Peace But Not Quiet
Sing nursery rhymes and other rhyming songs
- Did you see my post sharing ten reasons why nursery rhymes are important? Even older kids should know their nursery rhymes!
- Maybe you’ve seen my collection of 26 FREE letter books featuring rhymes and songs for every letter of the alphabet. These helped my middle son learn to rhyme (and recognize his letters) when he was a toddler.
- We love, love, love books we can sing. Check out these singable rhyming books from This Reading Mama.
Play rhyming games
These rhyming games take little or no prep time. Try them out!
- Find and Rhyme (No Time for Flashcards)
- Play this rhyming game in the car (Mom to @ Posh Lil Divas)
- Make rhyming jars like they did at No Time for Flashcards
- This puzzle rhyming activity from No Time for Flashcards is a genius way to recycle those old puzzles you’re not using anymore.
- Play a rhyming scavenger hunt based on the book There’s a Wocket in My Pocket.
- Looking for a classroom game? Try passing around the rhyming basket, like they do at PreKinders.
- Play rhyming dominoes (No Time for Flashcards).
- Check out Playdough to Plato’s list of six awesome rhyming games.
Get free rhyming printables
You know we love free printables around here! Here’s a big collection to make rhyming fun.
- Get our giant pack of free rhyming clip cards.
- For a twist on the activity, print This Reading Mama’s clip cards and have your child clip the picture that doesn’t rhyme.
- Get This Reading Mama’s free rhyming pack for preschool and kindergarten.
- Get this rhyming rockets printable at No Time for Flashcards.
- Print and play our rhyming matching game (24 free pairs!).
- Or play rhyming bingo with our giant classroom set of bingo boards.
Make rhyming a part of every day
- Add rhyming songs to your routine by getting 20 songs (with lyrics!) from This Reading Mama.
- Find 6 ways to add rhymes to every day life from What Do We Do All Day.
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Early Reading No-Print Bundle
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Your students can complete these activities in Google Slides on a computer or tablet – no printing necessary! The resource includes activities for rhyming, syllable counting, beginning sounds, and upper/lowercase matching.
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Free Alphabet Printables
Join our email list and get this free sample of alphabet activities from our membership site! Students will practice identifying and forming letters, matching upper to lowercase, and identifying beginning sounds.
