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PSPKK123 January 18, 2013  •  20 Comments

How to teach rhyming

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you want your child to be a successful reader (and of course you do!), it’s so important that you know how to teach your child to rhyme.

Wondering how to teach rhyming? Learn some playful ways to learn, plus a list of rhyming games that your child will love.

Rhyming is a super-important skill (see Why Is Rhyming Important?) that can be taught with two of my favorite things: books and games.

How to teach your child to rhyme

Read nursery rhymes – and read them some more! 

They are easy to find and fun to learn.  Get them out, and make them a regular part of your child’s infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool years.

a. Make a recording of yourself reading nursery rhymes and play them in the car. I did this before my oldest could talk, and it was a listening favorite for several years.

b. When your child knows her nursery rhymes, have her listen as you recite a familiar rhyme with one mistake. Then have her say “Beep Beep!” or play a rhythm instrument when she hears the wrong word.  Let her supply the right one.

c. Invest in some great nursery rhyme books.


d. Read the rhymes, but don’t stop there.  Recite them. Sing them. Clap them. Act them out!

                      Here’s a giant list of nursery rhymes.

                      Here’s another one.

                     This link has rhymes along with singing audio.

                     Check out these free printable nursery rhyme books to color.

Read rhyming picture books over and over again.

As your child becomes familiar with the books, leave out the rhyming word and pause. Ask her what comes next. You can then identify the rhyming words. “That’s right! Mouse rhymes with house.”  Check out my mega-list of rhyming books.

Play rhyming games.

a. Give clues for the same rhyming family.

Here’s an example from the –at family:

This animal says “meow.” (cat)

This animal sleeps upside down. (bat)

This is something by the door you  might step on. (mat)

b. Ask for a particular type of word that rhymes with the word you give.  It’s okay to use nonsense words.

                  What’s an animal that rhymes with wig?

                   What’s a color that rhymes with mean?

                   What’s a food that rhymes with maghetti?

c. Make up rhymes  and have your child fill in the missing word.  Here are some examples:

My old gray cat caught a great big _____.

The big yellow duck was driving the ________.

d. Is it a… You start and let your child finish the rhymes.

                   You: Is it a shirt?

                   Child: No, it’s dirt!

                   You:  Is it a pear?

                  Child: No, it’s hair!

e. Say three words to your child. She gives a thumbs up if the words rhyme. If not, it’s thumbs down.

f. Make a rhyming chain. Name a word. Take turns naming a word that rhymes. When you run out of words or an incorrect word is given, the chain is broken. Start a new chain.

Teach rhyming with our nursery rhyme books!

25 Nursery rhyme books and posters

$6.00

This bundle contains 25 printable nursery rhyme books and posters – in both color and black and white! We love using these little books with new readers. They’re perfect for teaching concepts of print, building phonics and sight word knowledge, and building confidence.

Buy Now

Do you have our little letter books yet?

26 Letter Books of Nursery Rhymes & Songs

$7.00

Print a little book for every letter of the alphabet! Each book contains six nursery rhymes or songs. The books come in both color and black and white.

Buy Now

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Members of The Measured Mom Plus get access to our one-click library of printables, with new printables added each month! Not a member yet? Learn more here.

check out all the rhyming printables in the membership

WATCH THE MEMBER TRAINING

In this 7-minute training, members will get quick tips for teaching this important foundational skill.

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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.

Filed Under: Pre-reading Tagged With: rhyming, preschool, kindergarten, Pre-K

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Reader Interactions

20 Comments

  1. Karen

    December 30, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    I love reading about all of your ideas. Above, the answer should be “mat” but “bat” is listed again.

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      December 30, 2014 at 6:18 pm

      Thank you, Karen – I love when my readers proofread for me; it means they’re reading closely. 🙂 I fixed it.

      Reply to this comment
  2. Jodie

    January 20, 2015 at 1:09 pm

    I love your compilation of ideas. My oldest son, who is 11 and has an intellectual disability, is still challenged to identify and create rhyming words, so we work on it often. For my use I rewrote your list of rhyming games in a different order to level them by difficulty: b, f, c, e, d, and a.

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      January 27, 2015 at 6:24 am

      Thank you, Jodie! I appreciate your opinion on which games are harder. I re-ordered them in my post the way you suggested.

      Reply to this comment
  3. Laura Santana

    February 5, 2016 at 4:41 am

    Can’t wait to use these ideas with my 3-year-old! Thanks!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      February 6, 2016 at 4:53 pm

      You’re welcome, Laura!

      Reply to this comment
  4. Carol Woodson

    March 23, 2016 at 12:49 am

    As a writer of rhyme, I love this article. Or, as Mem Fox says, “Rhymers will be readers.”

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      April 8, 2016 at 11:11 am

      That’s agreat quote from Mem Fox! So true, too!

      Reply to this comment
  5. Judy Sobanski

    March 24, 2016 at 2:15 pm

    Great ideas to making rhyme become familiar and easy for kids (and adults)! Thanks!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      March 28, 2016 at 5:31 pm

      You’re very welcome, Judy!

      Reply to this comment
  6. nadia

    November 16, 2018 at 5:23 am

    Thanks anna for useful material.

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      November 24, 2018 at 3:48 pm

      You’re very welcome, Nadia!

      Reply to this comment
  7. Esther

    November 17, 2018 at 4:02 am

    Thanks so much for all the free resources. Only the Lord God will bless you. Just wanted to say thanks a lot,

    Esther Mutambo

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      November 17, 2018 at 8:47 am

      You’re welcome, Esther! Thank you for your kind words!

      Reply to this comment
  8. Lisa

    November 18, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    Thank you for all of your lovely resources! I get excited when I see you in my inbox!
    My children really love them!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      November 24, 2018 at 3:49 pm

      You’re very welcome, Lisa!

      Reply to this comment

Trackbacks

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    November 29, 2013 at 1:16 pm

    […] How To Teach Rhyming from The Measured Mom […]

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    November 7, 2017 at 3:29 am

    […] do you teach rhyming to your pre-schooler?  Rhyming is an important pre-literacy skill and is part of the foundation […]

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  3. Free: Dental Health Month Rhyming Matchups - Preschool Activities Nook says:
    January 3, 2018 at 3:22 pm

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  4. teaching toddlers rhyming words – the-kent-wedding-photographer.co.uk says:
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