You could try repeating this rhyming game with different objects. When you have done that for a bit, it is time for the big reveal! Dramatically, and very slowly, open up the box! My goodness – there is a cat inside! The element of real magic makes this very exciting. The important thing is for them to chant them at the box. However, if they can’t come up with a rhyming word, that is absolutely fine (and normal) too. If the children can think of their own rhyming words, then that is fantastic! That is exactly what you want. So, if it is ‘cat’, then chant ‘cat cat cat cat, hat hat hat hat….etc’ Once again, pick rhyming words with whatever object you are using in the box. The box is currently empty (not one hundred percent true!), but if you all do a fantastic spell then something will turn up in the box.Īim the wand at the box, and get the children to wiggle their ‘magic fingers’ at the box. Tell the children that you are going to make a rhyming spell. For example, you could have a toy cat in the box (but secretly – don’t let the children see). One more thing – you need an object that is hidden in the box, and is something that has lots of words that rhyme with it. This could be a bought wand, or something like a stick with some magical material (like wool) wrapped round it will be fine). You will also require some kind of magic wand. You could use a picnic hamper, a treasure chest, or cauldron, or anything else like that. Have some kind of old box that is going to be the wizard’s magical box. This rhyming game uses lots of repetitive chanting, a great way to start with rhyme. Plenty of actions and making it fun really helps the process as well. It’s a great idea to repeat songs they know well lots of times. I could have listed thirty or forty here, but you get the idea. That’s not to say there is tremendous value in singing those kind of songs – there definitely is!īut to actually learn and improve your kids’ rhyming skills, you want songs that actually rhyme! Some of these will have great rhyming words: For example, ‘The Wheels On The Bus’, isn’t actually a ‘rhyme’. Many nursery rhymes don’t actually rhyme. Singing simple nursery rhymes is the number one thing to do to set the foundation for rhyming words.
Often, the things that are the least like rocket science will have the greatest impact. This is an obvious one, but I thought I better include it on this list of rhyming games. So go through the following three phases, and children will hopefully be ready to take on rhyme at their level. They then fall back on guessing and making things up. The problem here is doing rhyming games that are too challenging. Try to avoid this randomness at all costs! It is a tricky habit to get out of. The biggest pitfall is children going a bit ‘random.’ For example, when you ask a child, ‘What is the rhyme of cat?’ They often say, ‘cheese,’ ‘dog’, ‘mouse’, or any other weird word association answers. There are a few pitfalls to try to avoid, but if you go through these steps, then they will at least be minimized. I have broken these rhyming activities down into three stages – rhyming games for beginners, medium-difficulty games, and then games to practice their rhyming skill when they’ve learned how to do it. Right, let’s take a look at the rhyming games themselves. Begin with children simply joining in with chants, songs and nursery rhyme stories.Start as easy as you possibly can when you teach rhyming!.I always say a few of the following things to get people started: Hundreds of teachers and practitioners have also used these strategies successfully, as I have taught them at my early phonics workshop over the last three years. The best 21 rhyming activities are: Easy Rhyming Games Some are super simple, some a little harder, and some are for practicing their rhyming skills when they’ve achieved it. I have put together this list of 21 rhyming games that I believe are the best way to get children started on this journey of learning how to rhyme.
There is research that strongly links the benefits that experiencing rhyme has on the development of literacy. It is the one area I am asked about the most in early phonics, and so it is the thing I have focused a huge amount of my energy over the last 10 years, teaching children between 3 and 5. Some children just get it straight away, and others take literally years, and can often read fluently before they are able to rhyme successfully. There is probably no trickier part of early phonics than teaching children how to rhyme!