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 Repetition and Rhyme

Using Books that have a Repetitive Pattern


What you'll need:

Books with repeated phrases or short rhyming poems

A few favorites are:

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst;
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss;
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper.
more books

There are many good booklists that highlight those books with repetitive refrains. (See Resources)

What to do:

1. Pick a story with repeated phrases or a poem you and your child like.

2. For example, read:
Wolf Voice:
Little pig, little pig, Let me come in.
Little Pig:
Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.
Wolf Voice:
Then I'll huff and I'll puff, And I'll blow your house in!


3. Read slowly, and with a smile or a nod, let your children know you appreciate their participation.

4. As children grow more familiar with the story, pause and give them the chance to
"fill in the blanks."

5. Encourage your children to pretend to read, especially books that contain repetition and rhyme.
and imitate your reading.


This activity and more can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Reading/ReadAlong.html

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