Tuesday, March 6, 2012

How To Rhyme

How do you encourage rhyming with your children?
Focusing on Dr. Seuss books this week and all his wonderful rhyming has made me realize that the children I see do not do a lot of rhyming.
They hear it, in the books we read and the songs we sing.
But when asked what rhymes or sounds like eg. cat, they draw a blank.
Yes there are a few that know but I wonder is it how I'm asking?
Or am I expecting too much at an early age?
The following is our sign-in language prompt for the week.
 I placed four pictures; shoe, fish, hat and car, on the board
with the instructions to pick a picture and think of a word that rhymes.
This was difficult for most.
When someone thought of a rhyme I would write it down so
other grown ups could encourage their children.
 But this rarely happened.
Did I jump in too quick and do it for them or is having rhyming
fun something that is not happening in families.
I would appreciate hearing ideas from you on how to make rhyming 
more of a daily activity.


  1. Maureen, rhyme is really hard even for our fours and fives.They all come from very at-risk families and are all ELL though, so there's that. Still, I feel like I hear K teachers say the same thing every year though. Are we expecting too much too soon? I would bargain more rhyming opportunities might help....I sing the Wibbly Wobbly Song (Wibble Wobbly Wiffany, an Elephant sat on Tiffany; Wibbly Wobbly Wyan, an Elphant sat on Bryan) during transitions a lot.

    1. Thanks Sarah for your comments. I was wondering that too if I'm expecting too much too early. Will need to do more research on the topic.
      Funny that you mention Wibbly Wobbly, driving home today after a long busy day and thinking about rhyming that is the song that came to mind. Will try it and see what happens.
      Thanks again

  2. Hi Maureeen,

    I have noticed the same thing. I've been using a variation on the Wibbly Wobbly song that I found on the Miss Mary Liberry blog. Each of the children holds one of our little counting bears. I sing "Bippity Boppity Bose, there's a teddy bear on my...(nose)". Then we all put the bears on our noses. If the children have trouble finishing the rhyme, I give them a hint by holding the bear near my nose. I love this song because even the littlest ones at my StrongStart centre can participate.