How Parents Can Help With Rhyming Words

Think about your child̵7;s favorite songs and books -- now can you think of one that doesn̵7;t have any rhymes? If you do come up with a few that don̵7;t include rhymes, it is likely a very small fraction of what your child loves. According to the British Council, ̶0;rhymes are portable playthings̶1; and provide motivation for children to speak and read a language. Use activities with rhyming words to encourage these language-learning skills in your child.

  1. Phonemic Awareness

    • Rhymes are based on phonemes, which are the basic building blocks of words. When you put phonemes together, you get the syllables that form words. Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to understand that words are made of smaller pieces and that certain words share similar sounds. If you find your child saying reading is ̶0;stupid̶1; or can̵7;t come up with any rhymes for the word ̶0;cat,̶1; he might need some help acquiring better phonemic awareness skills. Take turns making up silly sentences with a similar sound, such as the ̶0;m̶1; sound. Reading books out loud with rhymes helps your child internalize the sound of rhymes while also practicing pronunciation.

    Nursery Rhymes

    • Reciting nursery rhymes with kids seems almost inherent, but have you ever stopped to wonder why you use them at all? Reading rhymes out loud trains the ear to discern differences and similarities between individual phonemes. Because rhymes also typically tell a story, kids can also begin to understand words that sound similar have very different meanings. In addition to reading nursery rhymes, add rhythmic clapping or movement. Find movement songs that include rhymes.

    Reading

    • It is never too late to instill a love of reading in your child, and many children̵7;s books are full of rhyme and rhythm that teaches the natural pace of language as well as their basic components. In addition to rhyming stories, check out letter books that focus on one letter -- one sound -- at a time. Don̵7;t force reading time; you must make it fun, so your child enjoys learning language. Reading also strengthens the bond between you and your child.

    Technology

    • Even very young children are not immune to the technology surrounding them, so don̵7;t be afraid to use it with your child. Many tablets and smart phones have applications that are interactive storybooks, recite rhymes out loud or focus on particular skills such as spelling or finding rhyming words. Not all apps are created equal, so search for ones that are recommended by speech and language pathologists.

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