Teaching And Bright Beginnings

Rhyming

     Ever had a student who just couldn't rhyme? It's such an important skill because research shows a correlation between rhyming and reading. So you work with that child and you work with that child, you try picture matching, you try explaining orally what is alike and different in different words, you read Dr. Seuss, you try sorts, etc. But they just aren't able to get it.  I felt like I was banging my head against the wall, and was just not getting anywhere with some of my kinesthetic learners.  Well.... try this, it worked for me and my little kiddos.  Teach it like you are teaching onset and rime comparing two words to begin with, (you can use more words later and even try which word doesn't rhyme as an activity for another day after experiencing success with two words.) and use your hands.  The left hand is the onset of the first word, and the right hand is the rime of the first word.  Then repeat for the second word, left hand is the onset and right hand is the rime.  Then you can have them refer to their right hand to see if both words had the same ending.  I have had my non-rhymers practice this strategy.  Then for the assessment I had them demonstrate the strategy using the onset and rime activity and then look at words to circle the part of the word that was the same.  For example, if they thought map and cap rhyme, they would refer to their right hand and feel/and listen to see if there was a similarity.  If yes, then they look at the words and circle the part that is the same.  With cap and map they would circle the -ap word part.  Finally, SUCCESS!!!  That's right, they now get rhyming!!  This way you are taking the skill and also showing them how it relates to text, allowing them to make that connection.  Then you can have them start finding rhyming words in a sentence, and taking an ending and make new rhyming words by changing the beginning sound.  Think about it, we've all used the strategy of the hand under the chin for syllable counting to help our students discriminate with the difference between syllable counting and counting sounds in words, so they don't confuse the two.  Now here is a strategy for the kinesthetic learner as well.  Hope you will try it!!  I love it with the group I have this year and look forward to trying with other groups as well.  

Happy Teaching!!!