Rhyme is a foundation for reading and writing
WHY RHYME?
Before a child learns to read and write they need to develop the building blocks for literacy. This includes the ability to speak, listen, understand, watch and draw. Rhyme is a basis that helps children build phonemic awareness through oral language. Rhyming allows children to playfully manipulate language, encouraging them to take ownership of language changing and playing with it as they speak.
Rhyming is a particularly important component of early language experiences. Children who cannot recognise or generate rhyme are at risk of not developing the skills they need to be successful in using familiar word parts for reading and spelling.
How to implement rhyme into every day activities
Play games involving rhyme:
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Rhyming words help children appreciate beginning and ending sounds. e.g. mat, cat, pat, sat.
play games involving sounds & rhythm of words:
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"I spy", tounge twisters "She sells sea shells by the sea shore."
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Read rhyming books.
Dr. Suess has many great books that will engage all children,
Sing rhyming songs
Rhyme activities
The magic rhyme bag
Every week a new object can be pulled out a a magic bag. This object will be the focus for a painting. If a hat was pulled out all children would have to brainstorm another word that rhymes with cat and paint or draw a picture of the word they have throught of. At the end of the activity students will come down to the mat and talk about the word they chose. This will strengthen all childrens vocabularies and understanding of rhyme.
Rhyme Table
Set up a table or in the middle of a mat with lots of objects, rhyming to other objects. Firstly ensure all children know the name of each object and ask them to recall the object after being stated.Children will then review all products and try to match them with another. This can be done in small groups to help build relationships and use different levels of knowledge to match objects based on if they rhyme. E.g a dog and a frog.
Daily routines:
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include songs and finger play into daily routines to help familiarise children with sounds.
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emphasise words at the end of the sentence when reading a story book.
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
ACELA1439 | Content description | Foundation Year | English | Language | Sound and letter knowledge
Content description: Recognise rhymes, syllables and sounds (phonemes) in spoken words
Elaborations
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listening to the sounds a student hears in the word, and writing letters to represent those sounds
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identifying rhyme and syllables in spoken words
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identifying and manipulating sounds (phonemes) in spoken words
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identifying onset and rime in one-syllable spoken words
-connections to critical and creative thinking.
ACELT1785 | Content description | Foundation Year | English | Literature | Examining literature
Content descriptor: recognisesome different types of literary texts and identify some characteristic features of literary texts, for example beginnings and endings of traditional texts and rhyme in poetry (ACELT1785)
Elaboration
recognising cultural patterns of storytelling, for example ‘Once upon a time’, ‘A long, long time ago’
-connections to critical and creative thinking and intercultural understanding.
ACELT1579 | Content description | Foundation Year | English | Literature | Examining literature
Content Descriptor: Replicate the rhythms and sound patterns in stories, rhymes, songs and poems from a range of cultures
Elaborations:
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using music and actions to enhance appreciation of rhymes, poems, chants and songs
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reciting rhymes with actions
-connections to critical and creative thinking
Links to the Early Years Learning Framework
OUTCOME 5: CHILDREN ARE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
• Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes
• Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts
• Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media
• Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work
• Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinkingEYLF, 2009).
Image retrieved from: www.pinterest.com
ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, Australian Curriculum
Retrieved from: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Department of Education, Employment and Workforce Relations (DEEWR) (2010), Educators Belonging, Being and Becoming: Educators Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra
Retrieved from: http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources Kit/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf