Learning to recognize rhyme and producing rhyme are essential phonological skills acquired by the age of 5.

The benefits of Rhyme are:

1. It teaches the child about language.
2. It teaches the child about word families.
3. It teaches the child about the sounds in the language, which is the basis of reading and writing.
4. It teaches the child how language functions.

For this activity, you will need:

1. Printable pictures that contain the same end sound as a different picture
2. Colors (optional – if the pictures aren’t colored)
3. Scissors to cut the pictures into cards

OR

• Rhyming picture cards (bought from the store)

How to:

• Color the pictures.
• Cut pictures into cards.

*These steps are optional. If you already have rhyming cards at home, you can skip these steps.

Procedure: (Age: 3-4)

Rhyme is an essential skill; therefore, it is best to focus on 4 picture cards at a time.

1. Show the child 4 picture cards; 2 of each have the same end sound.
2. Ask the child to name each picture. (Example: bee, car, tree, star)
3. Repeat the words while stressing the end sounds of the words. (/ee/,/ar/)
4. Ask the child to identify pictures with the same end sounds. (bee/tree, car/star)
5. The child matches pictures to the same end sound cards and sets them aside.

Procedure: (Age: 4+)

By this age, the child should be familiar with rhyme. The child can identify rhymes in 6 or more picture cards at the same time.

1. Show the child 6 picture cards; 2 of each have the same end sound.
2. Ask the child to name each picture. (Example: wig, cat, pig, pen, bat, ten)
3. Repeat the words while stressing the end sounds of the words. (/ig/,/en/,/at/)
4. Ask the child to identify pictures with the same end sounds. (wig/pig, cat/bat, pen/ten)
5. The child matches pictures to the same end sound cards and sets them aside.

*At this age, steps 1 to 5 can be repeated 2 to 3 times. Following that, picture cards should be shuffled and placed randomly in front of the child. The child will identify the rhyming sounds individually and match the cards.

Challenge: Place the picture cards facing downwards (pictures don’t show). Ask the child to turn over 2 cards at a time only. If they rhyme, the child sets them aside. If not, the child flips them back and tries again.