Phonological awareness is the foundation for learning to read. It is the ability to recognize and work with sounds of spoken language. In preschool and kindergarten this includes being able to recognize rhyming words and count the number of syllables in names. You can help your child develop these skills by making language play a part of every day.
Did you know that rhyming is one of the best predictors of how easily a child will learn to read?
Chanting and Sing-along songs are great tools to teach rhyme. Some examples include Down By The Bay, Miss Mary Mack, One Two Buckle My Shoe and Hickory Dickory Dock. Fingerplays are rhymes with movement and include The Itsy Bitsy Spider, I’m a Little Tea Pot, and Five Green and Speckled Frogs.
Books with rhymes are fun and entertaining too. They help kids develop phonological awareness, which makes learning to read, write, and spell a lot easier. There are hundreds of great rhyming books including:
- Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
- Jake Bakes Cakes: A Silly Rhyming Children’s Picture Book, by Gerald Hawksley (Typically recommended for children ages 3-5)
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault (Typically recommended for children ages 3-5)
- There’s a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Seuss (Typically recommended for children ages 2-7)
- Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw (Typically recommended for ages 2-6)
Once your child becomes familiar with the book, occasionally leave out the rhyming word and see if they can fill in the correct word. Choose fun, enjoyable activities and keep them short, 5 minutes or less, in order to keep children engaged.
