Hear the rhyme. Enjoy the moment.

Rhyming words share an ending sound: cat and hat, bee and tree. Your child can practice hearing rhymes before reading the written words.

Start by showing, not asking

Say “cat, hat” together. Stretch the shared ending a little. Then contrast it with “cat, sun”. Keep the examples playful and say each picture’s name so the picture itself is not a guessing game.

Try one short round

1. Open Rhyme Café with two answer choices.
2. Listen to Pip’s word together. Tap the speaker beneath each answer picture to hear its name.
3. Let your child choose. If they need help, repeat the matching pair and invite them to say it with you.
4. Stop after a round, or sooner if they have had enough.

Take it into your day

At clean-up time, try “book, look” or “car, star”. Make a silly pair and let your child tell you whether it rhymes. Once recognizing a pair is comfortable, take turns thinking of a new rhyme.

When it feels tricky

Return to modeling two words with the same ending. Check that your child knows what each picture is called. Recognizing a rhyme and making a new rhyme are different tasks; our game practices recognizing. Ask your teacher which kind of practice fits your child’s current goals.

Learn more about phonological and phonemic awareness at Reading Rockets.