Rhyming Tasks

Here are specific examples you can share with your child to focus on the rhyming part of phonological awareness. The tasks become more challenging the further you go.

Parent: "Listen to these words. Do they sound alike?" You can use the term "rhyme" if your child is familiar with it. If not, give a few examples before trying these tasks so your child knows what he/she is listening for.

Some of these sets will rhyme, and some deliberately do not. Recognizing words that don't rhyme is just as important as recognizing the ones that do!

• man, can
• sat, bench
• ball, tall
• mop, top
• cup, pan
• blue, shoe
• white, yellow
• tea, glass

Parent: "I will say a word. Can you tell me a word that rhymes with it?" If your child gives a make believe word, but it does actually rhyme, that's worth celebrating! Point out to your child "Yes, that would rhyme with ______. The word you thought of is a make believe word. Can we also think of a real word that would rhyme with _______?" Sometimes children simply do not have the vocabulary to come up with a real word that rhymes. The goal here is to focus on the skill of rhyming.

• sun
• funny
• down
• sand
• hiss
• sail