RHYME AS A FOUNDATION FOR READING & WRITING
WHY IS RHYME IMPORTANT?
The English language is made up of 26 alphabetical letters, which produce 44 different sounds to form words.
Attuning a child's ear to hearing and recognising similar sounds is integral to helping children learn about the varied sound patterns and rhythms that make up our system of language 1, 2.
Rhyme is about being able to recognise and articulate words that have the same ending sounds.
It is an essential component of phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear the spoken sounds in language. By drawing attention to sounds that sound the same, children are encouraged to make up their own rhymes as part of developing their literacy capabilities as well as their critical and creative thinking.
Attuning a child's ear to hearing and recognising similar sounds is integral to helping children learn about the varied sound patterns and rhythms that make up our system of language 1, 2.
Rhyme is about being able to recognise and articulate words that have the same ending sounds.
It is an essential component of phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear the spoken sounds in language. By drawing attention to sounds that sound the same, children are encouraged to make up their own rhymes as part of developing their literacy capabilities as well as their critical and creative thinking.
HOW DOES RHYME ASSIST IN READING AND WRITING?
Rhyme enables children to associate specific sounds with letters of the alphabet, which is essential for learning to read, write and spell 3, 4.
For example, being able to recognise rhyming words like 'cat', 'mat' and 'pat' allows children to recognise the specific letter pattern associated with the sound 'at'. Developing this phonemic awareness allows them to recognise that words such as 'bees', 'cheese' and 'peas' also rhyme even though they are not spelt with a similar letter pattern. "Playing with rhymes helps children learn about sounds. It is an important part of tuning a child’s ear to the rhythm and sound patterns of language." |
Here is a video of how rhyme assists in forming connections between how a word is written and how a word is spoken aloud.
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HOW WOULD AN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTING PROVIDE FOR THIS?
Click on the button below to access how two examples of how early childhood settings may incorporate a play-based approach to address this concept, and what children can learn from them based on outcomes from the Australian Curriculum and the Early Years Learning Framework:
WHAT ARE SOME THINGS I CAN DO WITH MY CHILD?The great thing about rhyme activities is that they can be easily carried out across many settings — at home, in the car, at the shops.
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Here is a video in which "Ten Loopy Caterpillars" is read aloud.
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Click on the images below to see how a parent set up a play-based rhyme activity for her children in their own backyard after school!
REFERENCES:
- Topfer, C. (2007). Discovering sounds and letters. Canberra, ACT: Early Childhood Australia.
- Raising Children Network. (2014). Developing literacy. Retrieved from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/developing_literacy.html
- Connor, J. (2011). Becoming literate. EYL FPLP e-Newsletter, 18. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/EYLFPLP_E-Newsletter_No18.pdf
- Snowball, D., & Bolton, F. (1999). Spelling K-8. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Updated: September 17th, 2015 by Christie Oh