Rhyming to better reading

Using Activity Preschool Songs To Teach Reading

Did you ever wonder why so many children�s books include rhymes? I once thought it was simply the fact that kids like the rhythm and patterns that rhyme created but now I know it is because rhyming is an important pre-reading skill and the stronger a child�s ability to rhyme the greater success the child will experience as a reader.

My name is Deanna Mascle and I am the editor of "Preschoolers Learn More" -- a newsletter devoted to helping preschoolers prepare for school and life. I am also an educator and a mother.

Rhyming helps children learn about word families such as let, met, pet, wet, and get.

Rhyming also teaches children about the sounds of the language.

The name for the ability to notice and work with the sounds in language is phonological awareness. Young children who have phonological awareness notice, for example, that words can begin or end with the same sound - that bag, ball, and bug all begin with the sound of �b;� that words can rhyme; and that sentences are made up of separate words. Research shows that how quickly children will learn to read often depends on how much phonological awareness they have when they begin kindergarten.

Rhymes help children become aware of phonemes which are the smallest units of sounds that make up words. This awareness leads to reading and writing success.

Children can and should develop some degree of phonological awareness in the preschool years, because it is a crucial early step toward understanding the alphabetic principle and, ultimately, toward learning to read.

Songs and rhymes expose your child to the rhythm of the language. This will help them read with some animation in their voice instead of just a monotone. It also helps them develop rhyming skills.
It is important for young children to be able to:

* Repeat rhyming songs and poems.
* Identify rhymes and generate rhyming words when playing a rhyming game.
* Recognize the common sounds at the beginning of a series of words (alliteration).
* Isolate the beginning sounds in familiar words.



Find out more about Activity Preschool Songs and Lesson Plan Preschool Songs plus Learning To Read Book