How To Help Trouble Rhyming Words

Rhyming can seem like such a trivial skill until you learn that it helps set your child up for reading success. Conversely, trouble rhyming words can be telling about future reading difficulties.

Rhyming falls under the phonological awareness umbrella that is needed to become a proficient reader. When a child struggles with rhyming, they lack the awareness that words come apart. This is troublesome because, to read, children must break words into individual sounds and then tie them to letters. You can read more about rhyming and reading here.

Fortunately, parents can help their children if they have trouble rhyming words. Below is a rhyming progression of activities to do with your child to help build phonological awareness.

Rhyming with Pictures

It is important to start with as much support as possible when you begin helping your child rhyme. Seeing a visual of words is helpful to children so we will begin with pictures. It adds another layer to their understanding. If you have access to a computer, you can copy and paste pictures from internet searches onto a slideshow or blank word document. Alternatively, you can cut out pictures from magazines and paste them onto notecards.

Start each activity by talking about the pictures as you show them to your child. You want to ensure that you both are labeling the picture with the same word. For instance, you could show a picture of a picnic to your child but they label it as food. You can see how this would impact their ability to accurately rhyme.

If the picture makes a sound, it is helpful to ask your child to produce these sounds. For instance, if the picture is of a dog, you would ask, “what sound does this picture make?” Asking this question will help reinforce the concept of sounds.

Rhyme Judgment With Pictures

Show your child two pictures and talk about what they are. Next, ask your child if the pictures rhyme. If they do, ask your child to say yes or clap their hands. Get creative with their “yes” responses. End every practice by asking your child to say the two pictures rhyme. For instance, “Hat and cat rhyme.”

Rhyme Matching With Pictures

Show your child one main picture and talk about what it is. Explain that they are trying to find a word that rhymes with the picture. Next, show your child two more pictures, making sure to talk about what they are. Ask your child to pick the picture that rhymes with the first. End every practice by asking your child to say the two pictures rhyme. For instance, “Dog and log rhyme.”

Oral Rhyming

When your child can successfully rhyme using pictures, the next step is to add rhyming with only words. We use the word “add” because parents should start with picture support when transitioning to oral rhyming. Doing so helps prime your child’s brain, especially if your child had trouble rhyming words with pictures.

Rhyme Judgment Orally

Say two words and ask your child if they rhyme or not. If they do, ask your child to jump up once or make an animal sound. Once again, get creative with how your child gives a “yes” response.

If they are struggling, ask them to repeat the words after you to help them process the sounds. You should also repeat the words with an exaggerated ending. For instance, b-aaaatttttt and c-aaaatttttt. End the practice by asking your child to say the two words rhyme. For instance, “Bat and cat rhyme.”

Rhyme Matching Orally

Say one word such as “frog” and explain that you are looking for a word that rhymes with it. Next, give them two more words and ask, “which of these words rhymes with frog?” If they are struggling, ask them to repeat the words after you and say the words with exaggerated endings. As always, end each practice by asking your child to say the two words rhyme. For instance, “frog and log rhyme.”

Rhyme Production

Rhyme production goes a step further and asks children to produce their own words. Receptive language, such as listening, is easier for children than expressive language, such as speaking. The same is true for rhyming. Listening to words and choosing one will most likely be easier than creating their own. For this reason, rhyme production is the last skill we conquer.

Rhyme Production With Pictures

Show your child a picture of the word and talk about what it is. Next, ask your child to say a word that rhymes with the picture. If they are struggling, produce your own rhyming word and ask your child to make another. For instance, if they are struggling rhyming with the word cat, you would tell them, “My rhyming word is mat. Cat and mat rhyme. Can you tell me another word that rhymes with cat?”

If your child needs more support producing a rhyming word, use the rhyme matching technique. For instance, “which word rhymes with cat? Dog or mat?”

Rhyme Production Without Pictures

If your child is successful in producing rhymes with picture support, then move on to producing rhymes without pictures. Simply ask your child, “What word rhymes with log?” For more challenging options, ask them to tell you as many words as they can think of that rhyme with log.

More Speech Milestones

Being an informed parent means that you can get ahead of any reading difficulties that may lie ahead. If your child has trouble rhyming words, it would be helpful to review other speech milestones linked to phonological awareness. Please visit our link to speech signs of dyslexia to learn more.

Your child will learn to rhyme. Try practicing the activities outlined above for 15 minutes every day. You can find more rhyming activities on the Florida Center For Reading Research website. Be consistent and celebrate them when they make progress. Please reach out to us via our connect page with any questions you may have about rhyming or how to help your child! We would love to support you!

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