Learning Through Play

'The ability to discriminate between phonemes and to detect rhymes in words is essential’

(Followes & Oakley, 2012, p. 188)

 

Teaching rhyme in an early childhood setting is a must for all teachers. Identifying and creating rhyming words are the foundational skills children need in furthering their language and literacy skills. Rhyming skills have been linked to the development of phonemic awareness. Winch et al. state that ‘the best way to develop phonemic awareness is by making it a part of a broad instructional program in reading and writing so that young children are involved in language activities that help them recognise such things as initial sounds, rhymes, and the distinct speech energy rhythms that produce syllables’ (2012, p. 74). Fellowes and Oakley support this statement by explaining that ‘the ability to discriminate between phonemes and to detect rhymes in words is essential’ (2012, p. 188) for young children. ‘If children can recognise and produce rhyming patterns … they are actually demonstrating early phonemic awareness, because they are deleting the first phoneme (the onset) in the syllable and replacing it with another. While they are initially not aware that they are doing this, it opens the door to the realisation that words are made up of a sequence of single sounds’ (Department of Education & Children’s Services, 2011, p. 2).

 

There are three stages of difficulty in children’s development of rhyme. These are hearing rhyme, differentiating rhyme and synthesising rhyme. Hearing rhyme is when two words are spoken aloud and are acknowledged as rhyming words. This can also work in sentence form, where a child is given a sentence and asked to clarify which two words rhyme. Differentiating rhyme is when three or more words are supplied and the child is asked to identify the word which does not rhyme. Creating rhyming words is the most difficult stage to achieve in developing rhyming abilities and use much higher order thinking skills. Creating rhymes involves children creating a rhyme from a supplied word or supplying two rhyming words themselves.

 

The Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum, Assessment & Reporting Authority, 2014) also believes in the importance of rhyming in the development of early literacy skills. As part of the foundational year achievement standards, students are to ‘identify and use rhyme, letter patterns and sounds in words’ (ACARA, 2014). Outlined below are the key content descriptions as well as proficiency strands that accurately address the notion and importance of rhyming skills.

 

Australian Curriculum – English:

 

• Language – Sound and Letter Knowledge: Recognise rhymes, syllables and sounds (phonemes) in spoken words (ACELA1439). Elaborations: identifying rhyme and syllables in spoken words, identifying and manipulating sounds (phonemes) in spoken words and identifying onset and rime in one-syllable spoken words.

 

• Literature – Examining Literature: Replicate the rhythms and sound patterns in stories, rhymes, songs and poems from a range of cultures (ACELT1579).

 

The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia

The introduction to Outcome Five, Children are Effective Communicators, of the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) states that ‘literacy … capabilities are important aspects of communication and are vital for successful learning across the curriculum. … Positive attitudes and competencies in literacy … are essential for children’s successful learning’ (EYLF, 2009, p. 38). Outcome Five’s sub-section: children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts, lists; ‘listen and respond to sounds and patterns in speech, stories and rhymes in context and sing and chant rhymes, jingles and songs’ (EYLF, 2009, p. 41) as ways in which developing literacy, communication and rhyming skills are evident in an early childhood environment. To ensure our students’ needs are met we must supply students with the opportunities to learn new rhyming songs and also ‘talk explicitly about concepts such as rhyme and letters and sounds when sharing texts with children’ (EYLF, 2009, p. 41). The Outcome Five sub-section: children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work, also lists ‘listen and respond to sounds and patterns in speech, stories and rhyme’ (EYLF, 2009, p. 43) as a key objective in communication and literacy skills.

 

National Quality Standards

The National Quality Standards (NQS; 2013, p. 24) agrees with the EYLF and advocates for the explicit teaching of concepts such as rhyme when reading and sharing books with children. By exposing children to a wide-range of rhyming songs and opportunities to learn them the NQS acknowledge the contribution this makes ‘to each child’s learning and development outcomes in relation to their identity, connection with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and effectiveness as communicators’ (Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority, 2013, p. 23-24)

 

Activity Ideas

Ideas to incorporate rhyming into an early years learning environment might be the use of matching cards. Matching cards can be utilised in a student-driven small group play task. The object of the game is for the students to find a set (two) of matching rhyming cards. In the past this kind of activity has worked very well with minimal teacher supervision provided the students are familiar with the picture or words on the card. Illustrated below are some rhyming cards I made recently for a classroom activity supporting foundational rhyming skills. The cards utilised bright colours and relevant pictures which aimed to engage the students further.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another great rhyming game/activity I have used in the past is a rhyming board game (see below). The board game requires a little more teacher supervision and direction but the added component of winning the game has proven to boost student enthusiasm. Incorporated in this board game are the three stages of rhyming, which is dependent on which tile you land on. The game allows you to quickly test students’ understanding of rhyme across different difficulty levels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another great idea to incorporate rhyming into a classroom might be through the use puppets which are relatable to a known class rhyming song or rhyming book. If children have memorised a particular rhyming song or book, then we can encourage speech and rhyming through the use of puppets and social interactions. This might work well as a provocation which includes the rhyming book as well as relevant puppets. A similiar example and idea can be seen below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children's Book Recommendations

 

 

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish - Written & Illustrated by Dr. Seuss

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish celebrates how much fun imagination can be.

From the can-opening Zans to the boxing Gox to the winking Yink who drinks pink

ink, the silly rhymes and colorful cast of characters create an entertaining approach

to reading that will have every child giggling from morning to night.

 

 

 

More Information

For more information on rhyming please have a look at some of these informative YouTube videos below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2013) Guide to the national quality standard. Retrieved 13/10/2014 from http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/NQF03-Guide-to-NQS-130902.pdf

 

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014). Australian curriculum. Retrieved 13/10/2014 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

 

Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace. (2009). The early years learning framework for Australia: Belonging, being and becoming. Retrieved 13/10/2014 from http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf

 

Department of Education and Children's Services. (2011). Research into practice: Phonological awareness. Retrieved 13/10/2014 from http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/literacy/files/links/UtRP_1_2_v2.pdfFellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2012) Language, literacy and early childhood education. Victoria, Australia: Oxford University Press

 

The Wina News. (2012). kindergarden-teacher-reading-to-kids. [Image]. Retrieved 13/10/2014 from http://www.thewinanews.com/early-childhood-educators-jobs/

 

United Way. (2014). 2013-03-18%20UWW%20woman%20reading%20to%20children. [Image]. Retrieved 13/10/2014 from http://www.unitedwaytoledo.org/blog/one-simple-way-impact-early-childhood-health

 

Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M.. (2012). Literacy: Reading, writing and children's literature (4th Ed.). Victoria, Australia: Oxford University Press