What is rhyming word


All About Rhyming Words For Kids, Plus Tips For Rhyming Practice

If you’re interested in some quick and fun ways to teach rhyming words for kids, you’re in the right place. And if you’re not sure how powerful rhyming can be, just think about the impact of Dr. Seuss’s books.

Why does Dr. Seuss continue to dominate children’s literature almost 30 years after his death? There are many reasons why Dr. Seuss’s books stand out from his peers’.

Besides the fact that they are incredibly fun to read, have great rhythm, and teach us all a thing or two about some of life’s lessons, his books are also easy to remember thanks to his use of rhyming.

Although rhymes seem like fun and games, they actually play an important role in language development.

In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about how to help your child develop this essential language skill.

Let’s start by defining what rhyming words are.

What Are Rhyming Words?

Rhyming words are words with the same ending sound. For example, “at” and “bat” are rhyming words. But so are “through” and “blue,” even though they end with different spelling patterns.

When working with rhyming words, it’s the sounds that count, not the letters. Take “approve” and “above,” for example. Both end in the letters /o/, /v/, and /e/. However, those three letters aren’t pronounced the same way in both words, so the words don’t rhyme.

Why Does Your Child Need To Learn How To Rhyme?

Before we explore the different ways to teach rhyming words for kids, it’s important to know why you may want to put in all this effort. Why should your child bother learning this skill?

Rhyming benefits children in plenty of ways. Let’s take a look at some right now.

1) Better Information Retention

One of the benefits of rhymes is that they help children (and adults) retain information more quickly and easily.

Children enjoy the feeling of reading deeply familiar stories, and doing so can even allow young readers to memorize parts of a book (or a whole book!).

Since these books are full of rhyming words, they’re easier to remember. That’s because rhymes stick in your child’s brain more quickly than other types of spoken language.

As your child hears the words, their mind breaks them down into sounds and makes connections between them. This connection between the words makes them easier to recall in the future.

Because of the impact of rhyme, many adults can still recite poems or songs they learned way back in elementary school.

2) Reading And Writing Benefits

If your child learns how to spell the word “fun,” it’s much easier for them to spell “run” correctly. Rhyming helps them pick up on patterns and word families, which can benefit them as they learn to read and write.

Finding patterns in words can unlock the world of reading for your child. They’ll discover success reading children’s books written in rhyme, which can be a huge confidence booster!

And, as they continue reading, they’ll be able to take what they’ve learned and apply it to non-rhyming words.

3) Phonological Awareness Development

Phonological awareness helps children identify and isolate sounds in words.

For instance, a child with phonological awareness will understand that the “all” sound in “ball” is the same “all” sound in mall, tall, hall, wall, etc.

Rhyming is one of the activities that can help develop this skill.

4) Listening Skills

Kids hear rhymes before they can read them. So, when you play with rhymes together, you help your child learn to listen to the different sounds in a word.

Listening is an essential skill that kids need to practice. As you work with your child on rhyming, they’ll be learning to use their ears to collect all of the information they need.

5) A Fun Way To Play With Language

Learning shouldn’t be boring, especially if you want to capture and hold your child’s attention. So, how do you bring some fun into it?

Rhyming words for kids can be an exciting way to do just that! When rhyming, your child is likely to engage more and, in the process, continue wanting to learn about language.

6) Cultural Literacy

Classic nursery rhymes and classic rhyming songs are a part of our culture.

The more your child is exposed to them, the more comfortable they’ll be when they come across other literature in the future with references to familiar rhymes like “Hickory Dickory Dock” or “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

The Three Stages Of Rhyming

Like most language development skills, rhyming takes time to develop. While you’re on this journey, your child will go through the following stages.

1) Hearing Rhymes

Naturally, the first stage of rhyming is repeatedly hearing rhymes. Your child can’t learn this skill if they aren’t exposed to rhymes.

This exposure can be through songs, nursery rhymes, and children’s books. It’s important to point out any rhyming words to your child as you come across them at this stage.

For very young children, chanting rhyming words while clapping or swinging their arms or bouncing rhythmically (blue/shoe…blue/shoe…blue/shoe) can activate rhyming and be fun to do.

2) Recognizing Rhymes

The more your child is exposed to rhyming words for kids through the songs or the books you read to them, the easier it will be for them to begin recognizing rhymes.

When your child starts pointing out which words rhyme in a song or book, they have reached the stage of rhyme recognition. During this phase, continue singing songs, sharing nursery rhymes, and reading rhyming books.

Once your child indicates that they’ve found a rhyming word, stop reading and let them show you. If they’re right, encourage them by saying, “Yes, those words end in the same sound; they rhyme.” Praise them for listening carefully and finding words that end in the same sound.

If your child makes a mistake, that’s OK! Gently correct them by saying, “I’ll repeat those two words. Listen carefully.” Then, say the two words aloud clearly. Finally, explain why the words don’t rhyme.



3) Creating Rhymes

So, you’ve been singing and reading to your child. You’ve helped expose them to different rhymes, and they have also started to recognize them.

The next stage is your child creating their own rhymes!

Children love making up nonsense rhyming words (like pickle/smickle), and you might get to see your child’s creativity as they try to use their knowledge and understanding of rhymes to produce their own.

Don’t be surprised if they ask you questions like, “Do you know what rhymes with talk? Walk!” During this phase, your child might also show interest in writing their own books with rhyming words on the pages. Encourage them to let the creative juices flow!

The more your child practices, the better they’ll become at making their own rhymes using rhyming words.

Why Might A Child Have Trouble With Rhyming?

Some kids pick up rhyming quickly and easily. Others require a lot more repetition before they can recognize or create rhymes.

If your child is having some trouble, here are four common culprits.

1) They Haven’t Yet Developed Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is an umbrella term that includes the development of segmentation, rhyming, and blending syllables.

As we mentioned, some kids pick this important skill up easily, while others may need a little more practice to get the hang of it.

If you suspect that your child isn’t ready to rhyme, that’s OK! Slow down a bit, and read plenty of rhyming books together. Talk about the words and point out the sounds the letters make in them.

Using the HOMER Explore Letters Kit is another great way to practice. Build a word with the magnetic letters. Then, create another word that rhymes by swapping out the first letter. Encourage your child to make another word that rhymes with the first two.

As you help them gain confidence with the alphabet and the sounds letters make, you’ll equip your child with the skills they need to rhyme.

2) They Might Be Confused About Which Words Need To Rhyme

In some books, the words that rhyme are at the end of consecutive lines. But sometimes, alternating lines rhyme. And other times, the rhymes are at the beginning of a sentence, not the end.

All of this inconsistency in rhyming patterns can be confusing to a child who is trying to learn this skill.

To practice, work together to find rhyming words and see where they are. This can teach your child to look for patterns in words, which can help them become a better reader.

3) They Might Have Trouble Focusing

For any child to learn rhyming words, they need to be able to focus on the activity so they can pick up on the different sounds and rhythmic patterns.

If your child quickly loses interest in the activity you’re doing together, they might not hear you when you highlight that “look” rhymes with “book.”

To help, make sure you’re working on age-appropriate skills. If your child is a young toddler, they might not be developmentally ready for rhyming. Wait a little longer, and then try again.

If your child is ready to rhyme and just loses focus, try a different type of activity. For example, play a rhyming game or read a book they enjoy. Again, doing something that interests them can help hold their attention.

4) They Confuse Which Part Of The Words Are Supposed To Rhyme

Some kids may get mixed up because they think words that start with the same letter rhyme.

If your child says that moon and milk rhyme, they’re on the right path. They understand that part of the two words needs to match; they’re just confused about which part.

To help your child overcome this, start emphasizing the ends of the words when you point out rhyming words for kids. Instead of saying, “Pig and wig rhyme,” say, “p/IG and w/IG rhyme.”

This pulls the focus to the end of the word. It may take time, but keep practicing, and you’ll help your child master this skill!

Helping Your Child Develop Their Rhyming Skills

The above are some of the common reasons why your child may not have mastered rhyming just yet. But now that you understand the importance of rhyming, how can you help them acquire this skill?

These eight fun rhyming activities can help reinforce the concept for your child.

1) Recite Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes are not just for babies! They can actually play an essential role in young children’s language development. That’s because they help kids hear the different syllables and sounds in language.

A fun activity to enhance learning during nursery rhymes is to play fill in the blank. Simply recite a nursery rhyme out loud and leave your child to fill in the last word.

For example, “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great…”

The proper ending is the word “fall.” If your child doesn’t get it at first, that’s OK. Repeat the sentence, adding the word they suggested to the end. Then, ask your child, “Does that sound right?”

If not, say it the correct way and point out that “wall” and “fall” rhyme.

It can also be fun for the adult to say what comes next and supply a completely wrong word. Your child will get a kick out of the silly answers you come up with!

2) Sing Songs That Rhyme

Many popular and age-appropriate songs also rhyme. So, why not point out the rhymes when watching TV or listening to music?

As we’ve mentioned, the more children are exposed to rhymes in different forms, the easier it will be for them to fully grasp the concept of rhyming. Noticing rhymes in your day-to-day activities is a great way to accomplish that!

There are so many fun, silly songs that rhyme. Here are a few of our favorites:

  • Down By the Bay
  • I Had a Little Turtle
  • 5 Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree
  • On Top of Spaghetti
  • If All of the Raindrops
  • Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Pick one song at a time to work on, and sing it often — during car rides, while setting the table, or in the bath. This way, your child becomes familiar with the words and the tune.

Once they know the lyrics, pause where a rhyming word goes and ask them to say what comes next. Let them say it, and then keep singing.

When you have one song down, pick another to learn. Each time you sing a rhyming song, you’re helping your child master the skill of rhyming.

3) Read Poetry

Poems are a wonderful way to engage in rhyming words for kids. This is also an opportunity to expose your child to different and diverse literature.

For instance, Lucille Clifton, Nikki Grimes, and Nikki Giovanni are some poets who’ve written incredible poetry for kids.

There are also many children’s books written partially or totally in rhyme, such as the “Llama Llama” books. The idea here is to continue exposing your child to different forms of rhymes.

For a bit of fun, consider hosting a family poetry night. Let everyone pick a favorite poem to share. Then, spend a few weeks memorizing the words. On poetry night, take turns reciting your poems and listening to each other.

Alternatively, you can use this night to read several poems from different poets. That way, your child can hear a variety of poems and listen to the different ways each poet uses the English language.

You may even want to incorporate poetry into your bedtime reading routine, too!

4) Play Rhyming Word Games

There are plenty of ways to help your child learn to rhyme while still having fun!

For instance, you can use the letters in the HOMER Explore Letters Kit to spell out a word ending in -at. Put the letters “at” on the board.

Your child now needs to place letters at the beginning to create words that rhyme (cat, hat, bat, mat, etc.). See how many they can come up with for a prize!

You can also play rhyming games when you’re out and about. Pick a word and say it aloud. Ask your child if they can think of a word that rhymes with it. Then, add your own word that rhymes.

Continue playing, alternating who speaks, until no one can think of another rhyming word. Have your child pick a new word and begin again!

5) Rhyme With Pictures

Images can help summarize chunks of information into smaller and easier to process content. You can take advantage of this by using picture books.

Pictures of a hat, cat, or mat may not expose learners to how these words are written, but it allows them to start learning the basic concept that rhyming words sound similar.

You can also create custom picture cards with a pack of index cards. Draw a simple, easily recognizable object on each card. Here are some words to use for your pictures:

  • Moon
  • Spoon
  • Bear
  • Chair
  • Cat
  • Hat
  • Ring
  • Swing
  • Dog
  • Log

Once you have your cards made, you can use them in various ways. For example, you might spread them out upside down and play Memory with your child. Take turns flipping two cards at a time. Say the two words aloud. If they rhyme, keep them. If not, flip them back over.

You can also hide one word from each matching pair around the room. Hand your child one of the other ones and say, “Can you find a card with a picture of something that rhymes with ‘ring?’” Then let them search around the room to find the right card.

6) Act It Out

Instead of just reading or singing a rhyme, acting it out can help a child not only remember the rhymes but also have fun in the process!

Whether you’re acting it out, singing, reading, or using picture books, the more you expose your child to rhymes, the quicker they’ll grasp the concept.

7) Rhyme Nonsense Words

Nonsense words are words that aren’t actual words. For example, the word “thirp” is a nonsense word.

Teachers often use nonsense words to help students learn specific skills, including the developing the power of the hour: rhyming.

Say a nonsense word and ask your child to think of a real word that rhymes. Here are a few words you can try:

  • Vlat
  • Trun
  • Splew
  • Ploon

To make it even more fun, pretend to be a robot or an alien. Then, ask your child to help you translate your language into English by coming up with a rhyming word.

8) Make A Rhyming Basket

Look around your house for items that rhyme, and put them in a large basket or box for your child to use. They can sort objects, create a story with the rhyming words, draw them, or use their imagination to interact with the rhyming words in a new way.

Here are a few ideas of common objects that rhyme:

  • Sock, block
  • Pan, can
  • Jar, car (a toy one, of course!)

Have your child brainstorm more items that rhyme to put in the basket. Since these things will get played with, make sure the items are kid-friendly and safe.

Books With Rhyming Words For Kids

We’ve already mentioned a few authors who have created some incredible children’s books that rhyme. Here are a few other popular options that your little one can also enjoy:

  • There’s A Wocket In My Pocket!
  • Here’s A Little Poem
  • Llama Llama Red Pajama
  • Madeline
  • Rhyme Crime
  • Baby Boo, I Love You
  • I See The Moon: Rhymes For Bedtime
  • Giggly Wiggly: Playtime Rhymes

It’s Time To Rhyme With Rhyming Words For Kids!

Rhyming words for kids are a fun and creative way to lay a solid foundation for literacy.

So, remember to continue reading children’s literature and singing all the fun nursery rhymes you can think of. As your child gets more comfortable with the rules, don’t be surprised when they start creating their own unique rhymes!

To help your young learner develop other important skills, you can also check out Homer’s Learn & Grow App, which helps kids develop their reading, creativity, thinking skills, and so much more.

Author

rhyming

rhyming
Exploring Rhyming Words
What is a rhyming word and why do we use them? This section will answer these questions, and you will have an opportunity to select some words that rhyme with another! Be sure to read each section before going on.

What are rhyming words?


Rhyming words always come in (at least) pairs of two, but sometimes more than two words will be used that rhyme. Words that rhyme (or rhyming words) share the same sound(s) at the end of the word. As in "bake" and "cake". However, rhyming words do not have to be spelled the same, like "great" and "plate." Sometimes authors or poets use slant rhymes, that is, words that almost rhyme like "mouth" and "out."
Click on the play buttons below to listen to these examples of rhyming words:

1. "bake" and "cake"

2. "great" and "plate"

3. "mouth" and "out"

When do we use rhyming words?


Sometimes we use rhyming words because it can be fun to play with language. Other times, the type of writing we are doing requires us to use rhyming words. For example, many different poems and songs use rhyming words. Although it can be challenging to think of words that rhyme, most words do rhyme with another word.  

When rhyming words are used in a poem or song, one rhyming word will come at the end of the first line, and a second word that rhymes with it will come at the end of the second line.
For example: "I have the measles and the mumps,
                 A gash, a rash and purple bumps."
 In this example, "mumps" and "bumps" rhyme.

 

 

Complete the rhymes below by clicking the button next to the correct choice. 
1. hay rhymes with    bay       have      game

2. love   rhymes with   stay     look      glove  

3. fall   rhymes with   chair   fake    stall

4. tree  rhymes with  can     be        tarp

5. tent  rhymes with   clam    scent   turnip

Return to the Table of Contents Read Rhyming Words in Action

Game rhymes

Sergeeva T.V.

Chain rhyme
GOALS

  • Teach children to answer with a word consonant with the one named.
  • Learn to feel the rhythm, rhyme.

Teacher
Guys, let's play soon.
We will choose different words!
Say any words, okay?
But only such that it turns out ...
(smoothly).
What words similar in sound can be found for the word bird?
Children. Titmouse, small, singer.
Teacher. Speaking of bunny?
Children. Know-it-all, dunno, runaway, jumper, runaway.
Teacher. Speaking of cat?
Children. Spoon, bowl, basket, accordion, midge, potato, window, leg, earring, matryoshka.
Teacher. Speaking of mouse?
Children. A bump, a puff, a puff.
Teacher. Speaking of cancer?
Children. Poppy, tank, varnish, like.
Variant
The teacher throws the ball and pronounces a word, the one who catches the ball answers with a word consonant with the name. nine0009 Stove - sheep, river.
Birdie - titmouse.
Magpie - white-sided.
Bunny - runaway.
Find a pair
GOALS

  • To teach children to match words that are similar and different in sound-rhythmic structure.
  • Develop visual memory.

Teacher. Connect the words of the two columns so that you get a rhyme.
Edge Grass
Firewood Scallop
Herringbone Hut
Cockerel Needle
White-sided Fox
Bunny Cornflower
Magpie Sister
Titmouse Flower
Cowardly Bird
Variant
Picture words can be suggested. Children find a picture that is similar in sound-rhythmic structure.
Game with pictures
OBJECTIVES

  • Teach children to choose a rhyme for the word - the name of the picture.
  • Develop language flair.

First you need to prepare cards with pictures from which you can make rhyming words, for example, a picture of a pipe, another picture of a sponge. All pictures are located on a large table or on a carpet on the floor. Children distribute them in rhymes. For example, near the picture of a river there is a picture of a stove, a donkey is a goat, a cat is a spoon, a watering can is a snake, etc. nine0009 Options
1. One child takes a picture, the other finds a picture with a rhyming word. Both say their words out loud. The group repeats.
2. Place pictures face down. Open one picture and say the corresponding word out loud. Whoever can name the rhyming word gets a picture and can open the next one.
3. One picture is opened. All children draw an object called a rhyming word. Here the solution is represented by a figure.
Say a word
OBJECTIVES

  • Teach children to write their own rhyming lines.

Teacher. You already know how to pick up rhyming words. Today we will try to make suggestions.
Where were you, squirrel, walking?
Children
I collected nuts.
Teacher
The squirrel jumped fast,
Children
Lost all the nuts.
Teacher
Whom did you find, hedgehog?
Children
I brought a squirrel to you.
Teacher
Yesterday we played in the forest,
Children
We saw a huge mushroom. nine0009 Teacher
A fungus stood aside,
Children
The hedgehog couldn't find it.
Teacher
Like a little hedgehog
Children
Shoes have become torn.
Teacher
And our squirrel
Children
Clean plates.
We are poets
OBJECTIVES

  • To teach children to compose quatrains that contain a whole story.

Teacher
The teacher says to Paraska:
“What fairy tales have you read?”
Paraska thinks, "Oh,
I haven't read any!" nine0009 And behind someone whispers:
"Turnip!"
Paraska yelled: "Cap!"
Today we will also come up with funny poems. What or who do you want to write about?
Children answer.
Let's talk about the cat, let's support Serezha. I will write down what you tell me, and then I will read out what we have done.
Children come up with unexpected situations with a cat by rhyming words.
Children. The cat sat on the window. The cat saw a midge. The cat took a basket and went for potatoes. The cat sat on the window and dangled its legs. The cat put all the spoons in a basket. nine0009 Council. The most important thing is not to leave the words of children without attention. And for each word come up with a rhyme.
Stories to rhyme
OBJECTIVES
• Teach children to write simple rhymes.
• Learn to distinguish between the sound and semantic sides of speech.
Teacher. Do you already know what rhyme is in poetry?
For example, the rhyme for the word flower can be a leaf, and for the word porridge - curdled milk. Bear cub Misha wants to teach you how to do it. They drew funny pictures with Druzhok and came up with inscriptions in verse for them. And the last word in the second line of each rhyme was not completed. Find the right rhyme yourself. It's not difficult at all. nine0009 A friend is behind the fence and looks timidly,
How cleverly a friend is wielding ... (with chalk).
Druzhka is disturbed by one thought
Will they see ... (elephant).
When Mishka gets tired of playing
Let him stand at the gate ...
(mouse).
All morning they searched and searched until
Found a new bowl...
(Druzhka).
Help Dunno compose poetry
OBJECTIVES
• To teach children to distinguish between sound and semantic aspects of speech.
The teacher brings N. Nosov's book "Adventure Dunno".
Teacher. Guys, did you recognize this book? Today I will tell you how Dunno wrote poetry. nine0009 ... After Dunno did not turn into an artist, he decided to become a poet and compose poetry ... Dunno came to the poet Tsvetik and said:
- Listen, Tsvetik, teach me to compose poetry. I also want to be a poet.
- Do you know what a rhyme is?
- Rhyme? No, I do not know.
- Rhyme is when two words end in the same way, - explained Tsvetik. - For example: a duck is a joke, a shortbread is a walrus. Understood?
- Understood.
- Well, say a rhyme for the word "stick".
- Herring, - Dunno answered. nine0009 Guys, help Dunno.
Game in progress.
All day long Dunno wrote poetry and finally came up with:
Znayka went for a walk to the river,
Jumped over the sheep.
Hurry was hungry -
Swallowed a cold iron.
Under Avoska's pillow
There is a sweet cheesecake.
Find rhymes
OBJECTIVES

  • Teach children to identify rhyming words from a text by comparing them.

Teacher. Today I will read B. Shergin's story "Rhymes" to you, and your task is to hear rhyming words. Do you agree? nine0009 Shish went to the city on his business. It was summer, it was hot.
An uncle rides a horse ahead. Shish and asked him to give a lift. He sat down next to his uncle. But Shish cannot sit silently. He is only silent when he sleeps. He says:
- Uncle, let's play rhymes.
- What is it - rhymes?
- And let's say it so that it was smooth.
- Come on.
- Here, uncle, what was your father's name?
- My dad's name was Kuzma.
Shish says:
I'll take your Kuzma
by the beard! nine0009 - Why are you going to take my dad by the beard?
Shish says:
- This, uncle, is for rhyme. Tell me what your grandfather's name was.
- My grandfather's name was Ivan.
Shish says:
Your grandfather Ivan
Put the cat in his pocket.
The cat is crying and sobbing,
Your grandfather is scolding.
The uncle got excited:
- Why would my grandfather put a cat in his pocket? Why are you picking up such rubbish?
- This is an uncle, for rhyme.
- I'll tell you a rhyme, what's your name? nine0009 - My name is… Fedya.
Uncle says:
If you are Fedya,
Then catch a bear in the forest.
Ride a bear,
Get off my horse!
- Uncle, I was joking. My name is not Fedya, but Stepan.
Uncle says:
If you are Stepan,
Get on the eroplane,
On the eroplane and fly,
Get off my horse!
- Uncle, I was joking. My name is not Stepan, but… Silantiy.
Uncle says:
If you're Silantius,
Then get off my horse.
- What are you, uncle, there is no such word - “tears”. nine0009 - Although not, get off anyway!
Shisha had to get off the cart. It serves him right. If a kind person carries you on a horse, you sit silently, and do not invent all sorts of trifles.
Children find rhyming words in the text and name them.

Let's play with words, or what is hidden behind “eniki-beniki…”

nine0228 Let's play with words, or what is hidden behind “eniki-beniks…”

Amosova NV

Have you ever thought about the fact that native speech becomes the main school discipline literally from the first days of schooling? But long before coming to school, every child goes through the most difficult path of getting to know the word, realizing its capabilities, its beauty. K. Chukovsky thought a lot about these magnificent possibilities of small children in his book "From Two to Five". All this is so. But why, then, growing out of their creative five years, or maybe decades, do people sometimes seem to lose this ability, this gift, invested in them by nature, and turn words only into a means of utilitarian communication? To paraphrase the famous lines of the poet Levitansky: "Where do you come from, words?" - I sometimes want to ask another question: "Where are you going, words?" Behind the bustle of everyday life, behind everyday problems, we sometimes miss something extremely important and, recalling the successful sayings, almost aphorisms of our young children, we are surprised to find that grown-up children have completely lost what they were so generously and richly endowed with in tender infancy. nine0007

Of course, this problem is complex. To educate a child's sense of the word is not only to teach him to speak competently and interestingly. This means, at the same time, to introduce him to such treasures of the great Russian speech, with which hardly anything can be compared.

Let's think about two important and interrelated concepts: children's perception of word play and the active participation of children themselves in various word games.

Playing with words, playing with concepts, playing with rhythm are often valuable in themselves, because they pursue not so much semantic goals as the task of creating such a semantic atmosphere in which a small child will be comfortable and comfortable. nine0007

What attracts the little ones the most? What do they find in children's "counting books" that are generally devoid of any meaning whatsoever and represent an unimaginable set of "gibberish"? This is a rhythm, convenient combinations of sounds that even the smallest one, who has not yet learned to speak properly, is able to reproduce.

When a child finally speaks freely, difficult, not necessarily understandable, but beautiful and sonorous words acquire a special charm for him. Chukovsky caught this with extraordinary sensitivity and joyfully went to meet the children's needs:
We live in Zanzibar,
In the Kalahari and the Sahara,
On Mount Fernanda Po,
Where Hippo Po walks,
Along the wide Limpopo.

It is characteristic that none of the young children, to whom "Aibolit" is read for the first time, is bored in front of geographical concepts unknown to him. Yes, they have not yet heard such a word - geography. However, none of them will ever ask what these incomprehensible words mean. Children instantly remember them, begin to repeat with rapture and enjoy their melodic sound. nine0007

Let's recall, for example, one of the most popular folklore works, which, probably, not a single child has passed:
Baba sowed peas -
Jump-jump, jump-jump!
The ceiling collapsed -
Jump-jump, jump-jump!
Baba walked, walked, walked,
Found a pie.
She sat down, ate,
Went again...

What is the semantic connection between the sowing of peas and the collapsed ceiling, and where did the woman go after this collapse, and what does the pie have to do with it. After all, everything in this simple rhyme is meaningless, everything is a sheer nonsense, but children adore this nonsense, they demand to repeat it endlessly and jump under it as soon as they have learned to walk. nine0007

The possibilities of mischievous verbal play are endless, and most importantly, priceless, because through such verses a child becomes familiar with the feeling of language, begins to understand the subtleties of its sound, the huge range of its application.

Sometimes, very often, children, without knowing it, begin to "create" their own word game. Here is how A.M. describes it. Malysheva in her book "Playing with Words" 1 :

"My daughter was one and a half years old when we first read poems about Pan Tralislav Trulyalinsky. She was especially delighted with the lines with all sorts of variations on the theme" tru-la-la. "With him and the aunt - Tweedledum, and the daughter - Tweedledee, and the little son - Tweedledum, and the dog - Tweedledee, etc. And the end of the poem, where this leitmotif becomes the only one, brought my little daughter simply into ecstasy: "All drivers are Tweedlers, postmen are Tweedledees, football players ... The teacher himself is a Tweedler, and the guys are Tweedledees!" Of course, she still did not know many words from this poem and could not answer who the postmen and football players were . .. But it was not important. She couldn’t really pronounce it, but she said: “Ta-la-la, Talalinsky.” And so we continued the game proposed by Julian Tuwim and his translator Boris Zakhoder. I said some arbitrary line, and she picked up:
All toys…
Talyalyushki.
Well, what about books?
Talalishki.
And Anyuta?
Talalyuta!

And so it could go on indefinitely, until my supply of suitable words was exhausted. For a long time this was our favorite activity, and she was included in it without any preparation. You could suddenly suddenly throw some phrase to her, and she immediately picked up, and always unmistakably" 1 .


And now let's play words.0009 The game can be played by two or several people at the same time. The beginner says any word, for example "Apple", the next player must come up with a word starting with the last letter of the first word, i.e. on "o" (Apple - sheep - watermelon, etc.). The one who said the last word wins.

Game 2 "Associations"
The players are divided into two teams. One team thinks of some word or rhyme and says it to the other team, but not in plain text, but in another word (s), based on their associations. For example, Anya says "grandfather", Misha, after thinking, says "woman". The answer is correct, and Anya's task is to suggest a new association, for example "beans". After that, it is quite easy to guess that the line was guessed: "The woman sowed peas ..." When the riddle is solved, the move goes to the next team. nine0007

So, we got acquainted with the magical bewitching world of words, learned to play with them. "But is this really enough to develop the talent of your child, to reveal in him the ability to compose poetry?" - many parents will ask in bewilderment. Of course not! Therefore, in the second part of the article, we will consider the simplest laws of versification and get acquainted with rhyme.

While children are very young, they are intuitively drawn to poetry, preferring it to everything else. And they feel great rhyme. Many parents have seen this through their children. Sometimes, forgetting the end of the line, the baby easily finds another word that rhymes with the end of the previous line. But in general, children remember rhymes with extraordinary ease. After all, rhyme in itself is capable of attracting, and enchanting, and even, perhaps, bewitching. Children feel the charm of consonant words and lines very early, often they themselves begin to rhyme even in infancy. It is very important to maintain this interest, because the sense of rhyme, like the sense of rhythm, is one of the steps on the way to understanding poetry, its conventionality, its special language. The discovery of rhyme was probably one of the most remarkable discoveries of mankind. nine0007

If you look closely or listen to children's works, you will notice that all the first books, the first poems in a child's life, are designed precisely for the fact that an adult does not have to read the end of a line to the end.

Sometimes the last rhyming word is joyfully shouted out by the child himself. He literally waits for rhyme, he likes that the words sound similar. And at first he rejoices not so much in the meaning as in this beautiful consonance. Daniil Kharms knew this ability of young children very well and, as if on purpose, wrote a small poem with dots instead of a rhyming word for such an exercise. The poem is called "Very, very tasty cake":

I wanted to arrange a ball,
And I invited guests to my place ... (called).

I bought flour, I bought cottage cheese,
I baked crumbly ... (pie).

Pie, knives and forks are here -
But some guests ... (do not come).

I waited until I had enough strength,
Then a piece of … (swallowed).

Then he pulled up a chair and sat down
And the whole pie in a minute ... (ate).

When the guests arrived,
Even crumbs ... (did not find).

However, for any author, parents can also successfully do this work. Below is a list of verses specifically for this exercise. By the way, you can do it with any work containing a rhyme that you read to your child. And it does not matter if the child makes a mistake and inserts the wrong word: anyway, this is already a process of creativity. nine0007

***
Three magpies - three clappers!
Lost three ... (brushes).

***
V. Stepanov

There lived a round cat in the world.
He was round round ... (year).
He ate round and drank round,
Round "Meow" ... (spoke).
Round paw round cat
Washed his round ... (mouth).

***
V. Berestov

Show yourself from the clouds, sun,
Look in soon ... (in the window).

"Hide and seek"
The sun with a cloud again
They started to hide and seek ... (play). nine0009 Only the sun will hide -
The whole cloud ... (cries).
And when there is a sun -
There is a rainbow in the sky ... (laughs).

"Cow"
Cow, cow,
Horned . .. (head)!
Do not butt small children,
Milk is better for them ... (give)!

***
So the fairy tale has ended,
We'll start it all over again
Or we'll start a new one,
But first... (we'll have a rest).


V. Stepanov
"Pine"
Squirrels and bears know,
Where the pine tree rustles in the forest:
On the branches of a pine tree ... (bumps),
Also - all of it is in needles.

Chanterelles
Under fallen leaves
Mushrooms hid together.
Very cunning sisters
These yellow ... (chanterelles).

"Fly agaric"
Although he is dressed up in appearance
And handsome, but poisonous.
Like a red traffic light
In a red hat ... (fly agaric).

"Cherry"
Fills the garden in summer
Aroma of ripe cherries.
There is no birthday
Without cherry ... (jam)!

***
Like blue spills
Blue on the branches ... (plums).

"Mole"
Why are you, mustachioed mole,
Climbed into my garden?
Why did you make holes
Where tomatoes ripen?
Here's what I'll tell you:
When I catch, . .. (I will punish).

"Potato"
A maiden grew underground,
But fresh and round-faced.
The dog Artoshka barks loudly:
"Bow-wow-wow - hello, ... (potato)".


Lagzdyn
"Ladushki"
Ladushki, patties,
Wash noodles with soap! nine0009 Clean palms,
Here's some bread for you... (spoons)!

"Playing"
Eyes?
Here.
Spout?
Here.
Where is the porridge...
(belly)?

***
I have a little brother,
His name is Alyoshka,
He doesn't know how to eat porridge
And he fights ... (with a spoon)!

Put on pillows:
Dolls - cheeks,
Bunnies - ears,
Goat - horns,
Pig - ... (legs)!

Took off the bunny slippers,
Washed the paws cleanly,
Ate a carrot,
And in bed.
There will be a bunny
Strongly ... (sleep).

I'm learning a rhyme,
I want to know a rhyme:
About a kitten and a mouse,
About a duck and about . .. (bear)!

"Washing"
I'm not going out today:
I'm washing a dress for a doll,
I'm washing a T-shirt,
At the same time and ... (bunny).

We got acquainted with rhyme, and now we will try to compose poetry.

In his book "The ABC of Poetry" M. Schwartz wrote: "Writing poetry is not difficult. The main thing is to understand how they are arranged. And when you understand how poems are arranged, you will feel their rhythm, music, hear rhyme, words your mood - you will see that writing poetry is not so difficult. nine0266 2

Here is what the author writes further in his book: “Think about how poetry differs from an ordinary story or fairy tale. That’s right, poems are collapsible, easy to remember, they can be sung to music. very fit to each other, like a choir or an orchestra. They sing along to each other, one word sings the same as the other. It turns out - consonance, rhyme.
Mandolin starts,
Voice sweet as raspberries.
Guitar sings along.
Wonderful couple!

To find a rhyme for a word, you need to listen to what it sings, what kind of echo it has, and remember another word that will respond to it. If I shout: "Canary", the echo will answer me: "-areika, -reika, -eyka." The first, most complete echo is "-areika". And the rhyme with him is the most complete, it is also called rich.
Kan-areika - bat-areika.

If you can not find a word that fits the meaning of the verse and at the same time with a rich, full rhyme, use the rhyme of the victorious. For example, rake is also a good rhyme. Only I don’t want to insert this rail into poetry, but I want the canary to drink Pepsi-Cola with me. We call another rhyme: "Hey, lei-ka, bey-ka, drink-ka ...". Here's the right rhyme! nine0009 Hey, listen, canary,
Pepsi-Cola, drink with us!" the syllable, and the syllable before it and the ending of the word, respond weaker and are pronounced quickly, so they can be changed: -zheny, -stingy, -fried.
Dear ...
Roasted pig! two or even three words.0009 We sewed a pair of sheets ourselves
And we sail!
Are your cheeks cold? One, two, three...
Rub it with a mitten!

So, we got acquainted with the small methods of writing poetry, which M. Schwartz gives us in his book. And now let's play exciting games with the children.

Game 1 "Echo" (modified version)
An adult and a child stand at different ends of the room. The child pronounces any word, for example, "mushroom". The adult plays the role of "echo" and offers the child rhyming endings. For example: "barrels - points". The child must choose any other word for them. For example: "pouch - bumps - kidneys, etc." nine0007

You can write down all the composed words and try to compose a line or a quatrain with the child, thus finding out "what the echo told about." For example:
Under a pine among stumps and bumps
A small mushroom has grown.

I will take a bag with me,
I will put a mushroom in it.

And the stem of a mushroom,
Like a small barrel, etc.

Game 2 "Burime"
Our great-grandparents also loved to play this game. All participants are given several pre-prepared rhymes. From them it is necessary to compose a poem with meaning and preferably funny. Everyone goes to a corner and writes and then reads aloud. The author of the best poem is the winner. nine0009 For example: "mosquitoes are kind, the bed is kissing."
What mosquitoes are!
Gentle and kind to people!
You lie down in bed in the evening,
So they climb to kiss.

And in conclusion, I would like to note that if your children get such experiments, if they put lines into quatrains without much difficulty, rhyme, play rhythm, then this does not mean at all that they will all become poets. But these exercises will bring up their taste, their exactingness not only in relation to themselves, but also to poetry in general, they will accustom them to an exceptional ability to express their thoughts and feelings publicly.


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