Exploring Rhymes

Overview

Year Group: Reception (ages 4-5)
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Unit: Rhyme and Create Poetry (Lesson 1 of 4)
Lesson Title: Exploring Rhymes in Poetry

National Curriculum Links

English - Communication and Language (Listening and Attention, Understanding, Speaking)

Listening and attention: Children listen attentively in a range of situations.
Understanding: Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
Speaking: Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs.

Literacy (Reading - Word Reading and Comprehension)

Phonics and word reading:
- ELG: Word Reading - Children say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs.
- They read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending.
Comprehension:
- ELG: Comprehension - Children demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives.

Communication and Language - Developing Phonological Awareness (specifically rhyme and alliteration):

Children recognise and join in with predictable phrases and rhymes.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, children will be able to:

Identify rhyming words in a poem (RL).
Describe what rhymes are and demonstrate how they sound (Phonological awareness).
Join in with the poem ‘People Need People’ by reciting rhyming lines.
Show enjoyment and engagement in listening to poetry, developing their communication and listening skills.

Resources

Large printed copy of the poem ‘People Need People’ (big book style).
Rhyme matching cards (pairs of rhyming words and pictures).
Audio recording of the poem (optional to support diverse learners).
Whiteboard & colourful markers for writing examples.
Small individual mini-whiteboards and markers for students.
Teddy bear or soft toy (as a “poetry puppet” to encourage participation).
Rhyme Sound Bingo cards (simple – with pairs of rhyming words).

Lesson Structure

1. Engage and Tune in Activity (5 minutes)

Gather students on the carpet with the "poetry puppet" teddy bear.
Introduce the puppet who “loves rhymes” and asks the children if they know what a rhyme is. Take brief responses.
Say some simple rhymes aloud (e.g., cat/hat, dog/log, sun/fun) and encourage children to repeat them to reinforce the concept of rhyme sounds.

Rationale: Builds listening skills (NC: Communication and Language) and primes phonological awareness.

2. Listen and Explore Poem (10 minutes)

Show the large print poem ‘People Need People’. Teacher reads it expressively first.
Play the audio recording (if used) so children hear the poem twice.
Invite children to listen carefully for words that sound the same at the end — explain these are called rhymes.

Differentiation: Use gestures and visual emphasis to highlight rhyming words.

3. Identify Rhyming Words Activity (10 minutes)

Split class into pairs or small groups (3-4 children). Provide rhyme matching cards.
Groups work together to find and match pairs of rhyming words with pictures (e.g., ‘rain/train’, ‘cat/hat’, ‘people/steeple’).
Teacher circulates, supporting and encouraging children to say the rhymes aloud.
Regroup for class share out: invite pairs to say their matched word pairs enthusiastically and describe why they think the words rhyme.

Assessment: Formative - teacher uses questioning and listens to children’s verbal explanations to confirm understanding.

4. Create and Perform Rhymes Together (15 minutes)

On the whiteboard, write a simple rhyming couplet starter from the poem and ask the class to think of a word that rhymes with it. For example:

“People need people, yes it is true,
We help each other and _______ do too!”
Record children’s suggested rhymes, testing the rhyming sound by repetition.
Encourage children to come up with their own short rhymes in pairs or as a class (e.g., “cat/hat”, “sun/fun”).
Invite children to perform their rhymes aloud using the poetry puppet, with opportunities for all children to participate.

Engagement: Makes phonemic awareness practical and fun.

5. Plenary and Reflect (5 minutes)

Sit back on the carpet. Recap: What is a rhyme? Can you give an example?
Ask children to say one pair of rhyming words they learned today, sharing with their neighbour first.
Praise effort and enthusiasm. Explain that next lesson they will write and draw their own rhymes.

Assessment

Observational: Teacher notes children’s ability to identify rhyming words during activities and their oral explanations of rhyme.
Participation: Engagement in reading aloud, matching cards, and contributing to class rhyme creation.
Formative: Use questioning and mini-whiteboards for children to write or draw rhyming pairs as a quick check.

Additional Notes for Teachers

Use positive reinforcement especially when children experiment with sounds.
Be mindful of children with speech and language difficulties; provide extra modelling or one-to-one support if needed.
Incorporate movement if possible (e.g., children jump or clap when they hear rhymes) to blend kinesthetic learning.

This lesson plan will boost early literacy skills aligned closely with the Early Learning Goals for Reception and supports the National Curriculum’s focus on phonics, comprehension, and oral language development.

Teaching Instructions