Exploring Rhymes Today

Overview

This 45-minute session introduces Reception children (ages 4-5) to the concept of rhyme through the poem People Need People. It fosters early phonemic awareness by engaging children in listening, identifying rhyming pairs, and creative exploration, aligning closely with the National Curriculum for England’s Early Years Foundation Stage and early literacy development goals.

---

National Curriculum Links

EYFS - Communication and Language - Listening, Attention and Understanding

• Children at the expected level of development will listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions.

EYFS - Literacy -

• Children will have opportunities to hear and say sounds in words in a range of contexts (including rhymes).
• Use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately.
• Develop story and vocabulary comprehension.

Development Matters (2021) Statements:

• Sing familiar songs and rhymes.
• Recognise words with the same initial sound, linking sounds to letters.
• Hear and say the initial sound in words.
• Develop vocabulary and use longer sentences when appropriate.

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

• Understand what rhyming words are and why they sound alike.
• Listen carefully to a poem and identify rhyming pairs.
• Show phonemic awareness by recognising rhymes in spoken language.
• Engage creatively by inventing simple rhyming words in a scaffolded activity.

---

Resources

• A large print copy of the poem People Need People
• Visual rhyming word cards (e.g., cat/hat, sun/fun)
• Colourful picture cards linked to rhymes
• Whiteboard and markers
• Soft toy or puppet (for interactive questioning)
• Rhyme matching worksheet (optional extension)
• Audio recording of the poem (optional)

---

Lesson Structure

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Activity: Rhyming Name Game

• Sit children in a circle. Using a soft toy, pass it around. Each child says their name and a rhyming word (e.g., “I’m Sam and I like jam”).
• Model examples first with the toy to build confidence.
• Purpose: To activate prior knowledge and introduce rhyme playfully.

2. Introduction to Rhymes (10 minutes)

Activity: What is a Rhyme?

• Show visual rhyming word cards in pairs (e.g., cat/hat).
• Say each word aloud emphasising the rhyming sounds.
• Explain simply: “Rhymes are words that sound the same at the end.”
• Engage children by asking them to clap when they hear two words that rhyme.

Curriculum Alignment: Listening and attention; phonological awareness.

3. Main Activity: Exploring the Poem (15 minutes)

Activity: Listening and Rhyming Words Hunt

• Read People Need People aloud expressively. Consider playing an audio recording beforehand.
• After the first reading, display the poem on a large poster.
• Re-read stanza by stanza, inviting children to listen out for words that sound the same at the end.
• Use a puppet or soft toy to ask questions like: “Can you hear which words are friends because they rhyme?”
• Write the rhyming word pairs on the whiteboard with child-friendly lettering.
• Use picture cards to match to rhyming words for visual reinforcement.

4. Creative Rhyme Play (10 minutes)

Activity: Invent Your Own Rhymes

• Provide simple picture cards (e.g., “bat” or “dog”).
• As a group, think of words that rhyme with the card word (e.g., bat/hat, dog/log).
• Invite volunteers to share their rhymes aloud.
• For most confident learners, prompt them to suggest nonsense rhymes to encourage creativity (e.g., bat/zat).
• Celebrate all contributions to build confidence.

---

Assessment and Review (5 minutes)

• Together, sing a rhyming song or chant known to the class (e.g., Twinkle Twinkle Little Star focused on rhyme).
• Recap: “What is a rhyme? Can you find a rhyme in this room?” (Encourage children to whisper pairs of rhyming words).
• Observe children’s participation and verbal contributions to assess recognition of rhymes.
• Note children who may need more support with rhyming sounds for future phonemic awareness sessions.

---

Differentiation

• Support: Use visual and tactile aids (rhyming cards, pictures) and adult modelling to scaffold understanding.
• Extension: Challenge confident children to clap or stomp the rhyming words as they identify them or invent longer rhyming sequences.

---

Reflection and Next Steps

• Review what went well and which children engaged with rhyme identification.
• Plan to incorporate rhyme matching games and opportunities for children to compose simple rhyming couplets in the following lessons.
• Monitor children's development in phonological awareness as a foundation for reading and writing.

---

Additional Tips for 'Wow' Factor

• Incorporate a puppet character “Rhyme Rhino” who “collects rhyming words” to increase engagement.
• Use sound effects (e.g., a drum roll before rhyming pairs) to build excitement.
• Record the children creating their own rhymes on a voice recorder to playback and celebrate their creativity in later lessons.

---

This lesson expertly blends listening, speaking, and phonemic awareness, creating a lively and multi-sensory introduction to rhyme that adheres tightly to Early Years curriculum goals.