• A bowl or basket
• A collection of four to six household items

Step 1: Have your child help you find four to five items from around the house to put into a bowl. Say the name of each item as you add it to the bowl. (Example items: fork, cup, marker, candle, keys.)

Step 2: Make up a nonsense rhyming word to match an object from the bowl. For example, you might say “yandle” to rhyme with “candle.” 

Step 3: Tell your child that you are going to say the name of something in the bowl in a silly way and you want him to guess the correct object. You might say:

“Listen carefully and try to guess which object I am talking about. Find the object that rhymes with ‘yandle.’”

Step 4: Acknowledge your child for finding the object that rhymes with the silly word as you repeat the words together. 

“Yes! ‘Candle’ sounds like ‘yandle’! These words rhyme. They sound the same at the end. Say them with me: ‘candle … yandle, candle … yandle, candle … yandle.’”

Step 5: Repeat with all remaining items in the bowl. At this age, it is important to give your child lots of fun and upbeat experiences with rhyming. After many successful exposures, your child will be able to find the correct answer on her own. It’s about exposure, not mastery. After many exposures, your child will start to “get it.” 

Step 1: To make it easier, use fewer objects. Have your child help you find three to four items from around the house to put into the bowl. 

Step 2: Say the name of each item and a silly rhyming word as you place the items in the bowl. For example, you might say:

“This is a fork. ‘Fork’ rhymes with ‘mork.’ Say it with me: ‘fork … mork, fork … mork, fork … mork.’” Or “This is a marker. ‘Marker’ rhymes with ‘parker.’ Say it with me: ‘marker … parker, marker … parker, marker … parker.’”

Step 3: Once all of the items are in the bowl, tell your child that you are going to say the name of something in the bowl in a silly way, and you want him to guess the correct object. You might say:

“Listen carefully and try to guess which object I am talking about. Find the object that rhymes with ’yandle.’”

Step 4: Another way to make it easier is to provide clues to help your child. It’s not “cheating” if you give your child a clue. It’s helping your child be successful! For example, you could cue your child by shaking your head ”no” as you choose an item that does not rhyme with the nonsense word.

You might say: 

“What sounds like ’yandle’? Does ‘fork’ sound like ’yandle’? Say it with me: ‘fork … yandle, fork … yandle, fork … yandle.’ Does ‘fork’ sound like ‘yandle’? No, ‘fork’ doesn’t sound like ’yandle.’ ‘Fork’ and ‘yandle’ don’t rhyme. They don’t sound the same at the end.”

Step 5: Shake your head yes as you choose the correct item and ask:

“Does ‘candle’ sound like ‘yandle’? Say it with me: ‘candle … yandle, candle … yandle, candle … yandle.”

Step 6: Acknowledge your child for finding the object that rhymes with the silly word as you repeat the words together.

“Yes! ‘Candle’ sounds like ’yandle’! These words rhyme. They sound the same at the end. Say them with me: ‘candle … yandle, candle … yandle, candle … yandle.’”

Step 7: Repeat with all remaining items in the bowl.  

Step 1: Have your child help you to find six or more items from around the house to put into the bowl. Say the name of each item as you add it to the bowl. (Example items: fork, cup, marker, candle, keys, banana.)

Step 2: Make up a nonsense rhyming word to match an object from the bowl. (Example: “yandle” for “candle.”) You might say: 

“Listen carefully and try to guess which object I am talking about. Find the object that rhymes with ‘yandle.’” (candle)

Step 3: To add some challenge, encourage your child to say the rhyming words with you and then ask your child to think of another word that rhymes. It can be a nonsense word or a real word. You might say: 

“Candle … yandle, candle…yandle, candle…yandle. What is another word that rhymes with ‘candle’? How about ‘pandle,’ ‘fandle,’ ‘zandle,’ ‘wandle’”?

Step 4: Repeat with all remaining items in the bowl.