purposeful play

Clothespin Rhyming Words

Knowing how to rhyme is an important literacy skill for kids to develop.

Learning to recognize and create rhymes helps children build a solid literacy foundation and gets them on the road to becoming a successful reader.

This Clothespin Rhyming Words Game is a simple, hands-on way for kids to strengthen their rhyming skills!

This easy rhyming game for kids teaches word families and allows for children to have fun with word play.

Children gain reading confidence when they are allowed and encouraged to play with letters, words and sounds!

Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of rhyming as well as the step by step directions to creating this fun rhyming game!

Improves phonemic awareness-the knowledge that words are made up of phonemes (the smallest unit of sounds).
Teaches children that when one of those sounds is changed a new word is created.
Introduces the rhythm of language.
Helps early readers anticipate the next word which leads to predictions when reading-an important reading skill.
Teaches word families.
Makes word play fun.
Encourages experimenting with words and sounds.
Strengthens beginning and end sound recognition.

Write the first letter of the rhyming words on clothespins.
Write the uppercase letter on one side and the lowercase letter on the other side.

Set out the clothespins and craft sticks for your child
Explain to your child that they get to make rhyming words by clipping on different letters to the craft stick
Help your child sound out the end of the word written on the craft stick.

Have your child change the letter clip.
Sound out the new word.
Continue until your child has used all the clips.
Be sure to have your child try both sides of the clip to reinforce uppercase and lowercase letter recognition