These rhyming cards are perfect for introducing the concept of rhyming to your little one!

Take out one of the large cards and say the name of the picture out loud. Next, go through the small accompanying pictures one by one, laying each one down, saying the name of that picture, and asking your child if the word rhymes with the big picture. If they do, he can place the rhyming small card on the big picture card. If not, it can go into a discard pile.

If this is tricky, say the name of the big picture before each small picture. For example, you could say, “Cat – hat, do those rhyme?” or “Cat – log, do those rhyme?”

If this is still too tricky, play with just the rhyming words at first until your child understands how rhyming works.

You can read more about how I like to introduce rhyming right here: https://www.howweelearn.com/what-is-phonological-awareness-from-rhyming-to-reading/

These cards are also wonderful for playing some rhyming games! You could try:

Rhyming Match Me

Flip over all the small cards and play a game of Rhyming Match Me. Turn over two cards at a time and say each word—if they rhyme, you get to keep the cards! If they don’t rhyme, flip them back over, and it’s the next person’s turn.

Rhyming Bingo

Depending on how many people are playing, you may want to print off a few copies of the rhyming cards for this game. Paste eight little cards on a sheet of paper in a 9×9 grid, with a “free space” in the center. Now draw one card at a time, say it out loud, and if you have a rhyming card on your bingo page, put a marker on it. The first person to get three in a row wins!

I Spy with My Rhyming Eye

Lay some of the little cards on a table and say, “I spy with my rhyming eye something that rhymes with… mox!” And your child would find the fox or box, for example. Nonsense words are perfectly fine at this stage, as they often make the game a bit easier for little ones.

You can get your copy of the rhyming cards right here:

From Rhyming to Reading

Now, I mentioned that these cards are ideal for anyone starting their learning-to-read journey. That’s because before a child can learn how to read, they need a solid foundation in seven phonological awareness skills—and rhyming is the very first skill!

After this, we dive into letters, sounds, and blending. Next are special rules (such as the Magic Letter E), and finally, familiar readers where vowel combinations and sight words are taught.

Don’t you wish there was a resource that would walk you through this step-by-step? Oh wait—there is!

How Wee Read is your complete learn-to-read resource. It is breathtakingly beautiful, incredibly simple, and amazingly effective. In fact, it is my #1 resource!

How Wee Read is the perfect addition to any of my other resources. While all of my curricula teach developmentally appropriate literacy skills, How Wee Read teaches each and every skill, from step 1 through to step 60.

How Wee Read is for you if:

• Your child is 3 or older
• Or you have an older child who is struggling to learn to read
• You want a simple blueprint that takes away the confusion of teaching reading
• You want learning to read to be beautiful and easy for your child