Activity
Rhyming Picture Pairs
Children match picture cards whose names rhyme, tuning their ear to ending sounds.
Ages 42–60 months
Supports this milestone
- demonstrates awareness that spoken language is composed of smaller segments of sound. — Head Start ELOF
Materials
- Picture cards in rhyming pairs (cat/hat, dog/log, star/car)
Steps
- Name two cards aloud, stretching the ending sounds.
- Ask "Do cat and hat sound the same at the end?"
- Invite the child to find the card that rhymes with one you hold.
- Cheer the match and say the rhyming pair together.
Variations
- Sing a familiar rhyming song and pause for the child to fill in the rhyme.
Differentiation
- For beginners, offer just one correct match against one non-rhyme.
- For older children, ask them to make up a rhyming word (real or silly).
Accessibility
- Always pair spoken words with pictures so the task is not hearing-only.
Practices these skills
Evidence
- Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs (4th ed.) — National Association for the Education of Young Children · 2022 · National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
- Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) — U.S. Office of Head Start · 2015 · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Early Atlas