Kids Books that Rhyme

Children's books that rhyme and have rhythm are not only fun to read, but scientific research has also documented they actually help lay neural pathway foundations needed for learning to read.  Who knew Dr. Seuss was so far ahead of his time?!

Rhythm - Science has shown us that both the rhythm of reading and the sound of your voice impacts a child's brain development as well as laying neural pathway foundations for reading.  

Rhyme - As children become aware of rhyming sounds, it boosts brain activity and prepares them for early literacy skills.

Repetition - The repetitiveness of text is like waving a flag to a young child  saying they've heard this before...listen carefully.

Children's books are rich in sounds and vocabulary which are not naturally used in every day conversation.  

Psychology Today reported - 

"In 1995, a landmark study by researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley found that, in the first three years of life, some children heard 30 million more words than others, an advantage that translated by third grade into bigger vocabularies, better reading skills, and higher test scores."

Let's look at some of our favorites and how to use them to enhance development and go beyond the read!

LIttle Blue Truck

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle & illustrated by Jill McElmurry is one of my granddaughter's favorites!  Not only does it offer the rhythm found in books that rhyme, but also includes sounds of farm animals and trucks.

On top of all the wonderful sounds Little Blue Truck offers, it also shares a wonderful story of friendship and kindness. 


Classic Books that Rhyme - Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss  books are treasure chests full of fun!  His rhyming text may stray from ordinary vocabulary at times, but his stories capture children's attention with both his text and unique illustrations.

Dr. Seuss wrote with young readers in mind as well as life lessons that go beyond in age.  In addition to writing books that rhyme, he also wrote for emerging readers to experience success by using basic CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, common sight words, and also including a great deal of repetition of words.  

In the text above taken from Hop on Pop, Dr. Seuss actually shows children how to build their own rhyming words.  This skill for emerging readers is critical, and books that rhyme can give them practice in building it.

Using Books that Rhyme

More coming soon! :)