At about the age of 3, children start creating their own first rhymes. They seem to have fun learning new rhymes and songs. The reason our minds and ears love rhymes so much is a bit more scientific and analytical than we usually realize. 

Why is rhyming important?

1. Rhyming teaches children how language works.  It helps them notice and work with the sounds within words.

2. Rhymes help children experience the rhythm of language.  As they recite nursery rhymes they learn to speak with animated voices. Someday they’ll read with expression, too.

3. When children are familiar with a nursery rhyme or rhyming book, they learn to anticipate the rhyming word.  This prepares them to make predictions when they read, another important reading skill.

4. Rhyming is important for writing, too.  It can help children understand that words that share common sounds often share common letters.  For example, the rhyming words cat and bat both end with –at.

5. When listening to rhyming songs and poems children create a mental picture, expanding the imagination.

6. Because rhyming is fun, it adds joy to the sometimes daunting task of learning to read.

How to teach it?

First make sure, that child is familiar with all words in your rhyming activity. If you are not sure, you can simply create flashcards and present them to the child before the activity.

And then just be creative and have fun teaching.....

- using different worksheets

https://www.education.com/worksheets/hearing-rhymes/

- using objects around the house

Find more inspiration here:

https://thisreadingmama.com/printable-rhyming-activities/

https://pals.virginia.edu/pdfs/activities/rhyming/rhyme_pa.pdf

https://www.kindergartenworks.com/guided-reading/rhyming-activities/