Chalkboard/whiteboard.
Rhyming book ("The Cat in the Hat," "Green Eggs and Ham," etc.).
Rhyming cards (available at school supply stores, or you can make your own).
Alphabet magnets.
Felt letters and flannel board.
Alphabet flashcards.
Paper and crayons for each student.
Rhyming worksheet (optional).
Begin your lesson by explaining that rhyming words are words that sound the same at the end. Give a few examples of rhyming words and explain that rhyming words do not have to be spelled the same, but they must have the same ending sound. Train your kindergartners to hear and recognize rhyming words by reading them a story such as "The Cat in the Hat" or "Green Eggs and Ham." As you read the story, stop along the way to point out rhyming words or have the students point them out for you.
Instruct all the students to stand beside their desks. Say a word and inform the students that you will then say a list of words. If a word rhymes with the first word you said, the students should jump one time. If a word does not rhyme with the first word you said, the students should sit down at their desks. Keep an eye on each student to assess their understanding of the concept. A student who is constantly watching others and always a step behind may be having trouble and depending on others for the answer. Use this activity as an informal assessment of the students' progress.
Explain to the students that word families are similar to rhyming words, but words in the same family will have the same letter patterns at the end. In other words, not only do word families sound the same, but they are also spelled the same, with the exception of the beginning letters. This is a difficult concept to explain verbally, so visual aids and hands-on activities will be necessary.
For this activity, you will need alphabet magnets, felt letters or alphabet flashcards. Call on a student to spell out the word "at," using the displayed letters. When the task is completed, have him return to his seat. Allow the remaining students to take turns adding a letter or letters to the beginning of "at" to spell out the words you dictate, such as cat, bat, that, flat and splat.
Announce that the class is going on a hunt for rhyming words and word families. Name an object in the classroom, and have the children walk around the room searching for something that rhymes with the name of that object. Write the two words on the chalkboard and have the students tell you whether they are in the same word family or just rhyming words. The first student to find a rhyming object gets to name another object in the room. Continue the hunt as time permits.
To close out the lesson, give each student a blank sheet of paper and a box of crayons. Explain that they are going to draw two pictures, one on each side of the paper. The first picture is to be a picture of themselves. The second picture will be of their rhyming twin, who will look a lot like them but with subtle differences. For example, a student's picture of himself may include his pet dog, while his twin's picture includes a pet frog. When the class is finished, allow the students to show and explain their pictures.