Quite a number of early children’s books contain rhyming patterns, and there’s good reason for that! Research into children’s literacy suggests that rhyming helps them to learn to break down and understand the structure of words, since sounds and letters are frequently repeated. Rhymes are also easier to remember, and so new vocabulary words are less troublesome to young students when they are first learned through a rhyme. Making sure that your child’s bookshelf is full of rhyming stories can be a great (and fun!) way to encourage them to read, so here are a few suggestions for books that you might want to add to your library!
Any Dr. Seuss Book
Most people, when they think of childhood books, think of Dr. Seuss – his stories are so memorable both because they are quirky and because he emphasizes certain rhyme schemes. For early readers, Fox in Socks (works on the “ox” sound), and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (works on the “ish” sound) are particularly helpful, though any of Dr. Seuss’s books are great for story time.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague will have your child tickled funny – it’s a goofy “what if?” about how dinosaurs would react to being told to go to sleep. The more complex vocabulary will stretch a child’s mind while not distracting from the fun of the story!
Madeline
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans is a classic children’s tale about a little girl in France who is fearless and bold, but gets sick one night and has to go to the hospital. It really is a delightful read and never grows old – Madeline may become your child’s favorite book.
The Wonderful Things You Will Be
The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin is a bit like a love-letter from a parent to a child, and it is beautiful. The illustrations are simple and sweet, and the poem explores the potential that a child has to grow into an amazing human being. While probably too difficult for a child to read out loud on their own, it would be a very good bedtime book for a parent to read with their child following along.
Seeds and Trees
A bit of a moral tale, Seeds and Trees by Brandon Walden combines an off-beat poetry and rhyming scheme with a story of a prince who plants seeds (or words) without thinking about whether they will grow into good trees or nasty trees. This book can definitely be used not only to encourage literacy and complex reading skills, but also to start conversations about how words affect the people around us.
Mother Goose
There’s nothing wrong with old-school rhymes and poems, and Mother Goose comes to mind whenever anyone thinks of stories that rhyme! Sharing these old (but still wonderful) rhymes with your child will continue the tradition of teaching these little poems to young readers – there is a good reason why they are still popular. There are many different additions to chose from: The Mother Goose Treasury has updated, slightly cartoonish illustrations, while Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose has pictures that are a bit more refined and realistic. If you would like to have the original text and illustrations from the 1916 version of Mother Goose, you can still buy a reprinting of it! Whichever you choose, it is sure to delight!
Runny Babbit
Introduce spoonerisms (mixing up the first letters of words) to your child with Shel Silvershein’s Runny Babbit! The humor may be better suited for more linguistically advanced children, and it may even pose a challenge to the adult reading it out loud! Don’t let that discourage you from reading this book to your child; spoonerisms, especially rhyming spoonerisms, can help children identify not only when a word is wrong, but also what makes a word sound right.
Rhyming read-alouds are perfect for helping young children begin to recognize word patterns, and they are fun and exciting to read! Fill your bookshelf with books like these, and you may have difficulty ending story time!