Grade by Grade
A. Literacy Connections and Applications / C. Comprehension · Understanding What We Read and See

Word Fun: Rhyme, Repeating Sounds and Sound Words

C3.1 C1.5About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can hear and find rhyming words in a poem.
  • I can find words that start with the same sound (alliteration).
  • I can find sound words (onomatopoeia).
  • I can tell how these word tricks make a text more fun.

Words to know

rhyme
Words that end with the same sound, like snow and go.
alliteration
Words close together that start with the same sound, like silly snowy snakes.
onomatopoeia
A word that sounds like the sound it names, like buzz, splash or crunch. Say it: on-oh-mat-oh-PEE-ah.
poem
A short piece of writing with special sounds, rhythm and often rhyme.
pattern
Something that repeats, like a line said again and again.

Writers play with words!

Listen: "Crunch, crunch, crunch, I munch my lunch."

That sounds fun, right? Writers choose words that sound good together. Today you will learn three word tricks:

  1. Rhyme: words that end the same (lunch, munch, crunch).
  2. Alliteration: words that start with the same sound (Bella's big blue boots).
  3. Onomatopoeia: sound words (crunch, splash, buzz).

Read-aloud poem: Snow Day

The snow came down all night, And now the world is white!

I pull on my boots, stomp, stomp, Out the door I go, romp, romp.

Six silly snowmen in a row, With carrot noses, all aglow.

Swish! goes my sled down the hill, Whee! I shout. I can't sit still!

Word trickExamples from Snow Day
Rhymenight / white, row / aglow, hill / still, stomp / romp
Alliterationsix silly snowmen
Onomatopoeia (sound words)stomp, swish, whee
Pattern (repeating)stomp, stomp and romp, romp
Word tricks in the poem
Rhyme: same ending soundhillstill+hill and still rhyme!Alliteration: same starting soundSixsillysnowmensix silly snowmen
Rhyming words end with the same sound. Alliteration is when words start with the same sound.
Worked example

Let's find rhymes together

Find the word that rhymes with hill in the poem.

  1. Say hill slowly. It ends with -ill.
  2. Read the next line and listen to the end word: I can't sit still!
  3. Still also ends with -ill. Hill, still!

Hill and still rhyme. They end with the same sound.

Worked example

Let's find the sound words

Which words in the poem make you hear something?

  1. Read the poem again and listen for sounds.
  2. Stomp, stomp: the sound of boots.
  3. Swish: the sound of a sled sliding on snow.
  4. Whee: the sound a happy person shouts.

Stomp, swish and whee are sound words (onomatopoeia). They help us hear the snow day.

Why it matters

Why do writers use word tricks?

  • Rhyme and patterns make a poem fun to say and easy to remember.
  • Alliteration makes words bounce and sound playful.
  • Sound words help you hear what is happening, like you are really there.
Tongue twister

Try saying this tongue twister three times fast:

Six silly snowmen slide on slippery snow! ☃️

That's alliteration, and it's very hard to say quickly!

🐝🐄🔔💧
Say the sound each one makes: buzz, moo, ding-dong, drip. These are all sound words!
Hands-on activity

Kitchen sound words

You need: a pot, a spoon, a cup of water, a paper bag (with a grown-up's help).

  1. Tap the pot with the spoon. Make up a sound word for it (clang! bong!).
  2. Pour water into a bowl. What sound word fits? (splash, glug, drip)
  3. Crumple the paper bag. (crinkle, crunch)
  4. Write or say a silly sentence with alliteration about one thing, like "Pots and pans pop and ping!"
  5. Finish this rhyme: "I tap the pot, I like it a ___." (lot)

Your turn

1

Find the word in Snow Day that rhymes with night.

2

Find the word that rhymes with row.

3

Which three words start with the same sound in line 5 of the poem?

4

Name a sound word from the poem.

5

Say a word that rhymes with cat.

6

Make up an alliteration about your name. (Example: Daring Dev dances.)

More practice: warm-up

1

Do snow and go rhyme?

2

Do dog and cat rhyme?

3

What sound does a bee make? Is it a sound word?

4

What is the name for words that start with the same sound?

5

Say a sound word for rain.

More practice: on your own

1

Which word does not rhyme: bake, cake, lake, bike?

2

Find the alliteration: "Pete's pet pig plays in the pond."

3

Which sentence uses a sound word? "The door went creak." or "The door was brown."

4

Finish the rhyme: "I see a frog on a ___."

5

Why do you think the poet wrote swish instead of the sled went down?

Challenge

1

Write two lines about spring that rhyme.

2

Write one sentence with alliteration and a sound word.

3

Why might a poem with rhyme be easier to remember than a sentence with no rhyme?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which two words rhyme?

2.

Which is a sound word (onomatopoeia)?

3.

Which sentence has alliteration?

4.

In Snow Day, what does swish tell us?

5.

Why do writers use rhyme?

6.

Which word rhymes with boot?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The curriculum asks Grade 1 students to identify simple literary devices (rhyme, alliteration and onomatopoeia) and explain how they help create meaning. These also build phonological awareness.

How to help at home:

  • Read nursery rhymes, poems and rhyming picture books. Pause before a rhyming word and let your child fill it in.
  • Play "I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with…" in the car.
  • Point out sound words in comics and picture books (BOOM, splat, zoom).

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking words rhyme because they start the same (cat / car). Stress the ending sound: c-at, h-at.
  • Mixing up alliteration and rhyme. Alliteration = same beginning sound; rhyme = same ending sound.
  • Spelling-based rhymes. Some rhymes are spelled differently (boot / fruit). Listen with your ears, not your eyes.