Ideas for Teaching and Documenting

Observe the children’s participation during music, with rhyming and chanting, and look for children’s independent word play. 

When reading books with alliteration and rhyming, document how individual children respond when you pause to let them fill in the next word that alliterates or rhymes.

Plan small group activities that engage children in rhyming.  Read stories that have alliteration or rhyming in them and bring it to the children’s attention.  Write a class rhyming book. 

Play games during clean up time such as: “Wish, Fish, DISH.  I see a dish in the kitchen area that needs to be put away.”   “I see that something that has the same beginning sound as Linda, Luis, and Lisa’s name is out of place at the table. Who can find that and tell us what it is?”

Play with language as a model.  Say things like, “Good morning jazzy Jonathan, happy Hannah and Anna banana fo fanna!”

This information is also available in the ELS Guide Book for future reference.