Confession time…..I am a teacher and I am not a fan of Dr. Seuss.  No one ever gave me a book!  I didn’t grow up with Dr. Seuss and I just never learned to love him.  But I do appreciate him for what he has done for millions of children.

Who can argue with “I am Sam, I am” for an emerging  reader?  If you visit the Seussville website (one of the most entertaining websites that I have visited in a long time) it will tell you that in in 1957 The Cat in the Hat was published and teaches children to read. Short vowel words, simple sight words and rhyme….music to a teacher’s ears!

Rhyming is so important to reading readiness.  If you know how to read the word “at” and can rhyme at, cat, mat, bat, sat, rat, fat, hat, then you have just increased your reading vocabulary by 7 words.  If you can spell “at” and can rhyme the other 7 words, then you have increased your spelling vocabulary by 7 words.

It is never too early to introduce your child to rhymes.  When both of my children were babies I would make a game out of changing their diapers.  After the necessities of wipes, powder and a clean diaper I would take their feet and softly bump their bums to “rub a dub, dub, three men in a tub”.  I think it started because one of their bathtub toys was the 3 men in a tub.  Regardless of the reason, they knew it was coming and it always produced a smile and giggles.

I am a fan of Elosie Wilkin books, so as y children became toddlers we read Eloise Wilkin’s Mother Goose, alot! Unfortunately, many children come to kindergarten with very little nursery rhyme knowledge. They teaching rhyming!!!!  It’s important!!!!!  Read them to your child!!!!  And while you are reading feel free to make comments!!!! “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall…..I hear two words that rhyme. Wall and fall rhyme.  Can you say them?…etc.”  Then after a few readings you can ask them what two words rhyme.  You are helping them to train their ears to listen for rhymes!

Rhyming is an important reading skill.  Your local library and bookstore are full of rhyming books for young children. You really don’t have an excuse for not reading them to your child, especially if you want them to be a good reader.