Roll and Write Words that Rhyme {Short and Long Vowels}

Helping kids see that many times there is a spelling connection between words that rhyme is a great tool for spellers to have. For example, when my son asks me, “Mom, how do you spell treat?” I often respond with, “Well, how do you spell eat?” I will admit that my answer did frustrate him at first. But one day, he realized that I was empowering him to see the connection that many rhyming words share in spelling {and in reading} words.

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Today, I’m sharing a simple activity {around the theme of Dr. Seuss} that I created specifically for elementary-aged kids, although more advance preschoolers might be able to give some of the game boards a try if you just SAY words that rhyme instead of requiring them to spell them on paper.

To know if your child is ready for this to write words that rhyme in this pack, your child needs to be able to at least read short vowel words containing blends and digraphs with independence. To be most effective, it works best if your child can also spell most of these patterns with independence.

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Roll & Write Words That Rhyme

Included in this pack are 12 different game boards for the most common short vowel and long vowel patterns. These are low prep. The only things you need, besides the game itself, are one die, a marker of some kind, and a pencil. No cutting or stapling needed! To prepare, simply print the hat game board of choice. Print off a recording sheet. {Note: the same recording sheet works with all of the game boards.} To play, kids roll the die, identify how many dots, then place their marker {we used our snapping cubes} on that number on the game board.

This is my Kindergartner’s short a hat game board.

My 3rd grader was given the long e {ee/ea} game board. This was more of a review game for him that he did mostly independent of me while I helped my Kindergartner.

After the die has been rolled and the word found on the game board, the child then thinks of a rhyming word for that particular word and writes it on the recording chart in the corresponding column as the number he rolled.

And, because we are “Dr. Seussing” this up, if the child wants to write a silly word, he may. He just needs to indicate that he knows it’s a silly word by circling it. {I will add that while long vowel words are easier for most kids to hear than short vowel words, their spellings are less predictable, so be sure to offer support when needed!}

The rhyming game ends when the first column reaches the top or you can require students to fill in their entire board.

Variations of Writing Words that Rhyme

• Kids on the same spelling development level can work together, taking turns, on the same game board using different colored pencils.
• Slip the recording sheet into a plastic sleeve protector or laminate so students can use over and over again.
• For students who are not ready to write words, write them for them or just roll and SAY the rhymes aloud together.
• If a student isn’t quite ready to try this independently, do it with them, supporting them as they think of and spell words that rhyme.

>>Download this FREE Roll & Write Words that Rhyme HERE.<<

~Becky