English Language
Rhymes and Sounds
Rhymes and sounds
Sing nursery rhymes, clap the beats in words, and listen for the first sound in a name.
Let us sing
Words can sing. Words can clap.
In this book we will say rhymes, clap our names, and listen for sounds.
Open your ears. Open your mouth. Here we go!
Ask: What is your favourite song?
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Twinkle, twinkle
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Open and close your hands like a star. Sing it softly.
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Rhyming words
Star and are. They end the same way.
Star... are. Hear it?
Words that end the same are rhymes.
Ask: Cat, hat. Do they rhyme?
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Clap your name
Say your name. Clap each part.
A-ma. Clap, clap. Two claps!
Ko-fi. Clap, clap. Two claps!
A-be-na. Clap, clap, clap. Three claps!
Ask: How many claps in your name?
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Clap the food
Ken-key. Clap, clap.
Ban-a-na. Clap, clap, clap.
Rice. One clap!
Ask: Can you clap "man-go"?
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The drum
A drum goes boom. Boom, boom, boom.
Tap the beat on your knees. Slow... then fast!
Words have beats too, like a drum.
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Pete pete
A rhyme from Ghana, sung in Twi.
Listen. Then try the words.
Songs in every language have a beat and a rhyme.
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Loud and soft
Say "boom" loud. BOOM!
Say "boom" soft. boom.
Say it like a mouse. Say it like a lion.
Ask: Can you say your name like a lion?
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First sounds
Every word starts with a sound.
Mmm-mango. The first sound is mmm.
Say it: mmm... mango.
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G is for goat
G-g-goat. Say the first sound: g, g, g.
The goat says "meh-eh-eh!"
G is for goat. G is for go!
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B is for banana
B-b-banana. Say it: b, b, b.
B is for banana. B is for ball. B is for baby.
Ask: Can you think of another b word?
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L is for lizard
L-l-lizard. Say it: l, l, l.
The lizard nods its head. Nod your head too!
L is for lizard. L is for leaf.
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A is for Ama
Names start with sounds too.
A-ma. K-ofi. A-bena. K-wame.
Say your name slowly. What sound is first?
Ask: Whose name starts like yours?
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The phonics song
A is for apple, a-a-apple.
B is for ball, b-b-ball.
Sing along and say each sound.
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Cock-a-doodle-doo
The cockerel wakes us up.
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Say it loud. Flap your arms like wings.
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Animal sounds
Goat says meh. Hen says cluck.
Dog says woof. Cat says meow.
Say each one. Which is your favourite?
Ask: What sound does a cockerel make?
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Head, shoulders
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Touch each part as you sing.
Go slow. Then go fast!
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Rhyme time: at
C-at. H-at. M-at. B-at.
They all end in at.
Cat, hat, mat, bat. Say them fast!
Ask: Does "rat" rhyme with "cat"?
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Rhyme time: op
H-op. T-op. M-op. P-op.
They all end in op.
Hop like a frog. Hop, hop, hop!
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Finish the rhyme
I say the start. You say the end.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little..." star!
"Baa baa black..." sheep!
Ask: "One, two, buckle my..."
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Clap and stamp
Clap for one beat. Stamp for two.
Clap... stamp, stamp. Clap... stamp, stamp.
Now say "Kofi" and clap it. Say "Abena" and stamp it.
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Quiet sounds
Shhh. Listen.
What can you hear? A bird? A car? A fan?
Some sounds are quiet. Some are loud.
Ask: Can you make a very quiet sound?
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Say it slowly
Say "trotro" slowly. Tro... tro.
Two parts. Clap, clap.
Say "market" slowly. Mar... ket. Clap, clap.
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Silly sounds
Make a sound like a motorbike. Vroom!
Make a sound like rain. Pitter-patter.
Make a sound like a goat. Meh!
Your mouth can make so many sounds.
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Rhymes on the way
On the way to school, sing a rhyme.
In the trotro, clap a name.
At the market, listen for sounds.
Rhymes go everywhere with you.
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My name song
Ama, Ama, where are you?
Here I am, here I am, how do you do?
Sing it with your name!
Ask: Shall we sing it with Grandma's name?
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Listen for the sound
I will say three words. Which starts with b?
Ball. Cat. Mango.
Ball! B-b-ball. Well done.
Ask: Which starts with m: dog, mango, hen?
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Make a rhyme
Say a word. Say a word that sounds like it.
Hen... pen. Dog... log. Fish... dish.
Silly rhymes are the best rhymes.
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Sing again
Sing Twinkle again. Sing it to a baby.
Sing it to a cat. Sing it to a goat!
The more you sing, the more words you know.
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I know rhymes!
I can clap my name. I can find a rhyme.
I can hear the first sound in a word.
I can sing loud and sing soft. Well done, me!
Ask: Which rhyme shall we sing tomorrow?
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Learn more
- Super Simple — the songs in this book, with lyrics and actions
- African Storybook — free picture stories in Ghanaian and other African languages
- BBC CBeebies — rhymes, songs and stories for the very young
- Oxford Owl — free early reading advice and ebooks for parents
- NaCCA Ghana — Ghana's early years curriculum
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Watch more
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Think about it
- How many claps are in your name?
- What sound does "goat" start with?
- Can you say a word that rhymes with "cat"?
- What is a sound you heard today?
- Which rhyme do you like best, and why?
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This book is for reading on SchoolSpec and cannot be printed.