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1st Grade Rhyming Resources

17 1st grade rhyming resources: 10 worksheets and 6 activities. How teachers use these

1st Grade Rhyming Resources

17 1st grade rhyming resources: 10 worksheets and 6 activities. How teachers use these

Activity
Activity1st GradeRhyming Words Matching Activity

This rhyming words matching activity lets PreK to 1st grade children match picture cards that rhyme, like cat and hat. A practice page and answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeColoring Rhyming Words Worksheet

This coloring rhyming words worksheet lets 1st grade students read twelve words and color each one to match its rhyme. An answer key is included for fast, easy checking.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeRhyming Sounds Test Practice

A rhyming sounds test practice worksheet for 1st grade, with six picture cards and fill-in-the-bubble word choices. An answer key is included, so students get real test practice and quick feedback.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeFinding Rhyming Words Worksheet

The Finding Rhyming Words Worksheet has 1st grade students match five long vowel words to their rhyme families, then write each word in a sentence. An answer key is included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeLocating Rhyming Pairs Worksheet

This Locating Rhyming Pairs Worksheet asks 1st graders to circle the short vowel words that rhyme, then write the one that does not. An answer key is included, so checking takes seconds.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeMemorial Day Word Families Worksheet

This Memorial Day Word Families Worksheet asks 1st Grade students to read fifteen words and write each one under the -ake, -ell or -ar family it belongs to. An answer key is included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeRhyming Words -ug, -op, -at Cut and Paste Worksheet

In this rhyming words cut and paste worksheet, kids read six word cards and glue each one under -ug, -op or -at. A fun 1st grade word family page with an answer key.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeRhyming Words -en, -ot, -am Cut and Paste Worksheet

This Rhyming Words Cut and Paste Worksheet gives first graders six word cards to cut out and sort into the -en, -ot, and -am families. An answer key is included, so students can check their own sorting.

Activity
Activity1st GradeRhyming Words Christmas Activity

Match rhyming pictures like star and car in this rhyming words Christmas activity for preschool to 1st grade, with ornament picture cards and a practice page. An answer key is included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeRhyming Words -ake, -oat, -eet Cut and Paste Worksheet

In this rhyming words cut and paste worksheet, kids read six long vowel word cards and glue each one under -ake, -oat or -eet. A hands-on 1st grade word family page with an answer key.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeRhyming Words -ide, -ate, -oon Cut and Paste Worksheet

This rhyming words cut and paste worksheet has 1st graders sort six word cards into the -ide, -ate, and -oon families. An answer key is included, so checking the sort is quick and easy.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeRhyming Words -ick, -ock, -ump Cut and Paste Worksheet

Kids read six word cards and paste each one under -ick, -ock or -ump in this rhyming words cut and paste worksheet. A hands-on 1st grade phonics page with an answer key.

Activity
Activity1st GradeBack to School Rhyming Activity

This back to school rhyming activity has preschool to 1st grade children sort 12 word pair cards to the school or the bus by rhyme. Answer key included for quick checking.

1st GradeLetter Sounds and Rhymes Worksheet

Using Letter Sounds and Rhymes Worksheet, students match the pictures that rhyme by connecting the dots and writing the words.

Activity
Activity1st GradeRhyming Words Bingo Activity

Using Rhyming Words Bingo Activity, students Play BINGO to practice identifying and listening for rhyming word pairs.

Activity
Activity1st GradeRibbit Rhymes Activity

This Ribbit Rhymes activity has K-1st grade kids hop frogs along a lily pad board, read each word and write a word that rhymes with it. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeRhyme It Picture Cards Rhyming Activity

This rhyme it picture cards rhyming activity has Preschool to 1st Grade students sort twelve picture cards into four rhyme families. Answer key included for quick checking.

From our teachers' playbook

Cat, hat, bat, that's that!

What do 1st graders learn about rhyming?

In 1st grade, kids move from hearing rhymes to making and reading them. They learn that rhyming words share the same ending sound, like cat, hat, bat, and that many rhymes share the same spelling chunk, called a word family: -ug, -op, -ake. Once kids know cake, they can read bake, lake and snake by swapping the first letter. That's the click: rhyming turns one word they know into a whole family they can read.

Our favorite ways to make rhyming stick

Rhyming is a listening skill first and a reading skill second. These moves build both.

Picture pairs

Lay out picture cards face up and have kids find the pairs that rhyme: "Frog... log!" Pictures keep the focus on sounds instead of spelling. Once they're quick, flip in word cards and match those too.

Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).

Rhyme It Picture Cards Rhyming ActivityTry it withRhyme It Picture Cards Rhyming ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Cut, sort and glue

Give kids three word families on one page and a pile of words to cut out and sort. Mixing families means they have to look and listen carefully instead of following a pattern. Read each finished column out loud together.

Why it works: shuffled practice teaches kids to choose the right strategy, not just repeat one, and it improved test scores in research (Rohrer and Taylor, 2007).

Rhyming Words -ug, -op, -at Cut and Paste WorksheetTry it withRhyming Words -ug, -op, -at Cut and Paste WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Does it rhyme?

Say two words and kids give a thumbs up if they rhyme, thumbs down if they don't. Toss in sneaky pairs like "cat" and "cap." A minute a day keeps ears sharp, and you spot who needs help instantly.

Why it works: researchers who compared ten study methods found practice testing is one of the two that work best (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Rhyming Sounds Test PracticeTry it withRhyming Sounds Test PracticeWorksheetsOpen it →

Questions about 1st grade rhyming

Why is rhyming important for 1st graders?

Rhyming helps kids hear the sounds inside words, which is a key step toward reading and spelling. It also teaches word families, so one known word unlocks several new ones.

What if my 1st grader can't hear rhymes yet?

Go back to listening. Read rhyming books and pause before the rhyming word so they fill it in. Exaggerate the ending sound. Most kids catch on with a few minutes of daily practice.

What are word families in 1st grade?

Word families are groups of words that share the same ending chunk, like -at, -ig or -ake. Changing the first letter makes a new word: hat, mat, sat.

How can I practice rhyming at home?

Play "I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with..." in the car, read Dr. Seuss-style books together, or make up silly rhyming names for family members. Kids love it.