Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Saint Louis, MO

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
Dr. Seuss, Oh The Places You'll Go

Rhymes and rhyming books help teach your child to recognize distinct language sounds. When you read rhyming books to your child, emphasize the rhyming word parts to reinforce similar word sounds.

Rhymes help kids recognize word and sound patterns which is an essential pre-reading skill. It also helps kids recognize how words are different and non-rhyming which helps them further learn how words are alike and different, another step towards independent reading. 

The rhyming sounds and repetition are what are important for your child to hear, even if they are unfamilar with some vocabulary. For example, I've read some Shel Silverstein poems to 2 and 3 year old kids who didn't always get the message but laughed at the over-emphasized rhyming words.

Another obvious favorite author for rhymes is Dr. Seuss. Theodore Seuss Geisel wrote over 60 books and most bookstores and libraries have shelves full of his selections. The books are great for bedtime stories because they tend to be longer than many kid's books.

For younger children still into board books, I recommend the classic Good Night Moon with its easily recognized rhymes. I also like Sandra Boyton's Pajama Time for bedtime rhymes as well as the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" series.