Interactive Literacy Activity: Reading with Rhythm Shakers
OVERVIEW
Experience the rhythm of A Tree for Me through a DIY shaker creation activity.
TIME TO COMPLETE
30 minutes
ILA LESSON OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:
- use knowledge of language to identify rhyming patterns and rhythm from A Tree for Me by Nancy Van Laan; and
- explain the importance of rhythm and rhyme in early childhood literacy.
NELP PREDICTORS OF LATER SUCCESS
Phonological Awareness: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Oral language: the ability to produce or comprehend spoken language, including vocabulary and grammar.
Print Lesson
MATERIALS
The following materials will be needed:
- Multiple copies of A Tree for Me by Nancy Van Laan, if possible
- Rhythm and Rhyme Booklist
Prepare a table with materials for making simple shakers:
- Small, recycled plastic bottles (e.g., for water or juice), at least one for each family
- Dried beans
- Decorations such as stickers, gems, ribbons (optional)
INTRODUCTION
Learning rhyme and rhythm are an important part of early literacy practices. These skills develop a child's phonemic awareness. Phenomes are distinct units of sound. Rhyme helps early readers to understand that similar sounds often have similar letters. The text of A Tree for Me by Nancy Van Laan contains both a predictable rhyme and a clear rhythm. Rhythm plays with the sound of words. Books with rhythm and rhyme help children to anticipate upcoming words and build confidence in their reading.
This lesson involves two readings of A Tree for Me. The first reading will emphasize the rhyme within the text. Then, with the use of a simple shaker, the second reading will highlight rhythm.
PRE-SCHOOL
Invite parents/caregivers to sit with their child and interactively read A Tree for Me, emphasizing rhyming words and modeling anticipatory reading as demonstrated in the parent/caregiver education lesson. Encourage parents/caregivers to pause and provide time for children to guess the next rhyming word.
Introduce the shaker-making activity. Lead participants to the tables that have been set up with plastic bottles, beans, and decorations. Instruct participants to take the empty water bottle (or any other kind of bottle available), fill it a quarter of the way with the dried beans, and tightly close the lid. Afterward, the child can decorate the bottle using available decorations.
In a second reading of A Tree for Me, encourage parents/caregivers to use the shaker to identify the rhythm of the text. Parents/caregivers can begin by demonstrating how to use the shaker, then handing it off to the child to practice their skills. The instructor should circulate to monitor success and demonstrate rhythmic reading of passages when needed. As the child matches the rhythm, parents/caregivers can enhance the rhythm within the story by singing the text or increasing reading speed.
Prepare a shaker ahead of time so that parents/caregivers may use it for reference.
As an extension, parents can encourage their children to pay attention to rhyme and rhythm by raising the shaker in the air when they hear a rhyming word. For example: “All around the hill where the brook runs free, I look, look, look for a tree for me.”
SCHOOL-AGE
in development
NOTES FOR IMPLEMENTATION
This activity can be completed in a classroom setting or virtually. The teacher's role is to observe and support the parents and caregivers when needed. This is an easy activity for families to do at home. The shaker can be created from recycled objects. It is adaptable to available materials.
ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION
The activity is designed to encourage engagement and the enjoyment of reading. Parents/caregivers will vocally emphasize rhythm and rhyme within their readings of A Tree for Me, encouraging the use of the shaker to highlight rhythm in the second reading. Children will demonstrate their understanding through their sustained interest and rhythmic response to the repetitive patterns within the text.
WRAP-UP / CLOSURE
Engage families in a discussion by asking open-ended questions such as “How did the shaker help you to identify rhythm within the book?” or “In addition to the book, where else do we see rhythm and rhyme?” Encourage families to use the shaker to detect rhythm and rhyme in their favorite songs and nursery rhymes. Share the Rhythm and Rhyme Booklist of suggested picture book titles.