Devan Annan

Izzy Sucha
Katie Hearl
Karissa Gordon

Manipulating Onsets and Rimes to Build Words

Learning Targets:
Students will be able to add onsets to rimes to create new words.
Students will understand the difference between onsets and rimes.
Students will be able to manipulate their own examples of onsets and rimes.

Student-Friendly Learning Targets:

I can explain the difference between the beginnings and ends of words.
I can use flashcards to create new words.
Content Standards

RF.K.2.a Recognize and produce rhyming words

RF.K.2.c Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words
Assessment Evidence

I will know students have met the target if they are able to fill in their muffin word guide
correctly.
Instruction and Formative Assessment Plan
Materials/Resources/Digital Media Needed:
Muffin Tins
Pieces of Paper with rimes and onsets cut out and read for students to use
Independent Practice worksheet
Learning Activity
Introduction/hook:
Kindergarteners, today we will be reading the book The Cat in the Hat. I want you to listen
carefully to the words in the first few pages. Read the first four pages of the book and then stop
and ask, What did we notice about some of the words on the pages we just read? Students
will note that certain words rhyme and have the same letters and rimes. Lets sound out
some of those words. What letters do we have here? C-a-t, right. Lets sound that out together.
/K/ /a/ /t/. Very good. Lets try another one. H-a-t. /h/-/a/-/t/
Explanation:
Very good, kindergarteners! Sometimes, the words that we are reading rhyme like the ones
that we looked at in our book. The front part of the word is the part that changes letters. The

ending part is the part that stays the same in each of the words. Who can tell me two words
that have the same ending letter parts but are different at the beginning? Call on students and
discuss the words the picked.
Modeling (think aloud):
Lets explore some more rhymes using our muffin tins! Remember, just like we saw in The
Cat In The Hat, two words rhyme when the front part of the words change but the end parts
stay the same. Each spot in this bottom row (gesture to each spot) has an end part of some
common words. This one has a-t, this one has e-l-l and this one has o-l-d. These are the
parts of rhyming words that stay the same. This top row (gesture to each spot) has the front
part of the words, the letters that change in rhyming words. This one has b,c,t, this one has
m,p,w and this one has s,g,n.
Using one letter card from the top row, and one card from the bottom row, I am going to try
and make a word we all know. (grab a c from the top row). Ok, the letter c, that makes the
/k/ sound. next I am going to choose a letter card from a bottom spot (grab old). O-l-d,
(sound it out for students). When I put the c in front of old I get /k/ /o/ /l/ /d/ /k/ /old/. cold!
Hmmm, I wonder if I could put back the c and find another letter from the top row that would
make another word with o-l-d. Im going to try the letter g. G makes the sound /g/. If I put that
in front of old I get /g/ /o/ /l/ /d/./g/ /old/ gold! I did it! Cold and gold rhyme! And, just like
the rhyming words in the story, cold and gold rhyme because they both end in o-l-d.
Guided Practice:
This time lets do it together. Have child pick out letters out of the muffin tins. Lets listen to the
sound the first card makes. Remind students to say it slowly. (Lets say for this purpose they
chose C and at). Students will say it makes a /k/ sound. Lets sound out the second part of the
word. Students will say /a/ /t/. Who remembers the first sound? /k/ and the second part /a/ /t/.
Great job! Lets put it together now. What is the whole word? /kat/.
Do an example from each of the tins. Then call up volunteers and have them move the cards
and sounding out the words. Coach the student volunteers (if needed) by helping them put the
onset on the rime to create words. Give each volunteer a few chances to practice with teacher
help. Monitor and provide help as needed.
Independent Practice:
Now I want you to try it on your own. Hand out the individual worksheet and make sure every
student can reach the muffin tin. Lets walk through the pictures so we know what they are.
Now I want you to practice the beginning and ending sounds in each of these pictures. What is
the beginning sound in the first picture? /c/ Great! What is the second part of the word. /a/ /t/.
Now for the next picture. What is the beginning sound? /b/ What is the ending sound? /e/ /l/ l/l
For the last picture. What is the beginning sound? /g/ What is the ending sound? /o/ /l/ /d/
Great job! Now we are going to form these words just like we did a little bit ago. You are going
to use the small pieces of paper will letters on them to spell out the word. Make sure to ask
yourself what the beginning sound is and find the letter that matches the beginning sound.
Then think about the second sound and find the letters that make that sound. I will review your
work and monitor how you are doing with each word.

Formative Assessment

Introduction/hook: Listen to get an idea of the students knowledge of and ability to

blend onsets and rimes.
Guided practice: Listen to the students response as they blend together words to
determine if they understand the activity.
Guided practice: Listen to/watch the student volunteers to see if they are correctly
choosing the onset and rime cards out of the muffin tin and blending them together to
make words.
Independent practice: I will watch to see if the students are correctly choosing their
muffin tin onsets and rimes, see if the students are correctly matching the onset and
rime cards with the pictures on the worksheet, and whether they are correctly blending
the onset and rime to create words.
References
Adapted from an activity found in:
Fox, B. (2012). Word Identification Strategies (5th ed). Boston: Pearson.

Manipulating onsets and rimes individual work