Friday Fun: Cat in the Hat Rhyming Hats

The one phonemic skill I hate teaching is rhyming.  It just seems the little ones either hear rhymes or they do not.  I feel like I am a talking idiot as I repeat the word pairs over and over trying so hard to emphasize the end of the words.  I get louder and louder.  Pretty soon my head starts bobbing up and down.  I am pretty sure the kids think I am a living breathing bobble head doll!

I decided to develop some rhyming centers that would remove me from the practice.  We did a week of Dr. Seuss so I created a rhyming center with Cat in the Hat.

You can get it to print here.  Just print on cardstock, laminate and cut out.  I used velcro for the stripes.

It is a simple center where the kiddos put the stripes on the correct hat.  I made sure to include words that were visually different.  Those little ones are smart.  They figure out patterns real quick.  I have to work hard to stay one step ahead of them! 

This was a great center.  However, I must warn you.  I got real excited when the second day they just flew through the center.  I was just sure they had mastered rhyming (and of course it was all due to my incredible hats!) Alas, a little probing revealed they memorized where they went.  Rule number one in teaching....vary your stimulus materials. So back to the drawing board for me!

Stay tuned for more rhyming centers.