Make up rhymes about things you see in your home and as you go about your daily routine. “That’s a fat cat.” “Let’s walk through the door to the store.”

Rhymes—when words have the same ending sounds but have different beginning sounds—help children build an awareness of sounds and familiar words. Try rhyming your child’s name, too. It’s okay if you use nonsense words. Playing with the sounds of language is the important part.