Rhyme Around Baseball
From FreeReading
| Activity Type: Build Fluency |
| Activity Form: Game |
| Grade: 1, 2 |
| Group Size: Whole Class |
| Length: 20 minutes |
| Materials: Chart paper, a marker, objects to use as bases, posters or cards with word family endings |
| Goal: Given a word family ending, students will be able to create rhyming words within that word family. |
| Items: Word families (-at, -en, -ot, -ock, etc.). NOTE: This activity assumes that the teacher has some basic knowledge of baseball. |
What to do
- Divide your class into two groups or teams. Have your students name their teams while you place bases around the room. Your goal is to make the classroom resemble a baseball diamond (there should be three bases, a pitcher's mound, and a home plate).
- You act as pitcher. Stand on the mound and have the first team line up to bat. Show the batter a word family ending. If the student responds with a rhyming word, he or she advances to first base and writes the word on the chart paper.
- Each additional batter is given a rhyming word until all words are used. Give out a new word family when all possible words have been used.
- If a student repeats a word, gives an incorrect word, or writes the word incorrectly on the chart paper, it counts as a strike. After three strikes the next team bats.
- The team with the most words at the end of three innings wins. Take note of any students who appear to struggle; you may wish to record this information in an Activity Log.
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About this activity
I adapted this lesson from an activity I learned during my undergraduate work.
To make this activity easier, you may eliminate the writing and reading components. Say the word family ending and have the student say a correct rhyme in response.