Teaching Short-Vowel Discrimination Using Dr. Seuss Rhymes

The study of common rimes, or word families, is vital to students’ early reading and writing skills. Through the contrast of short-vowel patterns, this lesson supports first- and second-grade students’ use of analogy to apply their knowledge of vowel sounds in reading and spelling new words. The integration of Dr. Seuss rhymes creates an engaging study of onsets and rimes. Students will discover patterns in words, sort words based on their vowel patterns, and apply their knowledge in reading and writing activities.