Rhyming Words Worksheet: Hink Pinks!

HINK PINK

HINKY PINKY

HINKETY PINKETY

I feel like I am about to cast a spell in a Harry Potter movie!

But NO, It’s just a fun rhyming game you can play in your classroom.

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS: RHYMING WORDS WORKSHEET

Phonological Awareness is one of the 5 Essentials of Literacy Instruction AND an essential element to Structured Literacy.

Phonology - the study of spoken words. Every spoken word is a sequence of individual sounds (phonemes). These phonemes (sounds) are represented by letters of the alphabet (graphemes). Sentences can be broken down into individual words, words can be broken into individual sounds.

Phonology also includes the recognition of rhyming words, the ability to count syllables and identify vowel sounds in each syllable, manipulate sounds in words, and separate onsets from rimes.

One skill that students need to master is RHYMING.

RHYMING: WHY DO STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW HOW TO RHYME?

While rhyming does not directly determine a student’s ability to learn to read, it is important as a part of the reading and writing process. Words that RHYME have the same RIME (ending). It is important to work on rhyming activities because it helps students to recognize word endings for reading and spelling. Being able to rhyme allows students to focus on larger word parts so they do not have to sound out entire words every time they read.

Words that rhyme and share common sounds often share common letters. When trying to spell a word, if a student is unsure of the correct spelling, they can think of rhyming words with similar word parts to determine the proper sound pattern.

Example:  mane (horse)

Words that rhyme and could have the same spelling – cane, rain, pain, train, plane.

A student would select the sound pattern they feel is correct. As long as the spelling pattern makes sense, a teacher will be fine with an inaccurate spelling for the first time a student attempts to spell ‘mane’.

Most of us think of rhyming practice as singing silly songs or reading books with rhyming patterns.

I am all about singing and read alouds, but if you want to work on rhyming AND get some bang for your buck AND work on vocabulary, try HINK PINKS.

HINK PINKS are a set of single syllable rhyming words that match with a silly clue. The teacher verbally presents the clue and students have to decide what two words, that rhyme, are the answer to the clue.

Hinky Pinky – 2 syllable words

Hinkety Pinkety – 3 or more syllable words.

Let’s try a few…

1. What is an unhappy father?    

2. What is a rabbit that tells jokes? 

3. Recall the last month of the year.     

Answers: 1. Sad dad   2. Funny bunny   3. Remember December

Hink Pinks is a rhyming words worksheet that will challenge your students to dig deep into their bank of vocabulary words to solve each riddle. If they are unfamiliar with a word that is the solution to a Hink Pink clue, use it as a learning opportunity to expand their vocabulary.

DOWNLOAD a copy of some Hink Pinks that you can use in your classroom!