ONSET AND RIME = WORD FAMILIES

Children can only manipulate two "chunks" at a time, so focusing on word families is a powerful strategy for beginning readers.
“Onset” refers to the initial letter or blend. “Rime” is the vowel and letters following it.  

Rime Time  (Tune:  "The Addams Family")
Chorus:
Rime time, (Snap! Snap!)
Rime time, (Snap! Snap!)
Rime time, rime time, rime time. (Snap! Snap!)

There’s can and there’s pan. (Touch hands to alternate knees to the beat.)
There’s fan and there’s ran.
There’s man and there’s tan.
The “an” family.
Chorus

Pet-jet-vet-net-let-set…
Like-hike-bike-mike-trike-pike…
Pot-dot-hot-not-lot-got…
Ball-call-hall-fall-tall-mall…
Sit-lit-hit-kit-fit-pit…
Book-look-cook-hook-took-nook…                                   
                                      

It would be meaningful to take one word family and sing it every day for a week in this song. If you made a “house” similar to the one shown the children could contribute additional words throughout the week.

Word Family Song 

Here's another song to the tune of “BINGO.”
          There is word family you should know
          And at is it’s name-o.
          M-a-t, mat
          H-a-t, hat
          C-a-t, cat
          They end in at you know.

*Write the words on a chart and point to them as you sing.    

                                                       
Block Rimes

Cut paper the size of square and rectangular unit blocks.  Write onsets on the squares and rimes on the rectangles. Children put blocks together and read words.
                  
Rime Eggs

Using plastic eggs, write onsets with a permanent marker on one half of the egg. Write a rime on the other. Children twist the egg and read the words.

                                           
Flower Rimes

Cut 4” circles out of construction paper. Cut paper petals similar to the ones shown. Children write the “rime” on the circle and then write words on the petals.