SILLY RHYMES FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

Dictionary: A limerick is a nonsense verse.

The school has started to use rhymes in the limerick format with the basic rhyme scheme aabbc. The key to phonics learning is the use of rhythm and rhyme. Young students will learn to chant limerick type rhymes quickly and never forget.

THE FAT FROG

There was 
a fat frog

that sat on 
a log

and waited 
so long 
for his dinner.

He caught 
a big fly 

as it flew 
on by

and thought
that he was 

a winner.

OLD DOG 

There was 
an old dog

named Joe

that never 
would get up 
and go.

He'd lie 
on the ground, 

not making 
a sound

and not even 
wiggling

his toe.

YOUNG MAN 

There was a 
young man 

from Lae

who went 
for a walk 

every day.

He went 
down a track

and did not 
come back

He may have 
got lost

on the way.

He was found 
on the ground

the next day.

He was OK.

He had kicked 
his toe

on a stone
and broken 
a bone.

OLD HORSE

There was 
an old horse 
named Clyde
that took 
all the kids
for a ride.
But he galloped 
around
and stamped 
on the ground
and made 
all the kids
run and hide

It is amazing in this school that that teachers have stopped the sounding and blending of words in the early elementary grades. 

The words are so simple that students read and recall quickly. They can move on to more complex words in the higher grades in upper primary and high schools based on the simple words. 

Complex words are to match the complex discussion. Rocket science phonics is not needed. We start simple and concrete then move to the complex and abstract.

at, cat, mat, fat. bat, rat, sat
an, man, pan, ran, fan, ban, van, can
car, far, bar, star, 
tall, ball, fall, small

moving on to:

cattle, battle, rattle, battery, mattress, maternal, maternity, rate, 
banner, candle, handle, manage, management, incandescent, candid
carrot, farm, farmer, barrel, barrister, barter, start, stare, barracks, 
balloon, ballet, ballistic