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Some Suggested Strategies for Onset and Rime

Use lower case foam letters (with different coloured vowels to build the rime initially

Demonstrate how a word can be made by adding an onset and ask the pupil to choose another letter and make a new word. This is a very graphic, concrete illustration of the principle of onset and rime. Continue until four or five words have been made.

Write a list of made words, using cursive script, spelling each word aloud as it is written. Try to encourage a rhythm in the writing and spelling so that the rime is said as a unit. Read the list.

Try to encourage a rhythm in the writing and spelling so that the rime is said as a unit. Read the list.

Underline the shared rime in one colour.

Illustrate the words with simple drawings. Make a word web with the rime in the centre.

Draw attention to how words are built, and encourage the use of blends in the onsets, e.g. tap>trap>strap

Point out that the chunk of the rime is always the same and therefore does not need sounding out.


Many computer programmes allow own word lists to be added to their games and some are based round onset and rime. Use talking word processing packages so that as a word is typed, pupils can hear what they have written. Spellcheckers can be used to check that the made word is real and the words can be entered and used in games.

Test the pupil regularly with word lists and test sentences.
Make "own voice" tapes of the lists of words with a short dictation. This uses the teacher's pronunciation as a model.
Play games which incorporate the target onset and rime.

There are some excellent card games available. Play pairs, snap, bingo etc. Have a look at our digital phonics downloads!

Play games which will encourage phonological awareness like "Odd Man Out".

Recite a list of words that end in the same rime but throw in an odd one. Or "Find the Pair" - recite a list containing two words that share the same rime.

Read materials which incorporate the learnt rimes to give the pupils the experience of seeing them in print.

Use this material to scan for the learnt words or to find words which end in the same rime Encourage pupils to divide unfamiliar words into onset-rime as a word attack strategy

Tie in handwriting practice to the rimes currently being worked on and use cursive script wherever possible.

These are just a few ideas you may find useful. There are many more.

The extensive and positive research that has been carried out in this area is a strong argument in favour of using onset and rime as a tool for teaching children to read and spell, and enhancing phonological skills. More importantly onset and rime does work in the classroom and that is the strongest argument of all.

onset/rime materials: