Rhythm Shakers
Standards
NELP Predictor: Phonological Awareness
Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
NELP Predictor: Oral language
the ability to produce or comprehend spoken language, including vocabulary and grammar.
ELP Standard 4
An ELL can construct level-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence.
Level 1: An ELL can express an opinion about a familiar topic, experience, or event; give reason for the opinion.
Objective(s)
At the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:
- use knowledge of language to identify rhyming patterns and rhythm from A Tree for Me by Nancy Van Laan; and
- explain the importance of rhythm and rhyme in early childhood literacy.
Materials and Resources
- Multiple copies of A Tree for Me by Nancy Van Laan, illustrated by Sheila White Samton (Knopf, 2000), if possible
- Rhythm and Rhyme Book Options
Prepare a table with materials for making simple shakers:
- Small, recycled plastic bottles (e.g., for water or juice), at least one for each family
- Dried beans
- Decorations such as stickers, gems, ribbons (optional)
Instructional Procedures
Introduction
Learning rhyme and rhythm are an important part of early literacy practices. These skills develop a child's phonemic awareness. Phonemes are distinct units of sound. Rhyme helps early readers to understand that similar sounds often have similar letters. The text of A Tree for Me by Nancy Van Laan contains both a predictable rhyme and a clear rhythm. Rhythm plays with the sound of words. Books with rhythm and rhyme help children to anticipate upcoming words and build confidence in their reading.
This lesson involves two readings of A Tree for Me. The first reading will emphasize the rhyme within the text. Then, with the use of a simple shaker, the second reading will highlight rhythm.
Infant / Toddler
Invite parents/caregivers to sit with their infant or toddler and interactively read A Tree for Me. During the first reading, encourage caregivers to focus on the illustrations, pointing to trees, animals, and other objects in the book. Model how to name objects clearly and slowly to build vocabulary. For toddlers, turn this into a simple “Find the…” game by saying, “Where is the tree?” and guiding the child’s gaze by pointing.
During the second reading, encourage caregivers to gently bounce or sway infants to the rhythm of the text. This physical connection reinforces rhythm and language patterns. Caregivers can repeat rhyming words slowly and clearly, exaggerating sounds, and pause to allow infants to babble or coo in response. For toddlers, invite caregivers to emphasize rhyming words and encourage children to echo or repeat the sounds.
Provide caregivers with a simple shaker (or allow toddlers to hold one) to introduce rhythm. Demonstrate how to shake along with the beat of the text, then invite caregivers to let the child explore the sound. For infants, caregivers can shake the instrument near the child while reading; for toddlers, encourage them to try shaking along with the rhythm themselves.
Pre-School
Invite parents/caregivers to sit with their child and interactively read A Tree for Me, emphasizing rhyming words and modeling anticipatory reading as demonstrated in the parent/caregiver education lesson. Encourage parents/caregivers to pause and provide time for children to guess the next rhyming word.
Introduce the shaker-making activity. Lead participants to the tables that have been set up with plastic bottles, beans, and decorations. Instruct participants to take the empty water bottle (or any other kind of bottle available), fill it a quarter of the way with the dried beans, and tightly close the lid. Afterward, the child can decorate the bottle using available decorations.
In a second reading of A Tree for Me, encourage parents/caregivers to use the shaker to identify the rhythm of the text. Parents/caregivers can begin by demonstrating how to use the shaker, then handing it off to the child to practice their skills. The instructor should circulate to monitor success and demonstrate rhythmic reading of passages when needed. As the child matches the rhythm, parents/caregivers can enhance the rhythm within the story by singing the text or increasing reading speed.
Prepare a shaker ahead of time so that parents/caregivers may use it for reference.
As an extension, parents can encourage their children to pay attention to rhyme and rhythm by raising the shaker in the air when they hear a rhyming word. For example: “All around the hill where the brook runs free, I look, look, look for a tree for me.”
School-Age
Invite parents/caregivers to sit with their child and read A Tree for Me together. During the first reading, encourage children to listen for rhyming words and predict what comes next. Pause occasionally and ask, “What word do you think will rhyme with tree?”
Introduce the shaker activity by providing materials for children to make their own shaker (plastic bottle, beans, decorations). Once complete, invite children to decorate their shaker and share their design with the group.
During the second reading, encourage children to clap or tap along with the rhythm before using the shaker. Then, invite them to lead the rhythm by shaking in time with the text while the caregiver reads. Allow children to experiment with slow and fast beats and even “conduct” the rhythm for the group.
Notes for Implementation
This activity can be completed in a classroom setting or virtually. The teacher's role is to observe and support the parents and caregivers when needed. This is an easy activity for families to do at home. The shaker can be created from recycled objects. It is adaptable to available materials.
Assessment / Evaluation
The activity is designed to encourage engagement and the enjoyment of reading. Parents/caregivers will vocally emphasize rhythm and rhyme within their readings of A Tree for Me, encouraging the use of the shaker to highlight rhythm in the second reading. Children will demonstrate their understanding through their sustained interest and rhythmic response to the repetitive patterns within the text.
Wrap-up / Closure
Engage families in a discussion by asking open-ended questions such as “How did the shaker help you to identify rhythm within the book?” or “In addition to the book, where else do we see rhythm and rhyme?” Encourage families to use the shaker to detect rhythm and rhyme in their favorite songs and nursery rhymes. Share the Rhythm and Rhyme Booklist of suggested picture book titles.
Extension/Further Study
Use pipe cleaners, beads, and buttons to build your own tree. Or make an edible tree from pretzels and grapes by arranging pretzels to look like the trunk and branches. Use cut grapes around the branches to look like leaves. This activity is not only delicious, but it also promotes creativity, fine motor skills, and healthy eating habits!
Teaching children about nature and the environment can even start in the kitchen! Regrow celery by cutting the stalks about 1-2 inches from the base and placing it in a shallow bowl with warm water. Set it in a sunny spot and change the water every 2-4 days. In a week, a new celery stalk will emerge from the center of the base. After about two weeks, the celery roots will develop and will be ready to be planted in soil. Romaine lettuce, potatoes, and onions can be regrown in a similar way.
Related Lesson Plans
Venn Diagrams
Build compare and contrast skills by creating a graphic organizer to illustrate the similarities and difference in two texts about trees.
Rooted in Rhyme and Rhythm
Discover the power of rhyme and rhythm in early reading through identifying patterns in A Tree for Me.
Rhythm Shakers
Experience the rhythm of A Tree for Me through a DIY shaker creation activity.
References
DeBruin‑Parecki, Andrea. Let’s Read Together: Improving Literacy Outcomes with the Adult‑Child Interactive Reading Inventory (ACIRI). Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2007.