Book excerpt: Rhyming teaches children how language works. It helps them notice and work with the sounds within words. When children are familiar with a nursery rhyme or rhyming book, they learn to anticipate the rhyming word. This prepares them to make predictions when they read, another important reading skill.Read rhyming books to your child. If possible, try to have reading time at least once a day. As always, reading time should be a fun and enjoyable time for both of you, and it helps to build reading activity into part of a routine. Reading before bedtime is a good way to introduce the activity into your child's day.