Hello, friends! If you teach little learners, you know that heart words can be some of the trickiest words for our readers to master. Words like said, was, and of just don’t play fair! Today I’m sharing how I use my Happy Heart Word Rhymes in my first grade classroom to make those tricky words fun, memorable, and full of giggles.
Why I Created My Heart Word Rhymes Bundle
I wrote these rhymes to help my students remember the tricky parts of heart words “by heart.” I wanted to give them a cute poster and a fun rhyme to support my visual and auditory learners. Poems, chants, visuals, and songs have always been something I love to bring into my lessons. They make learning fun and engaging, and they help new words stick!
How I Use Heart Word Rhymes in My First Grade Classroom
When a new heart word comes up in our UFLI lessons, I pull out its rhyme poster. Here’s the simple routine we follow:
- Introduce the poster. We look at the word together and notice the tricky part in red.
- Echo read. I read a line, and my firsties echo it back to me.
- Add a pat-clap beat. We pat our legs and clap our hands to the rhythm of the rhyme. This is where the giggles start!
- Read and pat-clap together. Now we put it all together and say the whole rhyme as a class with our beat.
We don’t read a rhyme just once. We come back to it over several days. Each time we read it, my students get more confident and the tricky part sticks a little better. Before long, they’re chanting it on their own!
Making Tricky Words Memorable
Every poster follows the same happy pattern, so students always know what to do:
- The tricky part is red, with a little heart underneath, so students can see exactly which part to learn by heart.
- The rhyme spells the word twice, like “s-a-i-d, s-a-i-d,” so students hear and say every letter.
- Rhythm and rhyme make the words easy to chant and hard to forget.
- A cute picture connects to the rhyme, giving students something to picture in their minds.
- A simple sentence at the bottom lets them read the word in context.
Ideas for Using the Bundle
- Whole-group lessons: Introduce new heart words with the routine above.
- Small groups: Revisit the rhymes with readers who need a little extra practice.
- Literacy centers: Let students read the rhymes with a partner and a pointer.
- Extra practice: Hang the posters near your word wall and chant a few during morning meeting or while lining up.
A Peek Inside the Bundle
Here are a few favorite rhymes from my classroom:
- the: “t-h-e, t-h-e, That’s the key, Come and spell the with me!”
- said: “s-a-i-d, s-a-i-d, ‘It’s time for bed,’ The little girl said.”
- do: “d-o, d-o, Dribble, shoot, Woo-hoo! I know Just what to do.”
- of: “o-f, o-f, Lots of apples for you and me, o-f spells of, you see!”
- look: “l-o-o-k, l-o-o-k, Look at the Pink pig, he will Dance a little jig.”
- was: “w-a-s, w-a-s, A frog was Sitting on a log. He was in the bog.”
Where to Find the Bundle
My Happy Heart Word Rhymes are a growing bundle, so when you grab it, you get every new poster I add for free. It’s perfect for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade classrooms.
I hope these rhymes bring as many smiles and “aha!” moments to your classroom as they do to mine. If you try them, tag me on Instagram. I would love to see your little ones pat-clapping along!
With love and happy hearts,
Victoria
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