TEACH READING & WRITING
79
So he swallowed a city
But the citywas too scary
So he swallowed a fairy
But the fairywas smelly
So he swallowed a telly...
You can bring this game to an end by
bringing it back to the beginning:
But the boywas too glum
So he swallowed the plum!
Shoppingforbaby
Amore advanced version of the
previous game is based on the lullaby
‘Hush Little Baby.’ It ismore difficult because
each new rhyme requires two beats and three
syllables. On the other hand, this allows you to
‘funnel’ your class towards themissing bits.
It doesn’tmatter if your class do not know
the original lullaby. You begin by reciting
thefirst three verses:
Hush little baby, don’t say aword
Daddy’s going to buy you amockingbird
And if thatmocking bird don’t sing.
Daddy’s going to buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring don’t shine,
Daddy’s going to buy you a...
Ask your children if they can suggest what
Daddy can buy next for the baby. To complete
the line they have tofill in themissing two
beatswith three or four syllables (e.g.
diamondmine, washing-line or porcupine).
This gives you the subject of the next couplet
for which you supply thefirst line and your
children the following rhyming line. For
example:
And if that diamond ring don’t shine,
Daddy’s going to buy you a bottle of wine
And if that bottle of wine is drunk,
Daddy’s going to buy you a smelly skunk
And if that smelly skunk’s too clean
Daddy’s going to buy you awashingmachine
And if that washingmachinewon’t spin
Daddy’s going to buy you awheelie-bin...
After a fewminutesmost of your children
will understand that they have to add three
syllables, the last of whichmust rhymewith
the last word of the previous line. Don’t
explain this – it is better that they learn this
themselves by listening. Some childrenwill
quickly discover the value of using a two-
syllable adjective (a golden bed/a purple
shirt/a silver chair etc); don’t let your class
repeat the same adjectives.
If some childrenfind this game hard,
you can direct their responses towards
the rhyme by giving themall but the
last word of the line. For example:
And if that grizzly bear’s too fat
Daddy’s going to buy you a pussy...
And if that pussy cat’s asleep
Daddy’s going to buy you aflock of...
And if that flock of sheepwon’t baa
Daddy’s going to buy you a racing...
You can bring the game to an end at any
time by introducing a down/brown/clown
rhyme, for example:
And if that garden shed falls down
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in…
Most childrenwill hear the rhyme ‘town’
before you get there. Not because they are
mind-readers, but because they have learned
to listen to thewords that are hidden all
around them.
3
In association with
