In prekindergarten, which statement about rhyming reflects typical development?

• A. Isolate ending phonemes before rhyming
• B. Recognize rhyming words before generating them
• C. Rhyming is not a type of phonological awareness
• D. If a student can identify rhyming words, they can generate rhyming words

Answer: (B)

In early literacy, children first notice that many words end with the same sounds, so they can tell when two words rhyme—this is rhyme recognition. Only after they can hear and identify rhymes do they typically begin to produce rhymes themselves, such as coming up with a word that rhymes with a given word. So saying that prekindergarten learners recognize rhyming words before generating them fits the usual development: recognition comes before production, and it reflects the gradual build of phonological skills. Rhyming is indeed a type of phonological awareness, and being able to identify rhymes doesn’t always mean a child can generate new rhymes yet—the generation step takes more practice and verbal play.