Developing Literacy Skills Using Nursery Rhymes is a comprehensive literacy resource designed to strengthen foundational reading, phonics, and oral language skills in Grades 1–3. The book includes 17 classic nursery rhymes, each paired with a full lesson plan that targets key literacy skills such as rhyming, word families, vowel sounds, consonant blends and digraphs, syllabication, predicting, sequencing, and identifying main ideas and details. Each lesson includes picture discussion, guided reading, vocabulary exploration, phonetic skill development, and comprehension questions, allowing teachers to scaffold learning in a structured yet playful way.

The resource also emphasizes expressive oral reading, dramatization, choral speaking, and memorization—skills that build fluency, confidence, and a love of language. With reproducible activity sheets for both comprehension and phonics, plus teacher notes explaining the value of poetry, phonological awareness, and choral reading, this resource supports diverse learners and aligns with provincial and territorial ELA standards across Canada. A chart of the Common Core Standards is included in the introduction. Its blend of rhythm, repetition, and meaningful literacy practice makes it ideal for whole‑class instruction, small‑group work, literacy centres, or intervention settings.

Introduction Includes:

• Learning Expectations - At A Glance TM
• Rubrics:
  • Teacher Assessment Rubric
  • Student Assessment Rubric
• Common Core Standards Met Chart
• Teacher Notes:
  • Introduction
  • Nursery Rhymes
  • Choral Reading
• Nursery Rhyme Booklet Cover

Nursery Rhyme Lessons:

Each lesson includes:

• A Teacher Preparation
• B Picture Discussion
• C Reading the Rhyme
• D Rhyme Discussion
• E Vocabulary Skills
• F Phonetic Skills
• G Word Study
• H Conclusion
• Answer Key

Lesson One: The Eensey Weensy Spider

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• 1.2, 2.3, 3.3 Describe sequence of main events in a story (may use illustrations)

Lesson Two: Jack and Jill

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)

Lesson Three: There was a Crooked Man

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• 1.2, 2.3, 3.3 Describe sequence of main events in a story (may use illustrations)

Lesson Four: Old King Cole

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• L 1.4a, 2.4a, 3.4a Use sentence context to determine the meanings of words
• 2.3a Recognize long and short vowel sounds

Lesson Five: What Are Little Boys Made Of?

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• L 1.4a, 2.4a, 3.4a Use sentence context to determine the meanings of words

Lesson Six: To Market

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• 1.1d Break one and two syllable words into sounds/parts

Lesson Seven: Little Pussy

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• RL 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 Ask and answer questions for understanding

Lesson Eight: The Little Bird

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• RL 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 Ask and answer questions for understanding

Lesson Nine: One, Two, Three

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• L 1.4a, 2.4a, 3.4a Use sentence context to determine the meanings of words
• 1.7, 2.7 Use illustrations to describe characters, settings and events

Lesson Ten: Robin Redbreast

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• 1.2, 2.3, 3.3 Describe sequence of main events in a story (may use illustrations)

Lesson Eleven: The Mulberry Bush

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• RL 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 Ask and answer questions for understanding

Lesson Twelve: The Tarts

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• 1.2, 2.3, 3.3 Describe sequence of main events in a story (may use illustrations)

Lesson Thirteen: Little Bo-Peep

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)

Lesson Fourteen: The Little Mouse

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• RL 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 Ask and answer questions for understanding

Lesson Fifteen: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• 1.2, 2.3, 3.3 Describe sequence of main events in a story (may use illustrations)

Lesson Sixteen: Sing a Song of Sixpence

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• RL 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 Ask and answer questions for understanding
• RF 2.3b Recognize common vowel teams (ee, oa, etc)

Lesson Seventeen: The Three little Kittens

• 1.2 Retell Text by listening to rhymes read aloud
• 1.10, 2.10, 3.10 Read and comprehend grade-level literature
• 1.3, 2.3, 3.3 Apply word skills to decode words (rhyming words, blends, digraphs, vowel combinations)
• 1.2, 2.3, 3.3 Describe sequence of main events in a story (may use illustrations)

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