Rhymey Listens to the End

Rhymey was a musical little bird who loved the ends of words — the part that rhymes. But sometimes, when you asked what a word starts with, Rhymey listened to the end by mistake, because that was her favorite part.

“What does cat start with?” you asked. Rhymey listened hard — to the end. “Att!” she sang. Hmm — was that the start? You knew it wasn’t. “Rhymey,” you said gently, “that’s the end. Listen to the very beginning.” Rhymey tilted her head. “Ohh — the front!”

You showed her: stretch the word slow and catch the first little sound. “Caaat — kuh.” “Kuh!” echoed Rhymey. “That’s the start! I was listening to the wrong end.” Moving her ears to the beginning made the first sound pop right out.

You played more. “Sun — sss.” “Ball — buh.” Each time, Rhymey caught herself drifting to the end, then moved her ears back to the start. “Beginning first,” she reminded herself, “then I can enjoy the rhyme at the end.” You’d taught her where to listen.

Rhymey sang you a little thank-you tune. “You showed me the front of the word,” she said. “First the start, then the rhyme.” You had listened so carefully to catch her wrong-end that first sounds were easy for you now too — a gift you gave by teaching.