State and Model the Objective
Tell the children that they will feed a ram foods like jam and ham as they recognize and produce words that rhyme with ham, such as ram, jam, yam, and clam.

Literacy Activities
Feed the ram words that rhyme with ham

• Cut a hole in the ram graphic (see below) where the mouth should be that is big enough for the picture cards to pass through.
• Staple a plastic bag behind the ram's mouth to catch the picture cards. 
• Show the children the picture of a ram, explain that a ram is a boy sheep, then tell the children that this ram likes to eat foods that rhyme with ham.
• Sing the Feed the Ram song (found below) as you show the children the corresponding picture cards.
• Repeat the song and let each child have a turn putting one of the picture cards into the ram's mouth. 

Play a "Scram!" game.

• Identify the pictures of a clam, jam, ham, yam, and ram and place them around the room.
• Explain to the children that "scram" means to run away quickly, then demonstrate how to "scram" for the children. 
• Tell the children they will each get a turn to scram to a picture card that rhymes with ham.
• Tell a child to scram to one of the words that rhyme with ram (e.g., "Scram to the yam."), supporting as needed. 
• Ask the children, "Where did he or she scram?" and help the children answer, "To the yam!"
• Repeat, changing the word for each child until everyone has had a chance to scram.

More Practice
Produce words that rhyme with ham

• Remind the children of the words they played with (ram, ham, yam, clam, jam, scram, bam).
• Ask each child to think of a word that rhymes with ham (support as needed).

Recognize words that rhyme using pictures 

• Lay out two pictures cards (see below) that rhyme with ham (e.g., ram, lamb) and one that does not (e.g., boat).
• Let the children help you identify the picture that does not rhyme (support as needed). 
• Repeat with other sets of pictures:
  • clam, cat, ham
  • bird, jam, yam
  • ram, ham, flowers
  • clam, rock, yam
  • toast, lamb, jam