State the Objective

Tell the children they will pretend that there is a snake in the lake, and they will think of and say words that rhyme with lake, such as snake, shake, take, and rake.

Literacy Activities

Introduce target words

• Read the children a list of rhyming words from the activity.
• Have the children repeat the words.
• Point out that the words sound alike, or rhyme.

Make a lake and a snake

• Read the Snake in the Lake target text (see below) to the children.
• Say, “Let’s make a lake!” and lay out a piece of blue paper or a bin of uncooked rice to be the lake.
• Have the children make snakes with a piece of ribbon, yarn, or play-dough.  
• Help the children make a triangular “caution” sign with the yellow paper that says “Snake in the Lake.” 
• Say, ¨Let's take the rake to take the snake out of the lake!” and let the children take a snake out of the lake with a plastic fork or a spatula.

Shake to find the snake

• Put pieces of blue paper and pretend snakes into the plastic cup.
• Ask the children to cover the plastic cup and shake it while saying, “Shake, shake, shake for a snake.”
• Have the children take a snake using tweezers or tongs. 

Recognize rhyming words

• Have the children repeat a pair of words (e.g., take, shake).
• Ask the children to shake their hands in the air if the words rhyme and keep their hands still if the words do not rhyme.
• Repeat with other words that rhyme with snake.