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Contact: Hillary Bates
Highlights Corporate Communications
habates@highlights-corp.com or 614-487-2640

3 Reasons Rhymes Raise Readers

Highlights High Five magazine explains the power of the nursery rhyme

September 9, 2008 (Columbus, OH)—Nursery rhymes are often among the first books and stories parents share with their young children. Beloved and easily remembered, many rhyming poems are favorite childhood classics. Is there reason behind our intuition to rhyme with children? Highlights High Five, a new magazine for pre-readers age 2 to 6, shares the following reasons why rhyme and rhythm can actually help pre-readers learn language skills:

• What's that sound? Rhymes, as well as songs and poems, can help children indentify the sounds that make up words. We call this phonological awareness and it is big step on the way to becoming a reader.
• This is fun! Rhymes are fun-filled, dramatic and pleasing to the ear. "Rhyming helps to make language fun," says High Five editor Kathleen Hayes. "Children love to make nonsense words, to challenge themselves to come up with things that rhyme and to play with language."
• Again, again! Because rhymes are typically short and rhythmic, they are easy to remember. Children delight in returning to familiar verses.

Launched in 2007, Highlights High Five is a magazine edited for pre-readers (age 2-6); it contains short stories, poems, puzzles and of course, plenty of rhyming.

Highlights High Five is published by Highlights for Children. Its flagship publication, Highlights magazine, recently printed its one-billionth copy, and the company has expanded to include a toy catalog, several online destinations, including the popular HighlightsKids.com, and a children's book publishing division. Corporate offices of Highlights for Children, Inc. are in Columbus, Ohio, and editorial offices are in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Highlights and Fun with a Purpose are registered trademarks of Highlights for Children, Inc.