what is onset and rime

Onset and rime are two parts of a spoken word that make up the syllables in a monosyllabic word. The onset is the initial consonant, consonant digraph, or consonant blend sounds that come before the vowel sound. The rime is the vowel and any final consonant sounds that follow the onset. For example, in the word "cat," the onset is /k/ and the rime is /at/ . Onset and rime activities help children break down words into smaller parts and recognize patterns in words, which can lay the foundation for future spelling strategies. Teaching children to attend to onset and rime can have a positive effect on their literacy skills and is strongly predictive of reading and spelling acquisition. Onset and rime can be taught as a pre-reading skill to help children recognize patterns in words and become successful readers.