Rhymes with Reason helps students boost reading skills and learn important English words by showcasing their existence in widely known music lyrics. Students learn words through favorite songs with the help of skill-building mini games.
By using popular music with a bank of vocabulary known to people of all economic and racial backgrounds, the program provides an engaging and equitable solution to vocabulary access. This culturally relevant, music-powered approach to closing the vocabulary and reading gap serves as a refreshing learning experience for all.
From civics class to career courses, and for the college bound and future CEOs, there’s a Rhymes with Reason playlist. All of the cross-curricular playlists build on the main academic vocabulary modules (Basics through College Prep).
Basics begins with Tier 1 vocabulary for learners as early as second grade. The playlists continue through Fundamentals & Essentials, followed by College Prep.
The Fundamentals playlist works best for students who are in upper elementary school or early middle school and want to improve their vocabulary and English language skills. Example vocabulary terms: influential, naïve, notorious, portray, skim
The College Prep series of playlists is best suited to students in grades 9–12. This series features the most advanced vocabulary in the Rhymes with Reason library. With a blend of pop and hip-hop hits (the latter of which include 67 of the top 100 SAT words!), these modules raise testing confidence. Alongside SAT/ACT vocabulary are terms common among AP English classes. Example vocabulary terms: facet, vignette, cultivate, revoke, equivocal
The Young CEO playlist works best for students in middle school or high school who are looking for an exciting introduction to key terms and concepts related to entrepreneurship and business. Learners are guided to think about the phases and aspects of what it takes to be successful in business; modules include Business Basics, Starting a Business, and Business Skills. Example vocabulary terms: invent, revenue, integrity, acumen, clientele
Built on the foundation of Young CEO, the Workforce Development playlist focuses on the workforce of the future, solidifying for students in middle school and high school the key terms and concepts that will help them secure success in a company or industry. Example vocabulary terms: adapt, responsibility, mentor, experience, bonus
The Science playlist is a set of three modules based on vocabulary in Physics, Earth Science, The Living Environment, Neuroscience, and Chemistry. Learners in middle school and high school aiming to strengthen their knowledge of many aspects of the physical world will be well prepared by this collection of vocabulary and exercises. Example vocabulary terms: magnetic field, biome, ecosystem, plasticity, noble gas
Developed around proven Civics coursework, the Young Changemaker playlist is an opportunity for students in middle school and high school to work through concepts important to becoming a model citizen. From this module, students develop the knowledge and skills to effect change. Discussion-inspiring sections include Foundations, Values, and Action, with the introduction of 100 new terms in total. Example vocabulary terms: justice, representative, proposal, grassroots, register
The Wellness playlist focuses on the physical, mental, and communal aspects of health, encouraging students in middle school and high school to take care of themselves and others in all areas. Learners are guided to think about the mindset with which they approach the world, how they strengthen their minds and bodies, and how their actions impact others around them. Example vocabulary terms: nutrition, intake, contemplate, cope, longevity
The playlists can be used in the order educators find best serves their students. Combined, they provide more than 2,000 terms. An easy-to-use Custom Playlist Builder offers added value and flexibility.