Song Lyric Fill in the Blank

Nothing at all — just voices and a song you both know

Choose a song your child knows very well — something they've heard dozens of times. "Twinkle Twinkle," "Wheels on the Bus," or their current favorite.

Start singing the song clearly and confidently, establishing the melody.

At a key word, stop singing abruptly and point to your child. Wait for them to fill in the missing word. "Twinkle twinkle little ___!"

Big reaction when they get it: "Yes! Star!" Keep singing to the next blank.

Gradually leave out more and more words until your child is singing most of the song with minimal help from you.

Try leaving out the LAST word of every line — this is the easiest pattern because rhyming words are the most predictable.

Switch roles: your child sings and YOU have to fill in the blanks. Pretend to struggle sometimes for laughs.

This is a powerful memory exercise. Your child has to hold the melody in their head, anticipate what's coming, and produce the right word — all at once.

Start with just 2-3 blanks per song for younger kids. By 5-6, most children can fill in nearly every word.

Deliberately say the wrong word sometimes: "Twinkle twinkle little... CAR!" Kids love correcting adults. It reverses the power dynamic in a delightful way.

This works brilliantly in the car. No materials, no screen, just singing and laughing together.

It also builds phonological awareness — when children predict rhyming words, they're exercising a pre-reading skill.