For now, just leave out rests and any note values smaller than a quarter note.
Start with rhythms that involve only quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, and whole notes. So what are the 8 most basic rhythms every beginning student should learn in 4/4 time? So it's important that you find words/phrases that work for you, because phrases that feel right to others might not feel right for you, and vice versa. Different people pronounce words/phrases differently, and which syllables are longer or shorter in a person's speech pattern varies.
The trouble with this technique is that it's subjective.