Syllable practice kindergarten

Fun, Hands-On Syllable Activities for Early Readers

Learning the number of syllables in a word is an important skill for new readers. Syllable activities help strengthen both reading and spelling skills, as they teach kids to break longer words down into smaller chunks, making them easier to read, spell, and write. These creative and fun syllable activities are designed with a child’s needs in mind. They provide educational value, but also tons of fun for early learners. Pick out the activities that look like the most fun to try, or try them all!

*Continue to strengthen fluency skills with our Emergent Readers MEGA Bundle!

Hands-On Syllable Activities for Early Readers

Use these ladybug clip cards to help children learn syllables.

LEGOs make a wonderful tool for counting syllables. / This Reading Mama

Use these counting cards to help practice syllables. / This Reading Mama

Make literacy fun with this syllable counting activity. / The Measured Mom

Kids will love this open and closed syllable learning activity. / This Reading Mama

Teach syllables with this clever printable. / You Clever Monkey

This game teaches syllables in a fun, hands-on way. / This Reading Mama

Kids will love this syllable matching tray. / No Time for Flash Cards

Use a muffin tin to count syllables. / Growing Book by Book

Kids will love using straws to count syllables. / Pre-K Pages

Dot the syllables with this syllable worksheet. / This Reading Mama

Use this printable to divide syllables. / This Reading Mama

This farm-themed syllable activity is tons of fun! / The Educators’ Spin On It

Active kids will love this syllable counting game. / School Time Snippets

Use clothespins and these syllable strips for counting syllable fun! / You Clever Monkey

Sort words by number of syllables in this cookie jar activity. / Playdough to Plato

Make a pool noodle caterpillar for counting syllables. / Pre-K Pages

Then be sure you request your invite so that you can be the first to hear when the doors open again for our Print and Play Club!

With instant access to hundreds of printables by topic and skill (no more scouring the internet!), every TKC resource, video lessons, a digital games vault, “Super” Sunday Surprises, and much more – your planning time just got easier.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Alex

Founder at The Kindergarten Connection

Alex is a Transitional Kindergarten teacher with a passion for making learning fun and engaging. She's earned a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education, and Masters Degrees in Special Education and Curriculum Design. Alex is a former night owl turned early bird and playful learning enthusiast. Alex lives with her husband and their beloved and high-energy cat, Fitz.

Latest posts by Alex (see all)

Reader Interactions

Syllable Games | Classroom Strategies

As students progress in their literacy understanding, they move from reading and writing single syllable words (often with consonant-vowel-consonant constructions) to reading and writing multisyllabic words. Instruction focused on teaching students about syllables often focuses on teaching different types of syllables (open and closed) and what occurs when syllables join together within a word.

More phonological awareness strategies

Why teach about syllables?

• Dividing words into parts, or "chunks" helps speed the process of decoding.
• Knowing the rules for syllable division can students read words more accurately and fluently.
• Understanding syllables can also help students learn to spell words correctly.

Drumming out syllables

Students use a drum or tambourine to take turns drumming out the syllables in their names or other words. See the lesson plan.

This video is published with permission from the Balanced Literacy Diet. See many more related how-to videos with lesson plans in the Phonemic Awareness section.

Syllables: kindergarten

This video depicts a kindergarten small group engaging in a syllables activity. There are 5 students in this demonstration and they are using manipulatives. (From the What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Foundational skills to support reading for understanding in kindergarten through 3rd grade.)

Collect resources

Marker activity

This activity, from our article How Now Brown Cow: Phoneme Awareness Activities, is an example of how to teach students to use a marker (i. e., token) to count syllables.

The marker activity often used for word counting can be adapted for use in counting syllables. Teachers can provide each child with tokens and two or three horizontally connected boxes drawn on a sheet of paper. The children place a token in each box from left to right as they hear each syllable in a word.

Multisyllabic manipulation

This example includes several activities and a chart of multisyllabic words. One specific activity from this page is the Multisyllabic Words Manipulation Game. Teachers can divide words from reading selections into syllables, write each syllable on a note card and display the syllables in jumbled order. Have students arrange the syllables to form the words.

Multisyllabic words manipulation >

Clapping games

Associating syllables with a beat can help students to better learn the concept of syllables within words. Here's a clapping game to help young learners understand about dividing words into syllables.

Basic words clapping game >

Using mirrors

The following link includes information on introductory activities such as using mirrors for teaching students about syllables. Information is also provided about the different syllable spelling patterns.

Using a mirror to understand syllables >

Jumping syllables

This activity teaches student to separate words into syllables. Students move syllables around to create new "silly" words which gives them practice manipulating different sounds.

Jumping syllables >

Find many more syllable activities developed by the Florida Center for Reading Research.

Differentiated instruction

for second language learners, students of varying reading skill, and for younger learners

• Use pictures instead of words in activities for younger and lower level readers
• Include auditory and hands-on activities (i.e., clapping hands, tapping the desk, or marching in place to the syllables in children's names)
• Include a writing activity for more advanced learners.

See the research that supports this strategy

Adams, M., Foorman, B., Lundberg, I., & Beeler, T. (2004). Phonemic Activities for the Preschool or Elementary Classroom.

Ellis, E. (1997). How Now Brown Cow: Phoneme Awareness Activities.

Moats, L. & Tolman, C. (2008). Six Syllable Types.

Children's books to use with this strategy

Island: A Story of the Galápagos

By: Jason Chin

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

Young readers will explore the evolving terrain and animals of the Galápagos in this nonfiction picture book. Charles Darwin first visited the Galápagos Islands almost 200 years ago, only to discover a land filled with plants and animals that could not be found anywhere else on earth. How did they come to inhabit the island? How long will they remain? Thoroughly researched and filled with intricate and beautiful paintings by award-winning author and artist Jason Chin.

Where Else in the Wild? More Camouflaged Creatures Concealed & Revealed 

By: David Schwartz

Age Level: 3-6

Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Close-up, full color photographs of camouflaged creatures and a variety of poems ask readers to examine the image while learning about characteristics. A gatefold opens to provide additional information. (This may appeal to children who like "real" things.)

Dogku

By: Andrew Clements

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

The picture book story of a dog who finds a home is told in completely (and surprisingly successfully) using haiku.

Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (Poems)

By: Linda Sue Park

Genre: Poetry

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

Like haiku, sijo – a little known, brief poetic form from Korea – looks at everyday activities from breakfast to the weather. Sophisticated illustrations complement the seemingly simple language to delight readers and listeners.

Comments

Short-term educational practice in the preschool educational institution "Syllabic Pyramid".

MUNICIPAL AUTONOMOUS PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

KINDERGARTEN №203, PERM

(for children 5-7 years old)

Author: teacher-speech therapist

Shishmakova Marina Anatolyevna

Perm, 2017

April

SHORT-TERM INTERNSHIP PROGRAM " Word Garden ".

RELEVANCE

The formation of grammatically correct, lexically rich and phonetically clear speech in children, which enables verbal communication and prepares for learning at school, is one of the important tasks of teaching a child in the native language language in kindergarten and in the family.

For the upbringing of a full-fledged personality, everything that interferes with the free communication of the child with the team must be eliminated. It is important that children master their native language as early as possible, speak correctly, clearly, expressively. The correct pronunciation of sounds and words becomes especially necessary for a child when he begins to master literacy. The practice of speech therapy shows that correction of sound pronunciation often comes to the fore in preschool age and the importance of forming the syllabic structure of words is underestimated, and this is one of the causes of dysgraphia and dyslexia in schoolchildren.

The purpose of the practice – to strengthen children's ability to identify long and short words.

Tasks:

- to teach children to divide words into syllables, to distinguish between one -,

two -, three - and four-syllable words;

- to develop vocabulary,

- the ability to hear and listen to spoken words.

Basic principles for building short-term educational practice:

1. The principle of accessibility (teaching method corresponds to the age, level of development, training, interests of children).

2. Sequence principle (from simple to complex).

3. The principle of individualization (an individual approach to each child, taking into account his characteristics).

Main criteria:

- To develop interest in sounding speech, to consolidate the ability to divide words into syllables with the help of stepping and clapping.

- To interest children with the help of tasks, encourage them to think creatively.

-Get children interested in tasks, encourage them to think creatively.

Lesson parts.

1. Organizational part.

2.Main part.

3. Final.

Expected result .

To interest children with the help of tasks, encourage them to think creatively, invent simple word games themselves.

Practice management tool .

Pictures, album sheets, pencils, scissors, glue.

Methodological support.

Internet resources.

Own games.

1. Agranovich Z.E. Logopedic work to overcome violations of the syllabic structure of words in children. St. Petersburg: Detstvo-Press, 2000.

2. Bolshakova S.E. Overcoming violations of the syllabic structure of the word in children. Moscow: Sfera, 2007. Volina V.V. Learn by playing. Yekaterinburg: Argo, 1996.

3. Kozyreva L.M. We read by syllables. A set of games and exercises for children 5-7 years old. Moscow: Gnom i D, 2006.

4. Kurdvanovskaya N.V., Vanyukova L.S. Formation of the syllabic structure of the word. Moscow: Sfera, 2007.

5. Lalaeva R.I., Serebryakova N.V. Correction of general underdevelopment of speech in preschool children. St. Petersburg: Soyuz, 1999.

6. Lopukhina I.S. Logopedia. Moscow: Aquarium, 1996.

7. Tkachenko T.A. Correction of violations of the syllabic structure of the word. Moscow: Gnom i D, 2001.

8. Filicheva T.B., Chirkina G.V. Preparation for school of children with general underdevelopment of speech in a special kindergarten. Moscow: 1991.

9. Chetverushkina N.S. Syllabic structure of the word. Moscow: Gnom i D, 2001.

Practice results.

Children will develop the skill of identifying short and long words. Children will be able to divide words into syllables, distinguish between one -, two -, three - and four-syllable words.

Children will show interest.

Practice perspectives. If there is a high interest of children who have completed the practice, additional classes can be organized.

Advertising and promotion of the practice.

I am a learned owl.

There are two syllables in my word,

SO-WUSH-KA.

You, my friend, change words,

You replenish your vocabulary!

You will be literate, believe me,

You will open the door to school!

Scenario Plan OP CPU

Lesson 1.

1. Organizational moment.

Exercise “Repeat the same way”

Purpose: to learn to reproduce the given rhythm.
Materials: ball, drum, tambourine, glockenspiel, sticks.
Course of the exercise: The speech therapist sets the rhythm with one of the objects, the child must repeat the same.

Exercise "Long - short"

Purpose: to learn to distinguish between long and short words.
Material: chips, long and short strips of paper, pictures.
Course of the exercise:
Option 1. The speech therapist pronounces the words, the child puts the chip on a long or short strip.
Option 2. The child names the words in the pictures and puts them into two groups: to a long strip and to a short one.

Exercise "Say the word correctly"

Purpose: to teach to pronounce words clearly, to develop auditory attention and memory.
Material: subject pictures.
Course of the exercise: the speech therapist shows the picture and pronounces the sound combination. The child raises his hand when he hears the correct name of the object and calls it.

Speech therapist:
Mosalet
Lomaset
Aircraft

2. Main body .

Sound level exercises:

1. “Say the sound A as many times as there are dots on the cube. Say the sound O as many times as I clap my hands.”

2. “Find out what sound (series of sounds) I uttered.” Recognition by soundless articulation, pronunciation with a voice.

3. Definition of a stressed vowel in a stressed position (in a series of sounds).

Exercises at the level of syllables:

- Pronounce a chain of syllables while stringing rings on a pyramid (building a tower of cubes, shifting pebbles or beads).
- “Fingers say hello” - pronouncing a chain of syllables with a touch on each syllable of the fingers of the hand with the thumb.
- Count the number of syllables spoken by the speech therapist.
- Name the stressed syllable in the chain of syllables heard.
- Memorization and repetition of a chain of syllables of different types.

Word-level exercises:

Ball game

Purpose: to learn to clap the syllable rhythm of a word.
Material: ball.
Game progress: the child beats the rhythm of the word given by the speech therapist with the ball.

Game "Telegraph"

Purpose: to develop the ability to divide words into syllables.
Material: sticks.
Game progress: the child “transmits” the given word by tapping out its rhythmic pattern.

Pass it on ball game

Purpose: to learn to divide words into syllables while performing a mechanical action.
Material: ball.
Game progress: children pass the ball to each other and at the same time name the syllable of the given word.

Exercise “What has changed?”

Purpose: to teach to distinguish different syllabic structure of the word.
Material: pictures.
Progress of the exercise: the child explains the difference between words.
Words: cat, cat, kitten. House, house, house.

3. Final part.

Summing up. What did you like? What were the difficulties?

LESSON #2.

1. Organizational moment.

Exercise "Find the longest word"

Purpose: to consolidate the ability to divide words into syllables.
Material: pictures.
Course of the exercise: the child chooses from the proposed pictures the one that shows the longest word.

Exercise "Count, don't make a mistake"

Purpose: to consolidate the ability of children to divide words into syllables.
Material: pictures, cards with numbers.
Course of the exercise: The speech therapist shows pictures, the children show the number corresponding to the number of syllables in the word (the complication option is the number of the stressed syllable).

Exercise "Which word is different"

Purpose: to learn to distinguish between words with different rhythmic structures.
Material: pictures.
Course of the exercise: the speech therapist calls a series of words, the children determine the extra word (use pictures if the children find it difficult).
Words: tank, cancer, poppy, branch. Wagon, bud, loaf, plane.

2. Main body.

Exercise "Name the same syllable"

Purpose: to consolidate the ability to compare the syllabic structure of words.
Material: pictures.
Course of the exercise: the child must find the same syllable in the proposed words (airplane, milk, straight, ice cream).

The game "The end of the word is yours"

Purpose: to learn to synthesize words from syllables.
Material: ball.
Game progress: the speech therapist starts the word and throws the ball to the child, he adds the same syllable SHA: ka…, wa…, Da…, Ma…, Mi… words in the formation of nouns.
Material: ball.
Course of the exercise: the speech therapist, throwing the ball to the child, names the object. The child, returning the ball, calls it "affectionately."
Bow - bow, bandage - bandage, bush - bush, scarf - scarf, leaf - leaf.

3. Final part.

Independent work.

- Pictures whose names consist of 1, 2, 3, 4 syllables.

- Pyramid poster. The upper square denotes one syllable in the name of the subject, 2 squares - 2 words, in which 2 syllables each, 3 squares - 3 words, in which 3 syllables each, 4 squares - 4 words, in which 4 syllables each.

Children make their own pyramid, pick up pictures, stick them on.

Summing up. What have you learned? What were the difficulties?

IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN.

The book contains a system of special exercises aimed at overcoming violations of the syllabic structure of the word in preschool children.

The proposed manual is designed for two years of study and can be used in work with children in the senior and preparatory group of the kindergarten for children with speech disorders. The book contains not only systematic didactic material on the formation of a syllabic structure, but also helps to enrich vocabulary, improve the grammatical structure of speech, and develop a child's phonemic perception.

The manual is addressed to practical speech therapists.

FOREWORD.

In accordance with the principles of psychological and pedagogical classification of speech disorders, a category of children with such a disorder as general underdevelopment of speech, in which there is an insufficient formation of all language structures, has been identified. Speech suffers as an integral functional system, in which all its components are violated: the phonetic-phonemic side, vocabulary, grammatical structure.

OHP can present in a variety of ways in preschool children. In complicated forms of this disorder, in addition to the listed components of speech, the syllabic structure of the word is additionally violated. (Under the concept of “syllabic structure” of a word, it is customary to mean the mutual arrangement and connection of syllables in a word.)

At the same time, the child’s speech has pronounced deviations in the reproduction of the syllabic composition of the word. These deviations are of this or that nature of changes in the correct syllabic sound and can manifest themselves as follows:

1. Violation of the number of syllables:

- reduction (omission) of a syllable - “hank” = “hammer”

- omission of a syllable-forming vowel - “pinino” = “piano”

- increase in the number of syllables due to the insertion of vowels into confluences consonants - “komanata” = “room”

2. Violation of the sequence of syllables in the word:

- permutation of syllables - “devore” = “tree”

- permutation of sounds of neighboring syllables - “gebemot” = “behemoth”

3 Distortion of the structure of a single syllable:

- contraction of consonant clusters - "tul" = "chair"

- insertion of consonants into a syllable - "lemon" = "lemon"

repetition, insistent reproduction) “beaten . .. beaten ... librarian” + “librarian”

6. Anticipation (replacement of previous sounds with subsequent ones) “nananases” = “pineapples”.

7. Contamination (mixing of words) “in the refrigerator” = “in the bread box and refrigerator”.

The prevalence of errors, expressed in the rearrangement or addition of syllables, indicates the primary underdevelopment of the child's auditory perception. Errors such as reducing the number of syllables, likening syllables to each other, reducing consonant clusters indicate a predominant violation of the articulatory sphere.

At the same time, violations of the syllabic structure of the word are retained in the speech of preschoolers with OHP longer than the shortcomings in the pronunciation of individual sounds. The syllabic structure of a word, learned in isolated pronunciation, is often distorted again when this word is included in a phrase or independent speech.

The degree of familiarity with the word is of great importance for the correct pronunciation of the syllabic composition of a word. Unfamiliar words are distorted more often than words well known to the child.

After analyzing the data of scientific and methodological literature on the problem of violation and correction of the syllabic structure of a word in preschool children, we can conclude that this issue is little studied and insufficiently described. Guidelines for the correction of this disorder are contradictory and incomplete, despite their relevance.

The relevance of this problem is evidenced by the fact that the timely mastery of correct speech is important for the development of a full-fledged personality of the child, and the assimilation of the syllabic structure of the word is one of the prerequisites for mastering literacy and further successful education of the child at school.

Based on the principle of a preventive approach to preschool children, the problem of forming the syllabic structure of a word acquires special significance in a kindergarten for children with speech disorders, as a preparatory stage in teaching literacy.

Speech therapy work to eliminate violations of the syllabic structure of a word cannot be limited to a purely corrective task of correcting only this shortcoming. It should be developing and include work on phonemic perception, vocabulary, grammatical forms, development of intellectual functions (thinking, memory, attention).

For the implementation of this task, a material that is multifaceted in its subject matter and designed for an educational and game form of work is required. A speech pathologist usually spends considerable effort searching for it. An attempt to select and systematize such practical material is made by the author of this manual.

It is based on many years of practical experience with preschoolers, the principle of a systematic approach to the correction of speech disorders and the classification of A.K. Markova, who distinguishes 14 types of syllabic structure of a word according to an increasing degree of complexity. Words become more complicated both in increasing the number of syllables (one-syllable, two-syllable, three-syllable and four-syllable words), and in terms of syllable complexity (open and closed, direct and reverse, syllable with and without a consonant confluence):

1. Two-syllable words from open syllables.

2. Three-syllable words from open syllables.

3. Monosyllabic words.

4. Two-syllable words with a closed syllable.

5. Two-syllable words with a flow of consonants in the middle of the word.

6. Two-syllable words from closed syllables.

7. Three-syllable words with a closed syllable.

8. Three-syllable words with a confluence of consonants.

9. Three-syllable words with a confluence of consonants and a closed syllable.

10. Three-syllable words with two consonant clusters.

11. Monosyllabic words with a confluence of consonants at the beginning or middle of a word.

12. Two-syllable words with two consonant clusters.

13. Three-syllable words with a confluence of consonants at the beginning and middle of the word.

14. Polysyllabic words from open syllables.

The whole system of work on the correction of violations of the syllabic structure of the word is designed for 2 academic years (senior and preparatory groups). The proposed manual contains lexical material in the form of a variety of games and game exercises.

The speech material was selected in full accordance with the program document of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR “Correctional education and upbringing of children of 5 years of age with general underdevelopment of speech” by T.B. Filicheva and G.V. Chirkina.

The limited selection of lexical material from types 1 to 5 of syllabic structures is due to the extremely low ability of children to correctly pronounce sound at the initial stage of education. For this reason, the speech material does not use words containing whistling, hissing, fricative and sonorous sounds, except for the sounds “Y” and “L”-soft. At the same time, the material contains all parts of speech, and not just nouns, as suggested earlier in other teaching aids.

METHODOLOGICAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONDUCTING LESSONS TO ELIMINATE VIOLATIONS OF THE SYLAL STRUCTURE OF THE WORD.

The first year of education for 5-year-old children with OHP in kindergarten is conditionally divided into 3 periods of study, each of which has its own duration, differs in tasks and the amount of material studied.

- It is advisable to start work on correcting violations of the syllabic structure of a word at the beginning of the 2nd period of study. Such time frames are due to the fact that in the frontal lessons on the formation of the correct pronunciation in the 1st period, almost all vowels of the 1st row and the sound “I” were studied. In individual lessons, by this time, work should be done to correct the shortcomings in the pronunciation of iotized vowels (as syllable-forming ones), the soft consonant “L” and work to differentiate these sounds.

- Work on the formation of the syllabic structure of a word must be carried out individually, as part of a lesson on correcting sound pronunciation.

- Of great importance in the work is a differentiated approach to children, which involves taking into account the mental characteristics of the child, his performance, the speech capabilities of the preschooler and the nature of the violation of the syllabic structure of the word.

Learn more

• 
  Tips on teaching kindergarten
• 
  How many sight words should a kindergartener know
• 
  Reading lexile levels for books
• 
  Reading levels for 3rd graders
• 
  Numbers for preschool
• 
  Definition of phonogram
• 
  The importance of following instructions
• 
  Activity about colors for preschoolers
• 
  Humpty dumpty king's men
• 
  Learn about the letter a
• 
  Making sentences games