Syllables second grade

Tips for Teaching Syllables - Lucky Little Learners

Written by: Jess Dalrymple

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There’s no doubt about it – teaching syllables is an important part of reading instruction. After all, this skill shows up in primary grade level standards – regardless of where you teach. But how do you get your students to understand what syllables are, and what are the best ways to practice syllabication once it is introduced?

First, let’s dive into why it’s a benefit to young readers to understand syllables. From there, we will offer some suggestions for strategies and resources teachers can use to make teaching syllables a breeze!

Why do kids need to understand syllables?

When younger kids can hear the different sounds and syllables in words, they will have the foundation to be able to chunk apart and blend together sounds and word parts as beginning readers.

As children progress through grade levels, having a strong understanding of how words are broken into syllables can help them decode, pronounce, and spell longer words. In fact, did you know that over 80% of English words have two or more syllables! So, having a strategy for how to chunk multisyllabic words into single syllables is much more efficient than trying to sound out a long string of letters.  

How to Teach Syllables

Download Under Construction HERE

Explain what syllables are

Basically, a syllable is a single vowel sound in a word. This can be confusing for kids because they will want to count the number of vowels they see in a written word. This will take some practice, but it is important to help kids understand that syllables are not single vowels; they are single vowel sounds. Try demonstrating this with a word like “beautiful”. There are five vowels, but when you listen closely, there are three vowel sounds.

1. beau
2. ti
3. ful

Another way to explain is by calling syllables “beats” in words. Try clapping the syllables in students’ names and in names of objects around the classroom. Have students join in as they get more comfortable! Take this one step further and sort the people and objects into groups by the number of syllables.

One more tip: Try putting your hand under your chin to count the number of syllables in words. The number of times your chin drops when you’re saying a word is the number of syllables the word has.

Try it! How many times does your chin touch your hand when you say the word ‘banana’? Your chin should have dropped three times – ‘ba-na-na’. This works because your mouth has to change positions to form a new vowel sound (aka syllable), causing your chin to drop.

Finally, kids will love this video explaining syllables:

Examples of Syllables

• ‘dog’ – one syllable
• ‘pen-cil’ – two syllables
• ‘bi-cy-cle’ – three syllables
• ‘cal-cu-la-tor’ – four syllables
• ‘hip-popot-a-mus – five syllables

Here’s a free site called “How Many Syllables” where you can type a word and it will tell you how many syllables, how to divide the word into syllables, and what the primary and secondary syllables are (to help with pronunciation).

4 Strategies for Teaching Syllables

1- Count Syllables

Practicing syllable counting can be simple! Call out the number of syllables in names when dismissing kids to line up for lunch, “If your first name has three syllables, line up.” Or, send kids to their literacy center by telling them to hop for each syllable in their name. “Jess-i-ca, syllable hop on over to the writing center”.

2- Teach Younger Students to Segment by Syllables

When you notice a student struggling to read a longer word, cover up all but the first syllable. Once they sound out the first syllable, reveal the next syllable to sound out, then have them put the two syllables together. Learn more about reading strategies to use with young readers.

3-

1. Look at the word. Mark the vowels.
2. Determine which syllable division rule (VC/CV, V/CV, VC/V, or V/V) applies.
3. Cut or mark the word accordingly.
4. Read the word.

4- Practice Syllables With Poetry

Haikus

Haikus are fun to write! Kids can get creative and write about any topic, but the poem must be three lines long:

• 1st line – 5 syllables
• 2nd line – 7 syllables
• 3rd line – 5 syllables

Limericks

Limericks are also a form of poetry that requires syllable counting!

• They are five lines long.
• Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with one another.
• Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other.
• They have a distinctive rhythm (based on number of syllables)
• They are usually funny.

This site has excellent directions for how to write a limerick.

Resources for Teaching Syllables

Lucky Little Learners has something for everyone when it comes to supporting the teaching of syllables in K-2 classrooms! Our syllables resources are organized by grade level below.

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Syllable Resources

Kindergarten ELA Toothy

• syllable counting: 1-4 syllable words

Download Syllable Counting Toothy HERE

1st & 2nd Grade Phonics Toothy

• Practice with spelling patterns to master decoding by syllables

 Download 1st & 2nd Grade Syllables Toothy HERE

P

It’s the Toothy® you know and love, with a twist! This phonological awareness resource includes 45 sets of phonological and phonemic awareness skills. It includes early, basic, and advanced phonological awareness activity sets.  Toothy® task kits are highly engaging task card games that allow students to practice skills by answering questions in a fun, motivating way.

Download Phonological Awareness Toothy HERE

2nd Grade Syllable Resources

Daily review all year with all essential 2nd grade phonics skills, including syllables!

• CVC Syllables
• CV Syllables
• CVCe Syllables
• CVVC Syllables
• R-Controlled Syllables
• C + le Syllables
• CV Two Syllables
• CVCe Two Syllables
• CVVC Two Syllables
• Multisyllabic Words

Download Phonics Day by Day HERE

Multisyllabic Words Toothy Pack

Kids get to play the Toothy game while focusing on syllable types and decoding multisyllabic words:

• Counting Syllables
• Closed Syllables / CVC
• Multisyllabic CVCe Words
• Open Syllables
• Two-Syllable Long Vowel Words
• Final Stable Syllables

Download MultiSyllabic Words Toothy HERE

Phonics Centers for 2nd Grade & 1st & 2nd Grade Phonics Toothy

Students get tons of practice with spelling patterns to master decoding by syllables with these resources.

Download Phonics Centers HERE

Download Phonics Toothy HERE

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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

Russian language lesson in grade 2 on the topic "What are the syllables" | Outline of the Russian language lesson (grade 2) on the topic:

MOU "Tumsk secondary school No. 3"

Russian language lesson in grade 2 on the topic

Teacher of the 1st qualification category

ISTROPOVA

RMO of primary school teachers

October 19, 2012

WHAT ARE THE SYLLABLES?

Purpose: to repeat the rules of division into syllables.

Expected results: students will learn to divide words into syllables; reasoned answer, prove your opinion; they will learn to realize the role of language and speech in human life, work in pairs, show the ability to mobilize forces and energy, to strong-willed effort, to overcome difficulties.

PROGRESS OF THE LESSON

I. Organizational moment. Warm-up for the muscles of the hands. Making notebooks.

II. Knowledge update.

1. Calligraphy.

Repetition of writing a lowercase letter in (its elements, types of connections with other letters).

Self-assessment of written letters.

- Find the three most beautiful letters and light "stars" above them.

- What sound does the letter B stand for? (Consonant, voiced, can denote soft and hard sounds).

- With what letters should the letter B be connected so that it becomes a soft sound? (ve, ve, ve, ve, ve). Write it down. What happened? (syllables).

- With what letters should the letter B be combined so that it becomes a solid consonant? (wa, wo, woo, you, ve). What happened? (syllables).

2. Vocabulary work. Orthographic dictionary.

- Find words starting with the letter B.

suddenly

fun

wind

sparrow

crow

Spelling children reading words from the dictionary.

- These words are familiar to us. We know how to write them correctly.

- Our goal now is to memorize the whole group of words.

- What method shall we use? (Compose a text with these words.

For example: Suddenly the wind blew merrily. The sparrow and the crow were surprised).

- Write down a group of words from memory.

Check. Self-esteem. Error correction.

III. Self-determination to activity.

- Divide the letters into 2 bags. On what basis can this be done? (Vowels, consonants?)

2 students work at the blackboard. Evaluation of their work by students.

a, r, m,

i, k, u,

l, n, o

- What can be formed from a consonant and a vowel? (Syllable). What syllables will come from these letters?

Pupils come to the blackboard one by one and write syllables.

Teacher:

A vowel is friendly with a consonant,

Putting together a syllable.

MA- and -SHA, and together MASHA

Came to our lesson.

-What are we going to talk about at the lesson today? (About syllables).

Listen to the answers of several students with an explanation of their opinion.

- Open your textbook to page 65 and read the question we are going to answer today. (What are the syllables?)

IV. Work on the topic of the lesson.

1. Textbook. Exercise 95 How many sounds can syllables be?

2. Syllable division of previously written words from the dictionary.

- How to find out how many syllables are in a word? (Children's answers)

- Listening to information about syllables on the computer.

When pronouncing a word, syllables can be distinguished in it.

A syllable consists of one or more sounds.

A syllable must have a vowel

(ru/ka, a/ist, sha/pka, o/kun).

There are as many syllables in a word as there are vowels in it.

- Were our assumptions correct?

- Divide into syllables the words from the dictionary that we wrote down.

V. Physical education minute.

VI. Consolidation of the studied material.

1. Textbook. Exercise 96

Additional task: Divide words into syllables. Designate a one-syllable word with a number; two-syllable; trisyllabic; four-syllable.

Reflection.

Write on the board:

- Guys, what did you notice? (Some words are divided into syllables incorrectly.)

- Who could divide words into syllables like that? (Dunno)

- Write down only those words that are divided correctly. (o-sa, re-ka, kras-ki).

Check. Reconciliation with the sample on the board.

VIII. Summing up the lesson.

- What was discussed at the lesson today?

- What rules should be remembered to divide a word into syllables?

- Who can say that he has learned well how to divide words into syllables?

- Evaluate your work in the lesson with the help of a "traffic light".

- I learned to divide words into syllables without mistakes.

- I make mistakes when dividing words into syllables.

- I have not learned how to divide words into syllables.

Dividing words into syllables - rules, examples, schemes

Dividing words into syllables is performed in accordance with the number of vowels, and also taking into account the peculiarities of the sound composition of words.

This article will focus on the phonetic syllable, how to correctly divide words into syllables. We take into account that the phonetic division into syllables does not always coincide with the spelling of words.

What is a syllable?

In speech, all words of the Russian language consist of minimal sounding units - syllables. Let's define what a phonetic syllable is.

Definition

The phonetic syllable is the smallest unit of speech that consists of a vowel or a vowel with one or more consonants. The syllable is pronounced with one push of exhaled air.

A vowel forms a syllable. A syllable always has only one vowel. It can independently create a phonetic syllable, as well as in combination with one or more consonants. The consonants cluster around a single vowel. In this regard, according to the sound composition, three types of syllables are distinguished:0003

1. The syllable is one vowel sound:

• A-DRES
• and-dollars
9025AR . The syllable is vowel with the consonant:
• ONO-TO
• CO-LO-MA

3. The SLOG forms a vowel with several consent:

• red
• stars
• bargain

Open and closed syllables

Syllables are open and closed. In the words of the Russian language, most syllables are open. Open syllables organize all vowels alone or in combination with a consonant:

Closed syllables form all consonants at the end of words:

• nail
• cover
• blue
• steam-cart
9025 guard

Unpaired voiced consonants [d'], [l], [l'], [m], [m'], [n], [n'], [p], [p'] can form a closed syllable in any phonetic position: at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of words:

• zer-ka-lo
• Bol-tic
• sa-rai-chik
• sa-ra-fan .

How to properly divide words into syllables?

Words are divided into phonetic syllables according to the number of vowels. A word contains as many syllables as it has vowels. One vowel sound surrounded by consonants creates a monosyllabic word that is not divided into syllables:

In order to be able to divide a word into syllables, it must contain at least two vowels that form disyllabic words: -face.

If a sonorant consonant is between two vowels , then it goes to the next syllable: ko-ryst

When dividing into syllables, we take into account that the syllable ends with a vowel, and the group of subsequent noisy consonants, in combination with a sonorant sound or without it, departs at the syllable boundary to the next phonetic syllable:

• cork
• building.

Only unpaired voiced consonants in the middle of a word can close a syllable:

• AL-Fa-FIST
• Stroy
• Kvar-Tal
• LAN-DID-SHE-SHI
• BI-SSHUM-BEA.

In accordance with this division into syllables, we transfer this word from one line to another in three ways:

2. participation

In this word, we indicate 4 vowel sounds that organize four phonetic syllables:

u-part-e

All syllables are open. The first and last syllable form vowels on their own. The third syllable is a vowel with noisy consonants.

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