Some kids pick up the concept of syllable very quickly. Their ears are tuned in, and they are able to pick out the number of word “chunks” they hear just by listening. Other children, however, need a more concrete, visual or physical method of “seeing” or “feeling” the syllables in the word.
I have one child in each of these two categories. My older son can simply hear a word and he can tell you how many syllables are in it when asked. My little guy is a kinesthetic learner. He learns best when some sort of physical activity is involved. The following game has helped him to “see” and “feel” the syllables in the words.
Sit in a circle with your children, or if there are only two of you, sit across from each other. Use a small, soft ball to gently throw or roll to each other during the game. Start by saying a word and then direct children in how to throw the ball once around the circle or back and forth for each syllable they hear. Say each syllable as the ball is thrown.
At first you will need to help divide the words into syllables and tell children when to throw the ball. After a few practice rounds, let your children take turns trying to say a word and break it into syllables.
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Written by Laura on December 6, 2010
There are few different ways to introduce the concept of syllables to young children. On this site, we have previously discussed clapping your hands and using musical instruments, along with several other ideas. Once your child has a few methods in her repertoire, she will need practice using those techniques. Here is one way to do just that using zoo animals as the theme.
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Written by BRWI Staff on October 15, 2010
When learning about syllables, some children may have a difficult time hearing the separations within the words. It may be that syllables are simply a difficult concept or, perhaps, that a child is not an auditory learner. In either case, it may help to be able to “see” the syllables. Try the following activity to help your child visualize the syllables within a word.
On a sunny, ho
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Written by BRWI Staff on May 10, 2010
When we are speaking, we don’t stop to ponder all of the skills we have learned that fit together in order to make speech possible. We simply talk using complete words and full sentences which construct a conversation. However, as children move from the spoken word into reading and writing, it is important that they be able to break down these conversations into small segments. One aspect
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Written by BRWI Staff on March 22, 2010
After a bit of practice clapping or tapping out syllables, most children are able to figure out how many syllables are in any word you give to them using this strategy. However, there comes a point when they must look at a word and determine how many syllables are in it. Preschoolers, of course, are not expected to read words at this point so pictures can be used to help them develop this skill.
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Written by BRWI Staff on February 15, 2010
Most young children love farms or at least the idea of things on a farm. Two- and three-year-old children have been known to repeatedly sing “Old MacDonald’s Farm” until their parents are on the verge of insanity. Needless to say, animal sound games tend to be a favorite among toddlers and preschoolers. Here is one you can do with your child to help reinforce the concept of sy
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Written by BRWI Staff on January 5, 2010
Little kids love to help get meals ready. Whether it is setting the table or preparing the food, their excitement is at a level which we, as adults, wish we could muster for such a mundane task. Why not use this enthusiasm to help teach your child a skill which they can use even when the meal is over?
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Written by BRWI Staff on November 30, 2009
In many elementary classrooms, it is very common to see children clapping out the syllables of words. This is a wonderful way to help children physically experience syllables which can often be difficult for children to master because you can’t really “see” the syllables. Instead, young children must learn to listen carefully, which, for many children, is extremely challenging
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Written by BRWI Staff on October 19, 2009
As children learn to read, they can sometimes become overwhelmed when they are faced with longer words. However, if they are able to break those big words into smaller parts, those giant obstacles can be tackled in tiny parts. This is why teaching very young children about syllables is an important pre-reading skill. Although they will learn several rules involving syllables once they enter ele
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Written by BRWI Staff on September 9, 2009
As children begin to learn to read, they are taught to slowly sound out the words. Usually, students begin by studying one syllable words, such as “cat” and “ball”. However, it isn’t long before they are ready to move on to longer, more challenging words. When they get to this point, children can sound out these longer words by breaking them down into smaller parts
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Written by BRWI Staff on July 17, 2009
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