Literacy: Syllables!

This week we are practising hearing the syllables inside of words! We will sometimes call them "beats", or the "big" sounds in words. Syllables can sometimes be confusing for kids. They can sometimes add extra syllables in words that aren't there (i.e., saying the word house has 2, h-ouse). I redirect them to use the word in a sentence, or clapping it out. Sometimes students can get confused between syllables and segmenting. That means, for example, they think the word cat has 3 syllables, c-a-t, when in reality it only has 1, but has 3 sounds.

We started by practicing clapping the syllables in our name :) Most of our friends have 3... some have 2, and some even have 1! You can play a game at home with your family by practising everyone's name. Understanding syllables is important because it will help with the transition of spelling. We have to be able to identify the syllables in words, so we can then segment each syllable and spell it out. I made a quick chart below to explain.

By the end of SK, I would expect students to be able to spell simple, 1 syllable CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words.... real or nonsense, such as cat, dog, yed, soc. I would also expect them to be able to clap the beats in words up to 3/4 syllables. Some of our SKs sat down with me to play a game of "Syllable Smash"! It was fun! We also watched this fun video about syllables :)