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Syllable Games

Syllable games help young kids to hear the different parts of multisyllabic words, which supports decoding speed and accuracy as well as fluency. Understanding syllables can also help students learn to spell words correctly.

Key Information

Focus

Phonological awareness

Appropriate Group Size

Individually
With small groups
Whole class setting

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 often focuses on teaching different types of syllables (open and closed) and what occurs when syllables join together within a word.


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.

Watch a lesson: helping children clap or tap syllables in words (small group)

In this syllable segmenting activity, the teacher has the students clap out the syllables in the names of animals using picture prompts. (Durham District School Board)


Watch a demonstration of  the “quiet yell” (whole class)

Monique Ealey demonstrates the Quiet Yell, a fun and engaging strategy that helps students practice segmenting and counting syllables in words. Ms. Ealey is a former teacher and current director of education and programs at the Mississippi Children’s Museum. (From our sister project, Reading Universe (opens in a new window))


Watch a demonstration of “stomp and say” (whole class)

Former teacher and current Director of Education and Programs at the Mississippi Children’s Museum, Monique Ealey, talks about her fun and engaging “stomp and say” strategy to help students practice segmenting and counting syllables in words. (From our sister project, Reading Universe (opens in a new window))

Watch a lesson on segmenting and blending syllables (small group)

Students in teacher Liz Quezada’s class practice segmenting words by pulling apart syllables and then putting them back together to form the word. They’re at La Verne Heights Elementary School in La Verne, California. (From our sister project, Reading Universe (opens in a new window))

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 › (opens in a new window)

Jumping syllables

This activity teaches student to separate words into syllables. Students move syllables around to create new “silly” words, giving them practice manipulating different sounds. Jumping syllables ›

More syllable activities

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

Teaching syllable awareness

Learn more about teaching syllable awareness (opens in a new window) in this skill explainer from our sister site, Reading Universe. You’ll find classroom videos, lesson plans, student practice activities, and more. 

Differentiate instruction

For second language learners, students of varying reading skill, and 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

Topics this strategy is especially helpful for

Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
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