Counting Syllables
This week’s reading strategy helps teach students about identifying, segmenting, and counting syllables.
Counting Syllables Lesson Plan
- Syllable Words on Construction Paper (You don’t have to use construction paper, but it makes it more fun)
- Scissors
- Begin by asking, “What are sentences made of?” Then, introduce syllables by asking, “What are words made of?”
- Demonstrate by having students count the number of syllables in their first name. If teaching in a group, have the group do these together and learn the techniques of clapping out each syllable and placing a hand under their chin to help them count (a child places their hand under their chin while saying a word and counts how many times their chin hits their hand).
- Have your prepared words (syllable cards). Show a word and pick a student to read the word. Then, have the group or student determine how many syllables there are in the word, and where the syllables are located. Cut apart the words to demonstrate the different syllables.
- Reinforce by counting the syllables in common words such as: chicken, butterfly, pencil.
- If any time remains, word family cards are a great extension activity! They are a perfect tool for discussing changing beginning, middle, and ending sounds to produce new words and how these newly formed words often rhyme.
Next Steps/Extension Activities:
- Draw physical objects out of a basket to count syllables
- The teacher pronounces words one syllable at a time for students to determine the word. For example, the teacher says “b/all” and the child says “ball”).
Included In This Packet:
*Counting Syllables Lesson
*Syllable Cards To Cut and Piece Together
*Counting Syllables Picture Worksheet
*Spelling with Syllables Worksheet
*12 Segmenting Syllable Rule Posters
*Syllable Counting Boxes and Suggestions For Use
*Breaking Apart Two Syllable Words Worksheet
*Breaking Apart Three Syllable Words Worksheet
*Breaking Apart Four Syllable Words Worksheet
*Identifying Syllables Worksheet
*Breaking Up Words To Help Spell Them Worksheet
*How Many Syllables? Worksheet
*Syllable Cut and Paste Worksheet
*One Syllable Word Hunt Highlight Worksheet
*Two Syllable Word Hunt Highlight Worksheet
*Three Syllable Word Hunt Highlight Worksheet
*Four Syllable Word Hunt Highlight Worksheet
*Segmenting Words Into Syllables Picture Cards and Segmenting Tiles
*Syllable Game (Counting Syllables)
*Syllable Picture Sort Activity
*Hen House Syllable Match Activity
*Answer Sheets





