The 7 Types of Syllables to Rock Your Phonics Lesson

Let’s dig into the 7 types of syllables to rock your phonics lesson! To build strong readers, you have to teach the types of syllables!  It’s not too late to start! 

We’ve talked about teaching phonics explicitly during reading instruction…it’s important!

First…What is a syllable?

According to Anna Digilio from Guided Readers, “You’ll start with the basics by giving your students a definition of a syllable: a word, or a part of a word, that contains one vowel sound. A word can have one syllable or several, but every syllable must have a vowel.  

The first and most basic skill you’ll want to teach your students is to hear and recognize the syllables in the words they hear.”

Let’s Count the Syllables!

After the students understand what a syllable is, they can count the number of syllables in a word.  The easiest way to do this is by clapping. The students can say a word and clap each time their chin moves.

I’ve also tried other ways…tapping the number of syllables on our palm, putting a hand on the chin to feel movement, and stomping!  What ways have you tried to count the number of syllables? 

Can’t I Just Clap the Syllables?

Short answer…yes!  However, don’t you want your students to actually understand the syllables to help them decode words?  YES!  

In early elementary, such as kindergarten, it is just fine to clap syllables and focus on letter sounds.  As students move into 1st grade, they can continue to count the number of syllables, but it is also important to understand the types of syllables to better decode words.  

So, go for it…clap the syllables AND discuss the types of syllables!   

Why Should We Teach Types of Syllables to Rock Your Phonics Lesson?

In the classroom, we want the students to analyze words and notice common spelling patterns to recognize them in other words. When children can learn the different syllable types they can notice these patterns in many words. By doing this, the students decoding skills will improve and the student will become a more fluent reader.

 

This quote from, Pride Reading Program, explains why syllable division is important in the perfect way…

“Breaking up words into syllables or chunks is a really important part of the reading process. Syllabication helps children learn to read and spell difficult words. If your child gets stuck on a difficult word, they can use the syllabication rules to figure it out.”

So What Are the 7 Syllable Types?

 

Read below to learn more about the 7 types of syllables to rock your phonics lesson.  Click HERE to go straight to resource. 

1. Open syllable: The open syllable makes a long vowel sound and the vowel is not closed by a consonant.  Examples of words with an open syllable:ro-bot, mu-sic, ve-to, re-peat, tem-po. Watch this VIDEO to see this phonics tip in action. 

2. Closed syllable:  The closed syllable makes a short vowel sound.  The vowel is closed by a consonant.  Examples of words with a closed syllable:  mag-net, mu-sic, ten-nis, sun-tan. Watch this VIDEO to see this phonics tip in action. 

3. Magic E syllable: The magic e syllable ends with a magic e that changes the vowel to a long vowel sound.   Examples of words with a magic e syllable:  cup-cake, sun-shine, play-time, stove-top

4. Vowel Team syllable:  The vowel team syllable contains 2 vowels that create a long vowel sound.  Examples of words with a vowel team syllable:  re-peat, oat-meal, ex-plain, fif-teen

5. Diphthong syllable:  The dipthong syllable contains 2 vowels that create a new vowel sound.  Examples of words with a dipthong syllable:  res-cue, see-saw, joy-ful

6. R controlled syllable: The r-contolled syllable contains a vowel followed by the letter r, which changes the vowel sound. Examples of words with a r-controlled syllable:  cur-few, flow-er, win-ter. Watch this VIDEO to see it in action!

7. Consonant -le syllable: The consonant -le syllable is a final syllable that contains and consonant and -le.  Examples of words with a consonant -le syllable: can-dle, sta-ple, jun-gle, pud-dle

Resources to Help With Syllable Types

I have created the “We Love Phonics” program to make it easier for teachers to introduce and teach phonics skills.  I have created a resource that will guide you for an entire school year, with lesson slideshows and worksheets that correspond to each skill.  

Many of these resources will be perfect when teaching syllable types.  It will give explanations of the concepts, e.g. open and closed syllables, r-controlled vowels, magic e, and vowel teams.  The next unit I am working on will be perfect for 2nd grade students and will contain more multi-syllabic words.   To get the printable posters and the steps in a printable format…head HERE!

 

 

 

Is it 6 Syllable Types or 7 Syllable Types?

The Orton Gillingham Online Tutor, “There are Orton-Gillingham based programs teach these in a different order and some include a seventh syllable type which is entitled Diphthong.”

I definitely like to include this syllable type.  I usually introduce this type of syllable towards of the end of first grade.  Once we learn the dipthongs, I will gradually practice with multi-syllabic words.  Some programs exclude this type of syllable, but it would be a benefit to include in primary and intermediate grades.  

Which Syllable is Stressed? 

The article from pronuncian.com states learning the way syllables work and are spoken will greatly help English language learners.  

“When a word has more than one syllable, a single syllable within the word is given more emphasis than any of the other syllables. That syllable is considered to be the stressed syllable. The vowel sound of the stressed syllable is emphasized by being pronounced longer, louder, and often at a higher pitch than the surrounding syllables. Vowel sounds of stressed syllables are more likely to be phonetic (pronounced as the spelling would suggest).”

If you have ELL (English Language Learners) in your classroom or an ELL teacher, teaching the 7 types of syllables will benefit your students and improve their decoding skills.  

What about SoR?

Would you like a FREE Science of Reading Guide?  This simple guide will take you step-by-step on the SoR journey!