Syllables to Improve 1st Grade Reading Scores
Did you know there are 6 different syllables to improve 1st grade reading scores? Syllables are important in 1st grade phonics lessons. And NO, I’m not talking about one-syllable words like ‘bat’, 2-syllable words like ‘cabin’ or 5-syllable words like ‘electricity’.
Today, we’re tackling 6 syllables to improve 1st grade reading scores. Why? Because when your 1st grader knows these 6 syllable types it will TRANSFORM her spelling! So MOMs, you’re gonna want the inside scoop on these 6 syllable types, too!
Teach your child six specific syllable types to help her with predictable and accurate spelling patterns.
What is a syllable? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a syllable as a unit of spoken language that is next bigger than a speech sound [I will insert phoneme here] and consists of one or more vowel sounds alone.
Did you know there are 6 types of syllables? I’m not talking about this word having one syllable, this word having 2 syllables, this word having 4 syllables. No. Actual different types of syllables that your 1st and 2nd graders and higher NEED to know accurately spell longer words with predictable spelling patterns using syllable types.
Let’s explore the following syllables to improve 1st grade reading scores:
Closed syllables – A closed syllable has one vowel that makes a short sound and ends with a consonant. Because we’re talking about syllable types for 1st and 2nd graders, we have moved past CVC words. Your child can use 2 closed syllables put together to read longer words that have two closed syllables. Closed syllables have the short vowel sound. Examples of words that have 2 short vowel sounds in 2 closed syllables are ‘comic, cabin, exit, basket , dentist, admit, insect, picnic, plastic, subject. Each syllable in these words has a short vowel. Closed syllables have short vowels.
Open syllables – An open syllable has one vowel that makes a long sound and ends with that vowel. Your child can read longer words using open syllables. Open syllables have a long vowel sound, and end with a vowel. There are a few words that stand alone as open syllables: The word ‘be’, ‘b-e’ is an open syllable word because it has a long vowel sound. The word ‘go’ is an open syllable, because it has the long /o/ vowel sound and ends with that vowel, ‘o’.
Words with open syllables, such as ‘be, me, she, hi ‘h-i’, go, no. Now, your child can use open syllables to read longer words that begin with an open syllable, a long vowel sound, paired with a closed syllable with a short vowel sound. Examples of these words are: basic, demand, donut, even (short e in even – can at first be an obstacle for early readers), frozen, secret, music, open.
Using ‘silent e’ syllables to improve 1st grade reading scores – the structure is long vowel, consonant, silent-e pattern. The silent e doesn’t make a sound, but tells the vowel before to say its own name, or long vowel sound. So, although there are two vowels, like in the word ‘cake’, the silent ‘e’ does not count as a separate syllable, because it is silent. The ‘silent e’ syllables follows the silent e spelling rule in the words ‘bake, cute, spoke, time, eve, etc.
Long Vowel Team syllable – ee in the word sleep, ai in rain, oe in toe, ue in blue, etc. I like to help kids remember this vowel team reading and spelling pattern with the jingle, when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking and says its own name. I cannot quote where I learned that from – a way of remembering how to read and spell words with long vowel teams as a kid.
R-controlled vowel syllable – ar in star, er in term, ir in shirt, ur in turn, or in corn, and ore in store. This is such a tricky vowel for kids to learn. You may notice your beginning speller writing the word ‘star’ as str, the wrd born as ‘brn’ and the word store as ‘str’. Practice with word chains is going to be important in r-controlled vowel syllables to get the correct vowel before the ‘r’.
Consonant plus ‘le’ syllable – some phonics manuals refer to this ‘le’ syllable at the end of a words as a final, stable syllable. The name helps us remember the position – ‘final, stable syllable , so at the end’. Examples of words ending with the final, stable syllable ‘le’ are ‘table’, little, battle, grapple, jungle, cable, jiggle.
The last of the syllables to improve 1st grade reading scores is ‘le’. To read words with the final stable syllable ‘le’, cover up the last 3 letters. So, in the word ‘table’, cover up ‘ble’. Then you have ‘ta’ – an open syllable with a long vowel. Now, read the word ‘ta-ble’, table. What do you notice about words with the final stable, syllable, ‘le’? That’s right. There’s a consonant before ‘le’. In the word ‘jumble’, there is the consonant ‘b’ before ‘le’. In the word ‘stape’ the consonant ‘p’ is just before ‘le’.
Want to see results in your 1st graders reading? Teach these 6 syllables to improve 1st grade reading scores for your child NOW!
