Syllable Types: Why do kids need to understand these?

To be honest, I have no idea how I was taught to read. I have specific memories from elementary school, but learning to read isn't one of them. Although I can't remember, I'm pretty sure I never learned the different syllable types that make up words. Growing up, I was a fairly strong reader so learning to read was relatively easy. For some of our students, broad instruction is going to be adequate for them to learn how to read. For many, though, an explicit, systematic, and sequential approach is essential. Nancy Young's Ladder of Reading is a great visual for understanding this idea.

One of my biggest takeaways when looking at this ladder is that ALL students are advantaged by a structured literacy approach. For many, though, it is absolutely essential. I'm also reminded of the quote, "Phonics instruction is beneficial to all, harmful to none, and crucial to some." With recent discoveries in how students learn to read, it's important that we keep this idea at the forefront of our reading instruction.

When going through my Orton-Gillingham training, learning about syllable types was a whole new world to me! It made complete sense, though, and helped me understand more about how words work. This knowledge of syllable types is also extremely helpful when students are learning how to decode multisyllabic words. If they understand syllable types and syllable division rules, reading multisyllabic words will feel less daunting!

If you aren't familiar with the syllable types, there are six different types of syllables that make up the words in our language. They are:

• Closed- A syllable with a single vowel followed by at least one consonant. The consonant closes in the vowel and makes the vowel say it's short sound. (Example: dog)

• Open- A syllable with a single vowel with no consonant after it. The vowel is open and makes it's long vowel sound. (Example: me)

• Silent E- A syllable with a vowel followed by a consonant and then silent e. The vowel sound is long and the e is silent. (Example: take)

• Vowel Team- A syllable with 2 or more letters that work together to make one vowel sound. (Examples: AI in rain, EA in dream, OU in shout, IGH in light)

• R-Controlled Vowel- A syllable with a vowel directly followed by the letter <r>. The <r> "controls" the vowel and they make one sound together. (Examples: park, her, girl, short, curl)

• Consonant-Le- A syllable with a consonant followed by the letters <le>. This syllable type is found in multisyllabic words. (Examples: title, bubble, grumble, staple)

A fun and easy way for students to remember the 6 types of syllables is to think of the word CLOVER. I created this clover poster to display in my classroom and each time we learn a new type, we use highlighter tape to highlight it.

Here is a larger picture of the CLOVER poster:

If you'd like to download this poster for free, along with all of the individual syllable type posters, click on the image below! Let me know if you have any questions about how to teach these syllable types in your classroom. Happy teaching!