How to Help Your
Struggling Reader:
Phonological Awareness
Activities
Part 3: Syllables
For
many of my students, blending and segmenting syllables is one of their favorite activities at the reading center. I am excited to share with you how to help your Struggling Reader understand this abstract concept. Utilizing blending and segmenting Phonological Awareness activities, as mentioned in earlier blogs, has enabled the students at my reading center to learn to read quickly, effectively and efficiently. By creating your own syllable picture cue cards, or purchasing our ready-made cards, you will have the tools to teach syllable blending and segmenting with a splash of fun!
A little instructional background... Blending
syllables is an abstract concept, which requires listening and memory
skills. Many children need some type of
marker (beans or tiles) to connect the sounds with a tangible
object. The tangible objects or picture
cue cards make this concept more concrete, understandable, and fun.
Phonological Awareness
Level 3 – Syllables
Concept – Understanding syllables can
be blended into words and words can be segmented into syllables.
Questions – Can your child blend
and segment words with syllables?
Activity Materials – Markers (beans, tiles) or picture cue cards and a list of words with syllables.
Blending Directions
Without Markers:
This
is the most abstract and difficult way to teach syllable blending. None of my students at the reading center have learned syllable blending using this method, but perhaps this technique may
work for your child.
The
parent faces the child and says, “um…….brel…..…la.” The child blends the syllables together into
“umbrella.”
Blending Directions Using
Markers:
The
parent faces the child (so that the child can watch the parent’s mouth – if
needed). The parent lines up three tiles
and starts from the child’s left, moving to the right (the direction we read)
stating, “um” and then moves the
first marker slightly, then states “brel”
and moves the second marker slightly, then states “la” and moves the marker slightly.
The child then verbally blends the syllables into “umbrella” and uses his/her finger to make a sweeping movement (underlining) from
left to right under the tiles as the word is spoken.
Insight: Years
ago, educational professionals thought that children with letter and word reversals had
visual issues. However, now professionals think these difficulties may reflect “left-right orientation” challenge. In simple language this means when a child reads, he/she
doesn’t continually “sweep” from left to right, instead the child looks at the
letter or word without directionality. No wonder,
letters are flipped and words are read backwards. . For
more information regarding researched-based information regarding Struggling
Readers, visit the International Dyslexia Association. http://www.interdys.org/InsInt.htm
Blending Syllables Using Picture
Cue Cards:
Students at the reading center learn to blend syllables together using our picture
cue cards.
Syllable Picture Cue Card
example:
The "umbrella" cue card is cut into three pieces.
© Skills for
Success
1 2 3
front of picture cue card
 |
| back of picture cue card |
Whether you create your own cue cards, or want to order and use our ready-made cue cards, your child will love this activity!! http://www.skills-for-success.com/intervention.html
The parent places the three “umbrella” cue cards with the numbers facing up in front of the child from the child’s left to right (the direction we read). Don’t show the picture side of the cards to your child...this will create anticipation and mystery for each word. Your child will become self-motivated!
The parent points the card with the number 1 on it and says, “um”, then the parent points to the card with the number 2 on it and says, “brel”, then the parent points to the final card with the number 3 on it and says, “la.” The child then blends the word together saying, “umbrella” and turns the cards over to reveal a colored picture of an umbrella. The child then uses his/her finger to make a sweeping movement (underlining) from left to right under the cards as the word is spoken.
Insight:
When using the picture cueing cards, even my most cognitively challenged Struggling Readers have learned blending and segmenting skills.
Segmenting Directions
Without Markers:
The
parent faces the child and says, “umbrella.” The child segments the syllables into “um…..brel…..la.”
Segmenting Directions
Using Markers:
The
parent faces the child (so that the child can watch the parent’s mouth – if
needed). The parent lines up three tiles
in front of the child and states, “umbrella.” The child touches each tile and starts from
his/her left and moves the first marker slightly and says “um,” then then states “brel”
and moves the second marker slightly, then states “la” and moves the third marker slightly. The word has been segmented! The child then uses his/her finger to make a
sweeping movement (underlining) from left to right under the cards as the word is
spoken.
Segmenting Syllables Using
Picture Cue Cards:
The
parent places the three “umbrella” cue cards with the picture facing up in
front of the child from the child’s left to right (the direction we read). The parent says, “umbrella.” The child then
points to the first piece of the umbrella and turns it over and says, “um”,
revealing the number 1, then the child says, “brel” and turns the card over revealing the number 2, then the
child says “la” revealing the number
3. Three syllables in the word
“umbrella.” The child then uses his/her
finger to make a sweeping movement (underlining) from left to right under the
cards as the word is spoken.
Now
you have the strategies to teach blending and segmenting of syllables with style!
Syllable word list:
One
Syllable Two Syllables Three Syllables
cat table umbrella
door basket telephone
pig candy elephant
grass flower Saturday
ball pencil family
Four
Syllables Five Syllables
watermelon cafeteria
harmonica veterinarian
kindergarten vocabulary
helicopter opportunity
january university
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