Breaking words into syllables

SYLLABLES ๐Ÿฅ – Awareness that words are made up of small chunks or beats ๐Ÿ˜Š

Understanding the syllable structure of words is a key phonological awareness skill.

Did you know that the number of times we pronounce a VOWEL in a word = the number of syllables in the word!?

Encourage your child to think about the shape of their mouth when their pronouncing a word. Using a mirror can help with understanding and seeing this ๐Ÿชž

Here are some ideas to practice building your childโ€™s awareness to syllables:

๐Ÿชž Count how many times your mouth opens/changes shape in order to pronounce the next sound
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ Clap the syllables in words
๐Ÿ‘€ Play eye spy and get your child to count the syllables in the word they chose
๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ Count the syllables of peoples or pets names, in your family

๐ŸฎThere are some examples in the picture!

Written by Emily Baxter

Blossom Rural Director & Speech Pathologist (B.SP, CPSP)

"As a Speech Pathologist, I love working with rural families on their childโ€™s literacy, speech and language skills. I opened Blossom Rural in January 2021 after noticing the lack of Speech Pathology services in my local Far Western NSW region. The number of rural children, living on properties and remote towns, who were not able to access regular Speech Pathology intervention without driving to a major capital city, was astounding. These were the families I had always hoped to work alongside and provide an accessible service to. I grew up in Broken Hill before heading to Adelaide for Boarding School at 12 years of age followed by university. The healthcare gap between country and city was very obvious!"

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