Goal

Improves decoding with five-step syllable segmentation strategy

Materials

  1. Board

  2. Word cards- four sets of 25 multi-syllabic words written on index cards

Options to Progress Monitor

  1. Word lists

  2. Curriculum-based measurements of oral reading fluency

Intervention Steps

  1. Explain to students that you are going to teach them a reading strategy that involves dividing words into syllables.

  2. Demonstrate the five-step syllable analysis on the board. The five-step syllable analysis involves:

    • Step 1: Read the Word Aloud

        • Write a multi-syllabic word on the board and pronounce it to students

    • Step 2: Explain the Word's Meaning

        • Ask students to define the word and provide corrective feedback if necessary

    • Step 3: Orally Divide the Word into Syllables

        • Pronounce each syllable of the word while also lifting a finger simultaneously to count the syllables

        • Explain the one-vowel, one-syllable rule (i.e. every syllable contains a vowel)

        • Explain how to identify incorrect from correct syllables (i.e. letters can only go in one syllable)

        • Tell students that sounds in the syllables must match the sounds in the whole word

    • Step 4: Match the Pronounced Form of Each Syllable to Its Spelling

        • Pronounce each syllable aloud while using your finger to show each corresponding syllable while covering up the other letters in the word

    • Step 5: Blend the Syllables to Say the Whole Word

        • Point to the word from left to right while blending the syllables to read the whole word aloud

        • Present another multi-syllabic word to students that is slightly more complex. Walk students through the same previous steps and apply the strategies to the second word.

        • Pair students with similar reading levels. Give pairs the first set of words and ask them to practice applying the five steps to read each word.

        • Ask students to repeat these steps 3-4 times for each set.

        • Give pairs the next set of words and repeat.