Multi-Syllabic Word Instruction
Why?
Particularly for students in grades 4 and beyond, knowing how to decode multisyllabic words is essential because the words they will encounter in print are words of seven letters or more letters. But reading multisyllabic words can be challenging for many of our older students. Even those who seem to effortlessly decode one-syllable words often struggle when faced with longer, harder words because they haven't fully mastered basic spelling patterns. "That is, these readers lack the speed and automaticity required with those patterns to apply them to longer, more complex words." Pattern detection is an important word-recognition function of the brain; the same letter patterns such as -ion, or -able, can recur in different words. To read words in text fluently and accurately, the brain’s orthographic processor must learn to “see” common letter patterns and recurring word parts.
Other students struggle when analyzing and breaking down a longer word into recognizable chunks that would aid in decoding. For example, rather than decoding a word such as uncomfortable sound by sound, we need students to instantly recognize the larger chunks un, comfort (or com and fort) and able to more easily tackle the word. Dealing with three or four pieces of information (un, com, fort, able) is much easier than dealing with 11 or more (u, n, c, o, m, f, or, t, a, b, le).
Research shows that “skilled readers’ ability to recognize a long word depends on whether they can chunk it into syllables in the course of perceiving it. When skilled readers perceive a multisyllabic word, they automatically break it down into smaller units.
"The good news is that we can systematically and efficiently transition students from reading one-syllable to multisyllabic words if we take advantage of what they already know and make explicit those connections. Also, by focusing on high-utility decoding skills, syllables, and syllable patterns, we can tailor our instruction so that it is fast, efficient, and effective." (Teaching Phonics and Word Study, Wiley Blevins)
When?
Instruction may begin once students are able to read one-syllable, closed-syllable words accurately and automatically.
How?
Develop syllable awareness.
Teach syllable-division though explicit instruction and word inquiry activities and games.
Teach syllable types and develop students' ability to use their knowledge of syllable types as tools to notice patterns in the English language, thus enabling them to decode lengthier words.
What if my students haven’t yet mastered all six syllables types?
Don’t wait until all syllable types (open, vce, r-controlled, vowel teams, vowel diphthongs) have been mastered before introducing multisyllabic closed syllable words. Start with teaching students how to read two-syllable words that follow the closed syllable pattern in both syllables.
What if my students are encountering two-syllable words before they have mastered all the closed syllables?
While it’s important that students are independently able to read the various types of closed syllables such as closed syllables with consonant digraphs (lick, check) and consonant blends (slip, flop), we should still provide opportunities to expose students to multisyllabic words during small group instruction or even during a shared reading practices. We can do this by tapping and blending the first two or three letters at the beginning of the word.
If a rabbit cannot hide, it will run in a zigzag.
1. Develop syllable awareness
Syllable Awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate syllables in spoken words. A syllable is a word or a word part with one vowel sound. Usually, the syllable has a vowel and one or more consonants: Ex: an, bug, three.
ALL syllables have a vowel sound, but NOT all syllables have a consonant sound.
Vowel sounds are made by opening the mouth so air flow isn’t impeded by our teeth, lips, or tongue. Our chins drop each time we say a syllable.
The first goal is to help students develop the ability to identify and count these syllables in words, which strengthens their auditory discrimination and awareness. This then also helps them to complete more complex tasks, such as blending, segmenting, adding, deleting, and substituting syllables.
Click HERE for a sample syllable awareness lesson.
Click HERE for learning activities to support syllable awareness
Additional instructional strategies to help students develop awareness of, and read syllables
Remind students that every syllable must have at least one vowel. We examine some examples, even asking students to provide their own.
Through explicit instruction, help students notice where the vowels are in a word. If there is more than one vowel, and the vowels are not next to each other, then there must be more than one syllable. That means that the word must be chunked into syllables.
”Jaw drops” or “Feel the Syllable” - After determining the number of syllables in a name, ask students to hold two fingers horizontally under their chins, so they can feel the chin drop for each syllable. To maximise this effect, encourage the students to elongate or stretch each syllable. (This “works” because there is a vowel sound in every syllable and vowel sounds are “open-mouthed sounds”...
Hum syllables: Have students hum the word and count the distinct ‘hums’ they make while saying the word. Since vowel sounds are the sounds that can be sustained, they are the sounds that get emphasized when we hum. And so humming a word facilitates counting its syllables. Try humming the word “elephant” and see how you make 3 distinct bursts of humming sounds while you do.
2. Explicit instruction of syllable-division
Syllable-division (or syllabication) is the division of multisyllabic words into separate syllables with each syllable containing one vowel sound. The ability to segment and blend syllables facilitates the accurate and rapid identification of multisyllabic words
Syllabication, is considered by some to be an impactful instructional strategy, because the ability to segment and blend syllables facilitates the accurate and rapid identification of multisyllabic words
And so,
Dividing words into parts, or "chunks" helps speed the process of decoding.
Knowing the rules for syllable division can students read words more accurately and fluently.
Understanding syllables can also help students learn to spell words correctly.
TIPS FOR TEACHING SYLLABICATION
Use brief explicit instruction.
Ensure students’ understanding of vowels and consonants as finding the vowels in a word is an important starting point for breaking it apart by syllables.
Syllabication instruction should progress into learning additional prefixes, suffixes and root words. In addition, providing students with opportunities to practice recognizing common syllabic units is beneficial.
Use dictionaries with caution. Most dictionaries divide words according to how the word should be broken across lines. This sometimes has little to do with the division of the word into its syllables for the purpose of pronunciation.
Use known words to teach syllabication strategies. Knowing the meanings of words can also help students break words apart. If the students are unsure of a word’s meaning, briefly discuss the meaning after students have used the routine to read the word.
Provide ample opportunities for students to apply the strategy in context. Don’t limit instruction to the word level. Use connected texts.
Provide students with opportunities to play with rules in order to notice patterns, instead of memorizing rules.
Co-create and refer to anchor charts of rules using what students notice about words and syllable patterns.
Provide timely feedback. As students apply the routine, consistently provide feedback that affirms what they did well and explain how the students can improve their use of the routine
Syllable division rules:
Of the many division rules, two are considered to be the most productive for students to learn.
1. When two consonants are between two vowels (VCCV), generally the syllables are divided between the consonants (for example, the word “napkin” is divided: nap/kin).
2. When there is only one consonant between vowels (VCV), the consonant generally is part of the syllable to the right (for example, the word “paper” is divided: pa/per). If this does not produce a recognizable word, then the student would try the consonant as part of the syllable on the left (e.g., the word “cabin” is divided: cab/in).
“It is not advisable to spend a significant amount of instructional time on teaching syllable division rules. The goal is to have students quickly and accurately identify syllable patterns so that word recognition becomes more fluent." (Carreker, 2005). Instead of repeating rules, spend time having students look for recognizable parts or patterns of longer words.
Wiley Blevins points out that “effective decoders see words not in terms of rules but in terms of patterns of letters that are used to aid in identification. Through phonics instruction that focuses students’ attention on each letter in a word, teaches blending, and highlights common spelling patterns, students will increasingly internalize rules and generalizations about words.
For example, when students encounter words in which the letter c stands for either the /s/ sound or the /k) sound, we want them to be able to generalize the conditions under which each is likely to occur.
But this won't happen through memorization or through instruction where the emphasis is on knowing the rule, rather than applying them. And their ability to apply these rules will come from multiple exposures to words. As time progresses and students are given regular opportunities to notice, review, play with, and apply the rules, they will internalize them.
Rather than teaching a wide array of rules to memorize, research shows that choosing one routine (such as Spot and Dot) and explicitly teaching it to students is a greater help to students by providing them with simple steps for breaking words into parts and blending those parts together to sound out the word. The routine can be used flexibly across different multisyllabic words.
3. Teach syllable-types
Once students have developed the concept of the syllable, they are ready to begin learning the six most common syllable syllable patterns. (syllable types)
Syllable types, also called syllable patterns, are common configurations of letter sound correspondences (Honig, Diamond, & Gutlohn, 2000). Learning these common patterns will give students insight into how words are put together. In a series of intervention studies, Research has found that when students are taught how to pronounce common syllables and then practiced reading multisyllabic words with these syllables, their ability to read multisyllabic words in general improved.
Teaching students ABOUT the six syllable types, and showing how to use knowledge of the six types helps them develop the ability to attend to patterns in the English language and enables them to decode lengthier words. Explicitly teaching students how to take multisyllabic words apart (“chunking” words) using knowledge of syllable types can help students learn clues to determine whether the vowel is long or short, etc.
For example, a vowel followed by one or more consonants has the short sound and is called a closed syllable (e.g. "hem," "dish"). On the other hand, a syllable that ends in a single vowel usually has the long sound and is called an open syllable (e.g. "he," "no").
The following is a sequence recommended by Wiley Blevins:
• closed syllables (since closed syllables are the most frequent, it is recommended to begin instruction there)
• open syllables
• VCe : Vowel–consonant–silent e
• vowel teams (also called vowel pairs)
• r-controlled
• consonant + le
Click HERE for sample lessons for each syllable type
INSTRUCTIONAL TIPS:
Rules as tools and knowledge rather than for memorization. Create anchor charts and refer to them as you think aloud about patterns you notice or tp outline the characteristics of each syllable type as you introduce them. Students need to see the information about the types as a tool not rules to memorize…to help make this happen, the information needs to be visible and accessible.
Emphasis on pattern detection rather than rules to memorize
Not all syllable types or syllable-division rules at once. Rather than teaching syllable types all at once, each type should be introduced, explained, practiced, and mastered before moving on to the next. Blevins (2001) suggests the following instructional sequence: closed, open, vowel consonant-silent e, vowel team, r-controlled, and final stable syllables.
Provide students with multiple opportunities for students to play with and manipulate syllables to increasingly internalize knowledge related to syllables types, or division rules.
Don’t limit instruction to the word level. Use connected texts.
Suggested steps for explicitly teaching syllable types.
Recognize the Characteristics of the Syllable Type
When introducing the characteristics of each syllable type, use manipulatives, such as letter chips. Manipulatives “provide support as learners begin to apply and internalize reading skills and strategies” (Coyne, Zipoli, & Ruby, 2006, p. 164).
For example, to teach open syllable types contrast them with closed syllables by taking away a letter chip. The vowel changes from short to long (hit –> hi; bed–> be; met–> me; got–> go). The characteristic of closing in or opening up the vowel becomes associated with short and long vowel sounds.
Click HERE for learning activities to support syllable awareness
2. Read Numerous Single-Syllable Words With the Syllable Type
Students need to demonstrate mastery at the single syllable level before moving onto multisyllabic words. By practicing with single syllable words, students gain confidence in applying the principles for decoding words exemplifying the syllable type.
An enjoyable way to practice is to have students sort single syllable words by types (figure 1). Word sorts help students to improve both their spelling and reading skills (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2008; Joseph & Orlins, 2005). Once students have learned closed, open, and vowel-consonant-silent e syllable types, have them sort single syllable words into the three categories.
Have students review which syllable type has a short vowel sound and which has a long vowel sound. Learning patterns rather than individual words is central to mastering the syllable type strategy. (Figure 2)
3. Read Two-, Then Three-Syllable Words of the Syllable Type in Lists and Then in Connected Text
Having students read two-, then three syllable words made up of a familiar syllable type allows them to gain mastery for decoding longer words.
After learning to decode closed syllables in single syllable words, for example, provide students with opportunities to read words that are two or three syllables in length containing closed syllables (ab/sent, ran/som, sat/in, mag/net, bas/ket/ball, es/tab/lish, pun/ish/ment), using syllable-division activities.
Connected texts: Learning to decode words of this length in connected text is a critical step because students need to focus on the construction of meaning while decoding fluently.
4. Read Two, Then Three, Syllable Words of Mixed Syllable Types in Lists and Then in Connected Text
After each syllable type is mastered, students should read multisyllabic words that combine the syllable types they know, using syllable-division activities.
For example, after students have learned closed, open, and vowel-consonant-silent e syllable types, they can read words such as: frozen (fro/zen: open/closed), secret (se/cret: open/ closed), complete (com/plete: open/ silent e), confuse (con/fuse: close/silent e), and humane (hu/mane: open/silent e). This has enormous appeal for struggling readers who fear reading longer words.
Knowing syllable types gives them a strategy for chunking parts of words and determining the vowel sound for each syllable. They are then able to blend the syllables in a word and decide if it is a meaningful word. When reading connected text, they can use context to help them determine the actual word.
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