Have you been wanting to teach syllable division but you’re not sure where to begin? Then you’re in the right place! Learn the steps and you’ll be teaching your students to read multisyllabic words in no time.
This post discusses syllable division in words with closed, open, and consonant -le syllables. We’ll also touch upon reading multisyllabic words with prefixes and suffixes. The post started to get lengthy so I’ll be posting a Part 2 that explains syllable division with silent e, vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, the vowel-vowel (VV) pattern, and applying strategies to words with more than two syllables.
What is syllable division?
Syllable division is the process of dividing a word into syllables. For budding readers, syllable division is intended to make multisyllabic words easier to read.
Let’s clarify what a syllable is.
A syllable is defined as “a part of a word that contains a single vowel sound and that is pronounced as a unit” (Collins, 2024). The word read has one syllable. The word literacy has four syllables.
There are six syllable types in English: closed, open, silent e, vowel team, r-controlled, and consonant -le. Words are made up of one or more of these syllables.
You’ll notice that the syllable types generally refer to the vowel within the syllable. In a closed syllable, the vowel is closed in by one or more consonants. The word fan•tas•tic is made up of three closed syllables. The word meal•time is made up of one vowel team syllable and one silent e syllable.
Fun fact: Noah Webster, of Webster’s Dictionary, established the syllable types in 1806 to justify how he divided the syllables in words in the dictionary. (Reading Rockets)
Why should I teach syllable division?
Syllable division offers early readers a concrete strategy to turn to when they come across a big and unfamiliar word. Applying syllable division strategies will encourage them to rely less on context clues and picture cues and to tune into the letters and sounds in the word.
Is syllable division instruction necessary?
Truthfully, it’s not always necessary. Some students will learn to read multisyllabic words with relative ease. Some will need a few tricks up their sleeve to tackle longer unfamiliar words. Still, others will need an explicitly taught strategy for decoding multisyllabic words. For these students, syllable division can be a great starting point.
There are arguments that English does not have useful syllable division patterns and therefore it is not helpful to teach the skill. Others say that the Orton Gillingham-style process I describe in this post is overkill and that students do not need such structured practice. It will be up to you, with your knowledge of the readers in front of you, to decide how much instruction your students need to successfully read multisyllabic words.
Remember the goal!
Remember that marking and dividing words correctly is not the ultimate goal. Reading multisyllabic words with ease is the goal. Don’t get so caught up in the marking process that you lose sight of the real goal!
You can’t mark and divide words that are typed within books, text messages, menus, or any other place where a reader might come across an unfamiliar multisyllabic word. This means we cannot let our students become dependent on the sometimes cumbersome process of marking, dividing, and labeling. Rather, we need to teach them about the syllable types, introduce them to common syllable division patterns, and gradually lead them to decode these words successfully with less effort over time.
If you dedicate time to syllable division instruction, you’ll likely notice a change in your students. Those who seemed dependent on the marking process at the beginning will soon begin to read the words more quickly and without even marking them!
What Prerequisite Skills are Necessary?
Before students are introduced to syllable division, they should know the difference between vowels and consonants and have a solid foundation in closed syllable words. Some phonics sequences, like the Wilson Reading System sequence, have students develop automaticity with closed syllable words with blends before introducing syllable division patterns. At the least, students should be able to read one-syllable closed syllable words like top, bit, and fan with automaticity. If they’re still sounding out basic closed syllable words, they will struggle to read multisyllabic words that are made up of closed syllables. Spend more time developing automaticity with simple words before tackling multisyllabic words.
What is Set for Variability?
Set for variability is a skill that helps students determine if they have pronounced a word correctly. Steacy, et al (2019) describe set for variability as “a child’s ability to address the mismatch between decoded form and stored word pronunciation.” This scenario will explain how it works: A child pronounces the word “warm” to rhyme with “arm.” She then realizes that this mispronounced word sounds familiar to her because she has the word “warm” in her oral vocabulary. She corrects her pronunciation.
Set for variability is strengthened by a strong oral vocabulary. If a reader has a word in their oral vocabulary, they are much more likely to read that word correctly when they encounter it in print. This is something to keep in mind when teaching syllable division. Sometimes students will pronounce a word incorrectly because they stressed the wrong syllable (e.g. saying can•DLE instead of CAN•dle) or they didn’t realize there is a schwa syllable (e.g. saying salad with two short a sounds instead of pronouncing it as sal•id). Ideally, they will use their set for variability to correct the mispronunciation but they may need some support.
How to complete the syllable division process
Syllable division can be done for words that have two vowels or vowel teams that are separated by consonants. In a nutshell, you locate the vowels, look at the consonants between those vowels, and then make a decision about where to split the word. It’s easiest to introduce the syllable division patterns in order and offer your students only words that follow the specific pattern you’re teaching. Once they’re familiar with a variety of patterns, they can tackle mixed word lists or reading multisyllabic words in longer, controlled text passages.
The following directions will assume that you have written a two-syllable word on a whiteboard or a piece of paper. Please look at the image for each syllable division pattern while you read the steps because this will help you visualize the process.
VCCV Pattern
One of the easiest syllable division patterns to begin your instruction with is the VCCV pattern, which stands for vowel-consonant-consonant-vowel. I begin by teaching the VCCV pattern in words with two closed syllables, like cactus and muffin.
- Locate and label the vowels with the letter V.
- Mark the consonants between the vowels with the letter C.
- If there are two consonants between the vowels, you will usually split them up. Draw a line between the two consonants.
- Read one syllable at a time and then blend them into the word.
- Optional: label each syllable type. Both syllables in cactus are closed.
The word bathtub also follows the VCCV pattern, even though there are three consonants between the vowels. Why? The th in bath is working together to represent the /th/ sound. I like to underline it and we mark it with one C because it represents one sound.
VCCCV and VCCCCV Patterns
Words with the VCCCV and VCCCCV patterns will have three or four consonants between the vowels. There is typically a blend within the consonants that should stay together, such as in the word hun•dred. Most often, the blend will go to the second syllable unless it is a compound word like hand•cuff.
The process for the VCCCV pattern is very similar to the process above for the VCCV pattern.
- Locate and label the vowels with the letter V.
- Locate the consonants between the vowels. Determine which consonants should stay together. Scoop them together and mark each single consonant or consonant blend with one C.
- Divide between the consonants.
- Read one syllable at a time and then blend them into the word.
- Optional: label each syllable type.
Speaking of compound words…
A compound word is when two words are joined together to form a bigger word and both words bring meaning to the whole word. An example is bookshelf, a shelf for books. On the other hand, muffin is not a compound word because the two syllables, muf•fin, do not bring meaning to the word. Compound words, regardless of what patterns you see in the letters, are always divided between the two words. If a student recognizes the two words with ease, then the syllable division process is not really necessary!
VCV Pattern
Words that follow the VCV pattern have one consonant between the first two vowels. You may also see this pattern referred to as VC/V and V/CV
- Locate and label the vowels with the letter “v”.
- Locate the consonant between the vowels and mark it with the letter “c”.
- Using a pencil, ruler, Wiki Stix, or your thumb, try dividing the word before and after the consonant. Explain how the vowel sound changes depending on whether the first syllable is open or closed. When the syllable is open, the vowel will represent its long sound. When the syllable is closed, the vowel will represent its short sound.
- Draw a line to divide the word in a way that results in the correct pronunciation. (Set for variability is key at this step!)
- Optional: Label each syllable type.
If the student cannot determine where to split the word because they do not have the word in their oral vocabulary, it’s okay to tell them where to split it and how to say the word. If the student has never heard of radish, it makes sense that they will not be sure if the word is pronounced răd•ish or rā•dish!
Consonant -le
Dividing words with the consonant -le pattern can be easy and fun! Although basic syllable division rules can help you read these words, you don’t want to split up the consonant -le syllable. Instead, the Count Back 3 strategy is fun and easy to use and it usually breaks the word into syllables correctly. Want to learn more about this strategy? You’ll find an easy-to-digest tutorial here.
Looking for Affixes (Prefixes and Suffixes)
When decoding unfamiliar multisyllabic words, it’s helpful to keep an eye out for prefixes and suffixes. The word camping might look daunting to an early reader until they realize it’s simply the word camp with the suffix –ing. The same goes for the word playfulness. If the reader can recognize the smaller parts of play + ful + ness, they will decode with ease.
Do you need materials for your syllable division instruction?
As long as you have word lists sorted by syllable division patterns and phonics rules, syllable division can easily be taught on your whiteboard or a piece of paper. However, if you want a more structured and organized way to approach it, I have three activity options for you.
Interactive Syllable Division for Google Slides™️
My store started as a small collection of (ugly) syllable division slide decks that were a savior for many teachers during remote and hybrid learning. They’ve received a few makeovers and continue to be a popular way to introduce the concept of decoding multisyllabic words. You can project them for the whole class or assign selected slides to students on your learning platform, like Google Classroom™️.
The collection has grown to include 38 slide decks! Whatever skill you’re working on within your phonics sequence, you’ll find a slide deck that aligns with it. There are also lots of fun seasonal versions, like Halloween, winter snow, candy hearts for Valentine’s Day, and summer-themed slide decks.
Syllable Division Tool Kits for Reluctant Readers
These tool kits with moveable pieces will keep even your antsiest learners engaged! The reusable student tool kit makes the task interactive and fun. When tools for new syllable types are introduced, students will only have to cut out the new tools and add them to their bags or envelopes.
The tool kit bundle has 4.8 stars and teachers rave about it:
“I can not recommend this highly enough. This is a brilliant hands on task for students who need to practise this skill. To help my student I’ve laminated the VVCC counters so we can use them multiple times.” -Anna J.
“This is a great resource for practicing dividing words into syllables. My students have enjoyed it so much more than just doing it on a whiteboard. Thank you!!” -123’s and IEP’s
“The students are engaged in the resource and love using it to decode the words. They are beginning to transfer those skills to their reading in texts when they come to a word they don’t know too. Makes my heart dance with excitement! Thank you for a great resource!” -Latisha O.
Printable Word Lists with Activity Suggestions
Whether you’re introducing basic two-syllable words or you’re working with students who need strategies for tackling multisyllabic words, there’s a set of words for you. The bundle includes over 500 words! You will have enough words to teach the concept with each phonics rule, provide words for independent practice, and include a spiral review later on.
Hundreds of teachers have purchased this bundle and the reviews prove how much they love it:
“What a wonderful resource! I love how organized the packs were and how there was a write up about the division rules specific to each set. There are also many different suggestions within this resource on how to use the cards in different ways using different tools.” -Ready4ResourceRoom
“I love this syllable division packet. The words are great, and it offers a lot of great ideas to have the students actively engage in the lessons.” -Beth M.
“I used this with a group of students in my resource class. It was a great timesaver for me and a well-made product. My students enjoyed it!” -Deanna J.
“This is an awesome resource that supports SOR instruction! This is a great hands-on and explicit way to teach syllable division! I highly recommend this, especially for second grade!” -Jennifer C.
Bonus!
The last two bundles mentioned above include a bonus you’ll use year after year: A jumbo tool kit you can use on your board! It’s perfect for teachers who were eyeing the Google Slides™️ version but don’t have a projector or an interactive whiteboard. Simply laminate the pieces and add an adhesive magnet on the back of each one and you can demonstrate the syllable division process for all of your students to see.
What do you say? Are you ready to dive into teaching syllable division?
I hope you’re able to take these strategies and confidently use them in your classroom! To recap, this post covered syllable division in two-syllable words with closed, open, and consonant -le syllables, as well as multisyllabic words with prefixes and suffixes. If you offer your students a controlled list of words that fall into these categories, you’ll find success!
There is more to know, though. I’ll be posting Part 2 soon with the following topics:
- syllable division with silent e, vowel teams, and r-controlled vowels
- the vowel-vowel (VV) pattern
- applying learned strategies to words with more than two syllables
Want to make sure you don’t miss Part 2? Email subscribers receive my blog posts delivered to their inbox twice per month. Sign up below!
Sources:
Steacy, L. M., Wade-Woolley, L., Rueckl, J. G., Pugh, K., Elliott, J. D., & Compton, D. L. (2019). The role of set for variability in irregular word reading: Word and child predictors in typically developing readers and students at-risk for reading disabilities. Scientific studies of reading: the official journal of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7449249/
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