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.
My previous post discussed syllable division basics in words with closed, open, and consonant -le syllables, as well as reading multisyllabic words with prefixes and suffixes. You’ll want to read Part 1 before diving into Part 2!
This post is Part 2, which 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.
Are you ready for Part 2? Let’s dive in!
What is syllable division?
A quick recap: 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.
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. Instead, they’ll tune into the letters and sounds in the word.
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!
How to complete the syllable division process
The following strategies will be much easier to digest if you read Part 1 first. 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. Your students will likely need to know the strategies mentioned in Part 1 in order to tackle the strategies I’m about to explain. (Have I convinced you to read Part 1 yet?🙃)
Ok, let’s begin! 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.
Silent e
Most multisyllabic words with silent e will have the silent e in the final syllable, like in the words reptile and illustrate. Otherwise, you’ll see silent e in the first syllable of a compound word like baseball or fireman. In compound words, you’ll split the word between its two individual words.
If silent e is at the end of the word, you can follow the basic syllable division rules for the VCV, VCCV, and VCCCV patterns that were described in Syllable Divison 101 Part 1. No special tricks are needed!
- Locate the first two vowels and label each one with the letter “v.” (If the silent e is a third vowel at the end of the word, you don’t need to label it.)
- Locate the consonants between the labeled vowels and label each consonant with the letter “c”. If there are more than two consonants, guide students in deciding which consonants should stay together. You can draw a “scoop” to keep these letters together. If there is only one consonant between the vowels, try dividing before and after the consonant to see which results in a familiar pronunciation.
- Draw a line to divide the word between the syllables.
- Read one syllable at a time and then blend the syllables into the word.
- Optional: Label each syllable type.
Need materials for teaching syllable division with silent e?
Vowel Teams
When a multisyllabic word includes a vowel team, the process does change slightly. If you’ve been teaching the syllable division patterns in the order I’ve written about, your students have only seen words with single vowels that are separated by one or more consonants. Now, there may be two to three vowels in a vowel team. Instead of looking for “the first two vowels,” students need to notice which vowels may be working together as a team. The vowel teams are scooped and marked as one vowel since they only represent one sound.
- Locate and label the vowels or vowel teams that are separated by consonants. Guide students to determine if any vowels are working as a team. You can draw a “scoop” to keep these vowels together. Remember to label each vowel sound with one “v,” which means you may be marking two vowels in a team with one “v.”
- Locate the consonant(s) between the labeled vowels and label them with the letter “c”. If there are two consonants, divide the word between the two consonants. If there are more than two consonants, guide students in deciding which consonants should stay together. You can draw a “scoop” to keep these letters together. If there is only one consonant between the vowels, try dividing before and after the consonant to see which results in a familiar pronunciation.
- Draw a line to divide between the syllables.
- Read one syllable at a time and then blend the syllables into the word.
- Optional: Label each syllable type
Need materials for teaching syllable division with vowel digraphs or vowel diphthongs?
R-Controlled Vowels
The process for words with r-controlled vowels is similar to the process for words with vowel teams. Students must notice if there is a vowel + r combination (ar, er, ir, or, ur) working together. The vowel + r combination can be scooped and marked as one vowel.
- Locate and label the vowels with the letter “v”. Guide students to determine if any vowels are working as a team, including vowel + r. You can use the “scoop” to keep these letters together. Label each vowel, vowel team, or vowel+r combination with one “v.”
- Locate the consonant(s) between the labeled vowels and label them with the letter “c”. If the first marked vowel is a vowel +r combination, you can usually divide after the vowel +r (e.g. thir•teen instead of thirt•een). If there are two consonants, divide the word between the two consonants. If there are more than two consonants, guide students in deciding which consonants should stay together. You can draw a “scoop” to keep these letters together. If there is only one consonant between the vowels, try dividing before and after the consonant to see which results in a familiar pronunciation.
- Draw a line to divide between the syllables.
- Read one syllable at a time and then blend the syllables into the word.
- Optional: Label each syllable type.
Need materials for teaching syllable division with r-controlled vowels?
The Vowel-Vowel (VV) Pattern
The VV syllable division pattern is the least common. This is when two adjacent vowels are split, like in the word lion. Students should be very comfortable reading words with various syllable types and words with affixes (prefixes and suffixes) before learning about this pattern. Words with the VV pattern often look like they contain a vowel team, which may be confusing for students who don’t have a solid knowledge base with foundational reading skills. Some words with open syllable prefixes, like reattach, are also split between vowels. Knowledge of prefixes will prevent confusion.
Set for variability, a skill that helps students determine if they have pronounced a word correctly, is also important when students are reading words with the VV pattern. If you want to learn more about set for variability, you’ll find the details in Part 1.
Applying Strategies to Words with More Than Two Syllables
When decoding unfamiliar multisyllabic words, it’s helpful to keep an eye out for affixes (prefixes and suffixes). Working with words with affixes allow you to have discussions about how affixes aid in both decoding a word and understanding its meaning. Affixes can be divided from the rest of the word and then the base word can be decoded. The word unpacking might look daunting to an early reader until they realize it’s simply the word pack with the prefix un– and the suffix –ness.
If a word has three or more syllables and does not include affixes, you might just need to apply the basic syllable division steps for the VCV, VCCV, or VCCCV pattern more than once. For example, after splitting between the first two vowels, look for the consonants between the second and third vowels.
Need materials for syllable division with words with three syllables?
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 with silent e, vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, the vowel-vowel (VV) pattern, and applying strategies to words with more than two syllables. If you offer your students a controlled list of words that fall into these categories, you’ll find success, and your students will gain the skills they need to transition to reading uncontrolled text with multisyllabic words.
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