Counting Syllables

Description

This set of cards pilfers the larger Animals A to Z Flashcard Set, NOT for the purpose of teaching animal vocabulary, but in order to practice syllable division. These cards are a mixture 4- 3- 2- and 1-syllable words that happen to all be animals.

4 printable options

The Counting Syllables flashcards have four variations to mix and match as needed:

• Images of animals with circles below (representing the number of syllables)
• Images with circles and spelling
• Word cards with a number (the syllable count)
• Plain word cards

The word cards are not hyphenated. Students can add hyphens, slashes or otherwise mark up the spelling cards on their own.

Phonics to pre-teach

The 36 words in this selection do contain:

• long and short vowel sounds
• consonant blends (fl-, sc-)
• double consonants (-ll, -ff)
• digraphs (ea-, ou-, sh-, wh)
• r-controlled vowels
• other fun stuff.

Check out the other Phonics Flashcard Sets if your students need to brush up on any of these concepts before tackling syllables.

How to teach syllables

When teaching syllable division, the simplest rule to remember is 1 vowel sound = 1 syllable. If you want to go beyond the basics here are some helpful resources:

• Learning at the Primary Pond: How to Teach Syllable Division Rules (for elementary teachers, not necessarily ESL)
• Using English: How to teach English syllables (for ESL teachers, with a pronunciation focus)
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary (for anyone like myself 🙁 who needs to look up syllable division)

Good luck!