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| Maya Losardo, Age 6 |
CLAP THE
SYLLABLES
Main Purpose
To understand that words can be conceptualized as a collection of parts
The child recognizes that
words can be subdivided at the syllable level. This activity introduces children
to differentiating the sound of words from their meaning. Children come to view
words as collections of sounds apart from their meaning.
Materials
Drums or other musical instruments; paper; crayons
Description
of Activity
During circle time, begin the activity by modeling the clapping behavior and encouraging
taking turns. Go around the circle. Say each child's name, then say the name in
syllables, clapping for each beat. Encourage children to clap the beat with you
["Andrew! An-drew"]. Lead children in clapping twice. After the first few times,
children should join you in clapping syllables. You can extend the activity in
several ways. Call out the names of objects in the classroom ["Table"]. Have the
children repeat the word, clapping the syllables along with you. Encourage children
to take turns calling out the name of an object in the classroom, then have all
of the children repeat the child's word, clapping the syllables. Instead of clapping,
you can use musical instruments such as drums, tambourines, or xylophones. Also
pictures and labels with names can be used as visual support. This activity develops
the following behaviors and concepts that are related to early literacy:
Print/Book Awareness
Symbolic representation-pictures; print-awareness of graphic symbols
Metalinguistic Awareness
Perception and memory for sounds-words; phonological skills-blending, segmentation
Oral Language
Vocabulary-words and sentences
ADULT-CHILD
INTERACTIVE BEHAVIORS
High Demand/Low Support
Children will:
segment words into syllables by clapping and saying words in syllables
Support Strategies
- Cognitive Structuring
Explain how to segment words.
Table has two beats. Ta-ble. Do you hear the two beats in table? Ta-ble.
Model saying words
in syllables, and have children count the number of syllables before clapping
themselves.
Hippopotamus. Count the parts. Hip-po-po-ta-mus! How many parts did you count?
- Task regulation
Have children segment
familiar words, such as their names or objects present in their classroom.
Say Kelley in two parts.
Say banana in little parts.
Have children choose
words to segment. Have children segment two-syllable words.
Table. Say it slow.
Have children segment
compound words (e.g., caterpillar, spaceship). Say the first one or two syllables,
and then have children add the syllables that follow.
Elephant. I say el-e. You say -phant.
- Instructing
As you model saying words in syllables, have children clap to the syllables. Model
saying words in syllables, and have children repeat the word in syllables.
Vol-ca-no. Say volcano like that.
Medium Support/Medium
Demand
Children will:
blend syllables into words and repeat words segmented into syllables
Support Strategies
-
Task regulation
Have children blend familiar words such as their names or objects present in their
classroom.
Lin-da. What word is that?
Use two-syllable words.
Win-dow. Say it fast.
-
Instructing
Model blending the word, and then repeat the task with a new word. Say a word
segmented into syllables, and have the child repeat.
Pump-kin. Say these two sounds: pump-kin.
Physically guide children by holding them in your lap, taking their hands, and
gently clapping to the syllables.
Low Demand/High Support
Children will:
repeat multisyllabic words
Support Strategies
-
Task regulation;
To elicit children's interest say unusually long words that are likely to be novel
and unfamiliar (e.g., kookaburra, extraordinary, enormous). Enunciate words slowly.
-
Instructing
Have children repeat words that peers have blended or segmented.
What word did Ly say?
Comments/Adaptations
Comments
This activity can be incorporated into the rhythmic activities. This activity
can also be used for segmenting sentences into words and segmenting compound words.
Children can use movements and actions other than clapping (e.g., jumping, placing
a block in a container for each segment, tapping the table with their hand). Children
can also be asked to segment or repeat words while looking at books with unusual
multisyllable words (e.g., Many Luscious Lollipops [Heller, 1989]).
More Ideas
Audiotape activity, and send tape to parents.
Home Link
Parent Activity: Let's Dance!
(Notari-Skyverson,
A., O'Connor, R.E., & Vadasy, P.F. (1998). Ladders to Literacy: A Preschool
Activity Book. (pp. 150-152). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. (#3173;
$49.95); toll-free telephone: 1-800-638-3775; fax: 410-337-8539; web site: www.brookespublishing.com)
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