Teacher Tip Tuesday All About Syllables #6

Last week we talked about the secret vowel sound: schwa. The schwa is the sneaky vowel sound in many words (i.e. bacon, sofa, etc.), including all words with consonant + le syllables. All words with consonant + le syllables are multisyllabic. This means students need tools to determine the vowel sounds in the preceding syllables. Read this week’s Teacher Tip Tuesday to learn how to help your students take this next step towards mastering syllables!

Reviewing open and closed syllables

Consonant + Le at the end of a word is always a syllable, but it doesn’t stand alone. When you remove the consonant + le syllable, you make a closed or open syllable. Students need to know which syllable type precedes the consonant + le syllable to know how to say and spell the full word. Check out the example below.

Not only does this help students spell syllables and words, but it also helps them determine how an unfamiliar word sounds when they come across it in their reading. They become stronger, more resilient readers when they combine:

1. Their understanding of open and closed syllables

2. Their knowledge of the way those syllables are spelled

3. Their understanding of the schwa sound in consonant + le syllables

4. Their can-do, never give up attitude towards tackling new words!

Put it into practice with F2B resources

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