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  • Word Work: Foundational Skills→
  • Syllable Sort

Guide

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Objective

Students will sort one-syllable words by their syllable types (open, closed, and bossy R syllables).

Teacher Tips
Before conducting this lesson, make sure to go over Unit 1 (Syllable Types & Division) with your students. Help students learn the syllable types so they can read unfamiliar words they encounter in text.
Begin Lesson
1/13
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Syllable Sort

Sort the words by their syllable types

Begin Lesson

Guide

1/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s review the syllable types we’ve learned. When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable, it can be an open syllable, a closed syllable, or a bossy R syllable type.
  2. Point to the picture on the left and Say
    We call it an open syllable when a syllable ends with a single vowel. Do you see the letter V representing the vowel is free? So it is free to go a “long way.” It makes a long vowel sound that is the same as the name of the vowel.  
  3. Point to the picture in the middle and Say
    We call it a closed syllable when one vowel is followed by a consonant sound. Do you see the letter V representing the vowel is locked inside? It is not free to go a long way and say its long sound. So in a closed syllable word where the vowel is followed by a consonant sound, the vowel makes its short vowel sound.
  4. Point to the picture on the right and Say
    We call it a bossy R syllable when one vowel is followed by the letter R. It signals a different pronunciation for the vowel because the letter R bosses the sound of the vowel to make a different sound.
  5. Say
    Now let’s sort words by their syllable types. This will help you pronounce the vowel to read unfamiliar words.

 

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1/13
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Guide

2/13
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  1. Say
    We have three headers: open syllables, closed syllables, and bossy R syllables. When a word looks like an open syllable or a closed syllable but has an unexpected pronunciation, we’ll put it in the gray area: It means it’s a pattern breaker.
    Let’s get started!
  2. Point to the word fast and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this word?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this word?
    (vowel A)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (consonant S)
    So this could be a closed syllable because there is one vowel and it has a consonant after it. Let’s check the pronunciation. Say /făst/.
    (/făst/)
    Did you hear the short vowel sound /ă/ in the word fast?
    (yes)
  3. Say
    When a consonant sound follows one vowel in a word or syllable, it makes a short vowel sound. We identify this as a closed syllable. So the word fast will go under the header VC.
  4. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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2/13
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Guide

3/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s do another word. I see two vowels in the word so it is a multisyllabic word. Clap protect with me: pro•tect (2 claps)
    How many syllables did you hear?
    (2)
    Let’s sort the first syllable pro– first.
  2. Point to the syllable pro– and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this syllable?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this syllable?
    (vowel O)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (nothing)
    So we can read p-r-o- as an open syllable because there is one vowel and it has nothing after it. Let’s pronounce this open syllable. Say /prō/.
    (/prō/)
    Did you hear the long vowel sound /ō/ in the syllable pro–?
    (yes)
  3. Say
    When one vowel stands alone and there is no consonant after the vowel, it makes a long vowel sound, the same as the vowel’s name. We identify this as an open syllable. So the syllable pro– will go under the header V.
  4. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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3/13
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Guide

4/13
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  1. Say
    Now let’s sort the second syllable –tect.
  2. Point to the syllable –tect and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this syllable?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this syllable?
    (vowel E)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (consonant C)
    So we can pronounce -t-e-c-t as a closed syllable because there is one vowel and it has a consonant after it. Let’s read this closed syllable. Say /tĕkt/.
    (/tĕkt/)
    Did you hear the short vowel sound /ĕ/ in the syllable –tect?
    (yes)
  3. Say
    When a consonant sound follows one vowel in a word or syllable, it makes a short vowel sound. We identify this as a closed syllable. So the syllable -tect will go under the header VC.
  4. Point to the word protect and Say
    Let’s put the 2 syllables together: /prōtĕkt/. 
  5. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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4/13
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Guide

5/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s do another word.
  2. Point to the word what and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this word?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this word?
    (vowel A)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (consonant T)
    So this could be a closed syllable because there is one vowel and it has a consonant after it. Let’s check the pronunciation. Say /wət/.
    (/wət/)
    Did you hear the short vowel sound /ă/ in the word what?
    (no)
  3. Say
    I hear the schwa sound /ə/ in the word what, so it has an unexpected pronunciation and we will put it in the pattern breaker box. 
  4. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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5/13
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Guide

6/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s do another word.
  2. Point to the word hard and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this word?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this word?
    (vowel A)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (consonant R)
    So this could be a bossy R syllable because there is one vowel and it has the consonant R after it. Let’s check the pronunciation. Say /härd/.
    (/härd/)
    Did you hear the bossy R sound /är/ in the word hard?
    (yes)
  3. Say
    When the consonant R follows one vowel in a word or syllable, it bosses the sound of the vowel to make a different sound. We identify this as a bossy R syllable. So the word hard will go under the header VR. 
  4. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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6/13
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Guide

7/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s do another word. I see two vowels in the word so it is a multisyllabic word. Clap secret with me: se•cret (2 claps)
    How many syllables did you hear?
    (2)
    Let’s sort the first syllable se– first.
  2. Point to the syllable se– and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this syllable?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this syllable?
    (vowel E)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (nothing)
    So we can pronounce s-e- as an open syllable because there is one vowel and it has nothing after it. Say /sē/
    (/sē/)
  3. Say
    When one vowel stands alone and there is no consonant after the vowel, it makes a long vowel sound, the same as the vowel’s name. We identify this as an open syllable.
  4. Ask
    Under which header should we sort the syllable se–?
    (It will go under the header V.)
  5. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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7/13
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Guide

8/13
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  1. Say
    Now let’s sort the second syllable –cret.
  2. Point to the syllable –cret and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this syllable?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this syllable?
    (vowel E)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (consonant T)
    So we can pronounce -c-r-e-t as a closed syllable because there is one vowel and it has a consonant after it. Let’s read this closed syllable. Say /krĕt/.
    (/krĕt/)
  3. Point to the word secret and Say
    Let’s put the 2 syllables together: /sēkrĕt/. 
  4. Say
    I realize that when I pronounce the word secret, I hear the schwa sound /ə/ in the syllable –cret. For spelling, it is better to think of it with the short e pronunciation. So let’s put it under the header VC.
  5. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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8/13
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Guide

9/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s do another word.
  2. Point to the word for and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this word?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this word?
    (vowel O)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (consonant R)
    So this could be a bossy R syllable because there is one vowel and it has the consonant R after it. Let’s check the pronunciation. Say /fôr/.
    (/fôr/)
    Did you hear the bossy R sound /ôr/ in the word for?
    (yes)
  3. Say
    When the consonant R follows one vowel in a word or syllable, it bosses the sound of the vowel to make a different sound. We identify this as a bossy R syllable.
  4. Ask
    Under which header should we sort the word for?
    (It will go under the header VR.)
  5. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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9/13
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Guide

10/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s do another word.
  2. Point to the word to and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this word?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this word?
    (vowel O)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (nothing)
    So this could be an open syllable because there is one vowel and it has nothing after it. Let’s check the pronunciation. Say /to͞o/.
    (/to͞o/)
    Did you hear the long vowel sound /ō/ in the word to?
    (no)
  3. Say
    I hear the /o͞o/ sound in the word to, so it has an unexpected pronunciation and we will put it in the pattern breaker box. 
  4. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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10/13
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Guide

11/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s do another word.
  2. Point to the word jet and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this word?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this word?
    (vowel E)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (consonant T)
    So this could be a closed syllable because there is one vowel and it has a consonant after it. Let’s check the pronunciation. Say /jĕt/.
    (/jĕt/)
    Did you hear the short vowel sound /ĕ/ in the word jet?
    (yes)
  3. Say
    When a consonant sound follows one vowel in a word or syllable, it makes a short vowel sound. We identify this as a closed syllable.
  4. Ask
    Under which header should we sort the word jet?
    (It will go under the header VC.)
  5. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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11/13
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Guide

12/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s do another word.
  2. Point to the word harm and Ask
    How many vowels do you see in this word?
    (1)
    What is the vowel in this word?
    (vowel A)
    What comes after the vowel?
    (consonant R)
    So this could be a bossy R syllable because there is one vowel and it has the consonant R after it. Let’s check the pronunciation. Say /härm/.
    (/härm/)
    Did you hear the bossy R sound /är/ in the word harm?
    (yes)
  3. Say
    When the consonant R follows one vowel in a word or syllable, it bosses the sound of the vowel to make a different sound. We identify this as a bossy R syllable. 
  4. Ask
    Under which header should we sort the word harm?
    (It will go under the header VR.)
  5. Push next to show where it belongs

 

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12/13
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Guide

13/13
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  1. Say
    Let’s review the words we just sorted.
  2. Point to and Read the words in the open syllable column with students: Say
    The open syllables have the long vowel sound: pro-tect, se-cret.
  3. Point to and Read the words in the closed syllable column with students: Say
    The closed syllables have the short vowel sound: fast, pro-tect, se-cret, jet.
  4. Point to and Read the words in the bossy R syllable column with students: Say
    The bossy R syllable words we sorted have two different bossy R vowel sounds (/är/, /ôr/): hard, for, harm.
  5. Point to and Read the pattern breakers with students: Say
    The pattern-breaker words do not follow the syllable type rule when it comes to pronunciation: what, to.

 

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