Don’t skip the step of having readers identify the pattern: Consonant + le (C+le). C + le is both a syllable division strategy and one of the six types of syllable patterns.
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Activity: Turtle Word Strategy
Standards
Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables.
Reader Goals
I can use a Turtle strategy to read a word with more than one syllable.
Target Words
Turtle words examples: little, apple
Helpful Hints
Guide
- Point to each animal as you Say
We are learning about 5 syllable division strategies. They are called Animal Syllable Division Strategies because they use animal words as a model to help us learn how to divide longer words with more than one syllable. The five animal strategies are rabbit, tiger, camel, lion, and turtle. - Point to the turtle and Say
We’ll learn about the Turtle word strategy in this activity. - Push next to continue
Guide
- Ask
Look at the word turtle. How many vowels do you see in the word turtle?
(two) - Say
Because the word turtle has more than one vowel sound, it also has more than one syllable so it is a multisyllabic word. Let’s learn about the Turtle word strategy by dividing the word turtle into syllables. - Say
Let’s see how many syllables we have in the word turtle. Clap turtle with me. - Clap out with readers and Ask
tur•tle (2 claps)
How many syllables did you hear?
(2) - Say
I will show you how to divide this multisyllabic word into syllables. - Push next to continue
Guide
- Say
I see the letters t, l, e at the end of the word turtle, so I recognize a C +le syllable at the end. When we have the pattern C + le, we divide the word into syllables before the C + le syllable. That’s the Turtle word strategy. - Push next to divide the word into syllables
Guide
- Point to the first syllable of the word and Say
I recognize the first syllable is a bossy R syllable because the letter r follows the vowel. This means the letter r bosses the sound of the vowel u to make a different sound. The letters ur make the sound /ər/. - Say
Let’s read the first syllable of the word again: /tər/.
(/tər/) - Point to the second syllable of the word and Say
I recognize the second syllable is a consonant + le syllable because I see one consonant followed by the letters le. In this syllable, there is a schwa sound right before the letter l, so it makes the /əl/ sound. Say /təl/.
(/təl/) - Say
So the word turtle has one bossy R syllable and one consonant + le syllable after we divide it: tur– and –tle. Now blend the syllables together: /tərdəl/.
(/tərdəl/)
When we blend the syllables together, I hear the second syllable makes the sound /dəl/ because it is unstressed. Say turtle again: /tərdəl/.
(/tərdəl/)
Guide
- Say
Let’s review the Turtle strategy. - Ask
How did we divide the word turtle?
(We divided the word into syllables before the consonant followed by the letters le at the end.) - Say
We use the Turtle strategy when a multisyllabic word has a consonant + le syllable. The Turtle strategy signals us to divide the word right before the final consonant + le.
Guide
- Say
Now let’s practice dividing words into syllables using the Turtle word strategy. - Ask
Look at this picture. Is this fox little or big?
(little) - Say
I see a little fox. Let’s look at the word little more closely. - Push next to show the word
Guide
- Say
Let’s see how many syllables we have in the word little. Clap little with me. - Clap out with readers and Ask
lit•tle (2 claps)
How many syllables did you hear?
(2) - Say
Now let’s divide this multisyllabic word into syllables. - Push next to show the syllable division strategy
Guide
- Say
I see the letters t, l, e at the end of the word little, so I recognize a C + le syllable at the end. When we have the pattern C + le, we divide the word into syllables before the C + le syllable, using the Turtle word strategy. - Push next to divide the word into syllables
Guide
- Point to the first syllable of the word and Say
What type is the first syllable lit–?
(closed)
It is a closed syllable because it has one vowel followed by a consonant. Read the first syllable with the short vowel pronunciation: /lĭt/.
(/lĭt/) - Point to the second syllable of the word and Say
What type is the second syllable –tle?
(consonant + le)
It is a consonant + le syllable type because it has a consonant followed by the letters le. In the consonant + le syllable, there is a schwa sound right before the letter l. Read the second syllable with the schwa pronunciation: /təl/.
(/təl/) - Say
So the word little has one closed and one consonant + le syllable after we divide it: lit– and –tle. Now blend the syllables together: /lĭtəl/.
(/lĭtəl/)
Guide
- Ask
Let’s do another word. What are Sarita and the big baby bird eating?
(apples) - Say
They eat apples. Let’s look at the word apple more closely. - Push next to show the word
Guide
- Say
Let’s see how many syllables we have in the word apple. Clap apple with me. - Clap out with readers and Ask
ap•ple (2 claps)
How many syllables did you hear?
(2) - Say
Now let’s divide this multisyllabic word into syllables. - Push next to show the syllable division strategy
Guide
- Say
I see the letters p, l, e at the end of the word apple, so I recognize a C + le syllable at the end. When we have the pattern C + le, we divide the word into syllables before the C + le syllable, using the Turtle word strategy. - Push next to divide the word into syllables
Guide
- Point to the first syllable of the word and Say
What type is the first syllable ap–?
(closed)
It is a closed syllable because it has one vowel followed by a consonant. Read the first syllable with the short vowel pronunciation: /ăp/.
(/ăp/) - Point to the second syllable of the word and Say
What type is the second syllable –ple?
(consonant + le)
It is a consonant + le syllable type because it has a consonant followed by the letters le. In the consonant + le syllable, there is a schwa sound right before the letter l. Read the second syllable with the schwa pronunciation: /pəl/.
(/pəl/) - Say
So the word apple has one closed and one consonant + le syllable after we divide it: ap– and –ple. Now blend the syllables together: /ăpəl/.
(/ăpəl/)
