Learning Syllables Involves Their Whole Body 😊
You know those big bouncy balls with handles that are FUN for young AND old while outside on a beautiful day?
Have you ever thought of using an amusing bouncy ball as an educational tool?
Now I have your attention, don’t I? Sometimes the most unexpected things help children learn and process what they are learning more quickly.
This is true of bouncing around on a big bouncy ball.
When my students begin Part 13 of Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”, which, along with Part 14, teaches the eight rules for dividing words into syllables, I always share teaching ideas with parents to do at home that are enjoyable and educational to help children not only hear the syllables in words but also to FEEL the syllables.
You can begin helping your children hear and feel syllables in the language they are learning when they are as young as two years old. Below are some fun activities that help them internalize feeling and hearing syllables using their whole body.
Blow up large balloons for everyone. As you begin to play with your balloon, tapping it in the air to keep it aloft, begin saying your child’s name in syllables. Using their name attracts their attention and they begin to wonder why you are saying it the way you are. Tap their name over and over, then tap your name (yes, it can be Mom, Dad, Mommy, Daddy), tap the names of the rest of your family and everyone playing with you, returning often to their name.
Let this game progress into words you and they enjoy and move to tapping compound words that they are familiar with like cupcake or doghouse. Progress to three syllable, fun, picturesque words they know, such as: butterfly, caterpillar, chocolate, spaghetti. You will see their eyes light up and their ears cock to listen. So COOL!
Enjoy watching their curiosity grow as you play with words and the balloons. They will be excited to come up with words on their own to tap. They won’t even realize that they are understanding their blossoming language on a deeper level and beginning their reading skills.
When I had my own classroom of students, I’d team up with another teacher to introduce syllables to my kiddos. We’d meet in the gym. The older children are amazing balloon blowers and excellent partners for younger children. Again, I have children begin by tapping the syllables in their name, as their name is so personal and meaningful to them. Then I’d move to compound words and then to two and three syllable words that create clear vivid pictures in their minds.
When I brought my kiddos back to our classroom from the gym, we’d tug on rubber bands to continue exploring hearing and FEELING syllables. Rubber bands also make a great educational tool when we are teaching syllables on-line!
Let’s get back to that big bouncy ball – after your kids are beginning to hear and feel the syllables as you and they tap balloons in the air and tug rubber bands, you can take them into experiencing syllables with their WHOLE body with the big bouncy ball.
The experience of saying words in syllables out loud, listening to themselves saying the words in syllables while their whole body bounces with those syllables stimulates all parts of the brain.
And though they will be having a great time, it won’t be JUST fun!
They won’t even realize they are assimilating part of phonics at deeper and deeper levels.
Thinking of syllables and FEELING them in the words we say, makes me realize I want to draw your attention to a more structured learning note for you and your kiddos.
Along with all of this fun, we do need to teach our students to listen carefully and learn all the number of syllables in words, especially words that we tend to say so quickly we connect syllables, such as the word “different”. “Different” has 3 syllables (dif- er- ent). “Temperature” has 4 syllables (tem-per-a-ture). “Camera” has 3 syllables (cam-er-a).
If you are not sure exactly how many syllables a word has, do a quick Google search or look up the word(s) in the dictionary with your child. Practice the correct number of syllables with rubber bands, balloons or that fun bouncy ball, as mispronounced words will cause confusion when learning to spell words and on standardized tests.
Here are a few words to carefully teach by stressing the correct number of syllables: camera, different, difference, every, everything, general, interest, really, temperature, usually.
Have FUN with this whole-body experiential learning of syllables! You will enjoy it as much as they; there will be lots of laughter.
If you have further questions about phonics, feel free to contact us.