A fun (and free) way to build syllable awareness

With the summer holidays fast approaching, we thought it might be fun to share a game with you.😊 It focuses on building awareness of syllables in words which is an important 'pre-literacy' skill.

When teaching reading, our instinct is to focus on letters. However, for many beginner or struggling readers understanding that there are sounds in words can be a significant hurdle to learning.

For many young children when they hear a word they connect it to meaning (for example, a 'bus' is a thing you drive around in) and have little understanding that the word is made up of individual sounds (b-u-s).

Rather than jumping straight to linking individual sounds to letters, at Read3 we start by checking if a child can hear broader sound units like syllables. After all, syllables form the basis of our language. Interestingly, having difficulty hearing syllable boundaries and distinguishing vowel sounds are two key markers for literacy challenges which is why we take this initial introduction to larger sound units so seriously!

Once we are certain the child has some awareness of syllables it’s time to start fine-tuning phonological skills by focusing on awareness of rhyme, first sounds, last sounds, vowel sounds, and, of course, connecting those sounds to letters.

So, if you’re keen to check if your child can hear syllables in words, download a copy of Sylla-Snack Counting below.

About the game

Based on our popular Sylla-Animal Counting game included in the Module 1 Introduction, the little freebie will have your child identifying syllables like a pro!  Instructions, cards and the game board are included PLUS you'll be able to learn more about our popular strategy for hearing syllables in words. 

If you're not yet using Read3, this is a great opportunity to get a feel for the games-based approach offered in the Read3 program.

If you are already using Read3, just print off the new picture cards and add them to your existing 'Sylla Counting' collection.