Knowledge and Skills Statement
Instruct students to read aloud multisyllabic words from a list or within a piece of text. Include in the list or text words with specific syllable types.
The syllable types include the following:
- Closed syllable: a syllable with a vowel followed by a consonant
The vowel is usually pronounced with the short vowel sound such as /cell/ in cellist and /pic/ in pickle. - Open syllable: a syllable that ends in a single vowel
The vowel is usually pronounced with the long vowel sound such as /mu/ in music and /ba/ in bacon. - VCe syllable: a syllable with a vowel followed by a consonant and the letter e
The vowel is usually pronounced with the long vowel sound such as /ame/ in became and /ale/ in exhale. - Vowel team/digraph syllable: a syllable with two vowels together that make one vowel sound such as /oi/ in rejoice and /ou/ in cloud
- Vowel team/diphthong syllable: a syllable with two vowels together that make a new vowel sound formed by the combination of both vowel sounds such as /ow/ in allowed and /ou/ in around
- R-controlled syllable: a syllable with the letters er that is pronounced /er/ such as /er/ in concert and /er/ in served
- Final stable syllable: a syllable at the end of a word with a consonant followed by the letters le and that has a silent e such as /ble/ in audible and /ple/ in people
Further Explanation
This assessment requires students to apply phonetic knowledge to correctly decode and read aloud a variety of multisyllabic words. As multisyllabic words can be long and difficult to decode, students must learn how to break down words into smaller parts. This knowledge is acquired through practice and experience with decoding words with closed syllables, open syllables, VCe syllables, vowel teams, r-controlled syllables, and final stable syllables. Additionally, this knowledge is built upon as students become proficient with single-syllable words with simpler sound-spelling patterns. As students read, observe and document whether they are able to accurately decode the words. Word work can occur in all modalities to support all learning styles.
Research
Treiman, R. (2018). What research tells us about reading instruction. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 19(1), 1–4. doi: 10.1177/1529100618772272
Summary: Treiman provides an overview of how reading develops. The primary purpose of this study is to inform educators, researchers, and parents on which strategies are the most effective in teaching reading. The author includes a discussion on the ongoing debate of whole language versus phonetics.