SYLLABLE SORTS
PRODUCT CODE: 310
PRODUCT CONTENTS
MANIPULATIVES: 14 pages (12 sets)
9 pages of teacher information
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Reading Manipulatives, Inc. 1725 East Mountain View Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85020-2345
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
All sets or cards in Reading Manipulatives products are different.
Once students are introduced to the skills and shown how to do the
activity, they work independently. The individualized materials can
be used for seatwork or stations. Students work on needed skills,
and teachers are freed for instruction.
This packet includes a brief summary of the skills that are
targeted by this product. For many skills, additional teaching aids
can be downloaded from the resource section of our web site
(www.readingmanipulatives.com).
MATERIALS PREPARATION
PDF pages are designed to be printed on 8.5 x 11 inch sheets.
Cover-weight paper in a variety of colors is available at office
supply stores or online. Lamination is recommended if you want
your materials to last. Store the student sets in zipper bags.
All Reading Manipulatives pieces have a code that is used for
maintaining set integrity and for student recordkeeping. The first
part denotes the product, followed by a hyphen and the set number.
STUDENT CHECKLISTS & RECORDKEEPING
Answer keys are provided because active involvement builds
accountability. The answer keys can be stored separately or in
zipper bags. When done thoughtfully, students learn from
analyzing any errors.
Manipulatives encourage cooperative learning. Students should
be allowed to assist one another as a need arises.
Checklists are important for tracking the materials that have
been completed.The last page of this guide is a master for student
checklists that can be copied and cut.
www.readskill.com
SYLLABICATION

Syllabication, or the breaking down of words into each uninterrupted unit of spoken language, is often
taught in such a fragmented manner in materials that students are unable to pull all components together
into a viable word analysis strategy. Research indicates that readers generally use sounds to determine
syllable division. If this is the case, students must already know what the strategies are intended to teach.
Students who need to use syllabication to decode words must be taught syllabication rules
holistically. When they apply basic rules in steps, they begin to recognize patterns and break down
unknown words. Initially, the rules are applied to two-syllable words, as in this product.
Even those students who read words with ease in context generally improve spelling accuracy if
they become more cognizant of word structure and syllabication patterns.

ASSURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE PREREQUISITE PHONICS SKILLS

Students should possess certain prerequisite skills and concepts before being taught the syllabication
rules. Frequently, it is necessary to review short and long vowels, as well as prefixes/root words/suffixes,
before proceeding with syllabication. You will see why as you review the following foundation concepts.
Each syllable must contain a sounded vowel. It can be a single vowel sound (idea) or used with
one or more consonant sounds (begin).
There are two kinds of syllables: open and closed. A closed syllable ends with a consonant and the
vowel is usually short (or a schwa). An open syllable ends with a vowel that is generally long
(clover, event). The vowel may be a y pronounced as /e/ (funny) or occasionally / i / (myself).
Since the first rule deals with dividing between root words and affixes, students must be familiar
with prefixes, suffixes, and root words.
Digraphs, or two consonants that make a single sound (ch, sh, th, wh, ng, nk, ng, ck, ), cannot be
divided (buckle, nothing, cashier, bushel, further).
In some cases, blends are not divided (secret, migrate, zebra). Do not preteach since students
discover this when identifying open vs. closed syllables.

TEACH SYLLABICATION RULES & APPLY IN ORDER

1. PREFIX/ROOT/SUFFIX Check the word for prefixes and suffixes. The first step is to divide
between affixes and the root word because this rule overrides the others.
2. VC/CV Check for multiple consonants between vowels. Divide between consonants.
3. V/CV or VC/V If the word has one consonant between vowels, decide whether the vowel
before the consonant is short or long. If vowel is long, divide after the vowel leaving an open
syllable. Otherwise, divide after the consonant leaving a closed syllable.
When words end in consonant +le, le and the preceding consonant form the second syllable.
Students must be alerted not to divide between the final consonant and the le. These words can be fit into
the above categories, and the first syllable will be open or closed.
OPEN SYLLABLE table idle maple fable bugle feeble
CLOSED SYLLABLE apple fizzle castle sample sniffle hurdle

EXTEND RULES TO LONGER WORDS

Words used in Syllable Sorts all contain only two syllables. However, once students learn the
patterns, the same rules are used to break down words of three or more syllables. Reading Manipulatives
product 320 Syllabication Longer Words gives students practice with these. A resource list containing
multisyllabic words is included in this guide.

Copyright Reading Manipulatives, Inc. Syllable Sorts 4

USING SYLLABLE SORTS

Syllabication rules are taught and applied in three simple steps. Syllable sort manipulatives use
a holistic approach to get students to apply these rules to two-syllable words.

STUDENT OBJECTIVES
Learn and verbalize the steps that are followed to divide words into syllables
Apply the syllabication rules to break down two-syllable words

PREPARING MANIPULATIVES
Print the 14 product pages (pp. 1023 of this file)
Laminate if you want the student sets to last
Cut the pieces apart; store each student set (112) in a zipper bag;
answer keys can be kept in the bags or in a separate location

P/R/S VC/CV VC/V V/CV

nonsense dentist study rumor

fiercely sentence river focus

climbing pumpkin olive vacant

STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3:

Divide off affixes. Divide between consonants. When a single consonant is between vowels, divide
after long vowel or after consonant if vowel is short.
farmer cartoon
reading happy honey favor
untied elbow radish stupid
mistake lettuce dragon hero
thoughtful princess salad basic
pavement pumpkin govern siren
package monkey panel equal

TIP TEACH PATTERN FOR WORDS ENDING IN CONSONANT +LE

When words end in consonant +le, le and the preceding consonant form the second
syllable. Students must be alerted not to divide between the final consonant and le. These
words can be fit into the above categories, and the first syllable will be open or closed.
OPEN SYLLABLE CLOSED SYLLABLE
table idle maple apple fizzle castle
fable bugle feeble sample sniffle hurdle

Copyright Reading Manipulatives, Inc. Syllable Sorts 5

 P/R/S VC/CV VC/V V/CV

bossy immense logic humid

peaceful balloon atom cocoa Syllable Sorts SYL1

P/R/S VC/CV
sweeter welfare never moment
blameless balloon
bossy blossom
morning blossom widow acorn farmer contract
morning immense
blameless contract rigid unite peaceful rascal
subway splendid
sweeter tumble
thinking tumble devil sofa
thinking welfare
witches wisdom
subway wisdom model laser
VC/V V/CV
atom acorn
witches rascal shovel reason devil cocoa
habit duty
farmer splendid habit duty logic humid
model laser
STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3: never moment
Divide off affixes. Divide between consonants. When a single consonant is between vowels, divide rigid reason
after long vowel or after consonant if vowel is short.
shovel sofa
widow unite

EXAMPLE OF 310 SET

ANSWER KEY
12 sets of two-syllable words to divide
according to 3 steps
36 words in each set
Answer keys
SYLLABLE SORTS

SYL-1 ____________ SYL-7 ____________

SYL-2 ____________ SYL-8 ____________

SYL-3 ____________ SYL-9 ____________

SYL-4 ____________ SYL-10 ____________

SYL-5 ____________ SYL-11 ____________

SYL-6 ____________ SYL-12 ____________

STUDENT CHECKLIST
 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

P/R/S VC/CV V/CV VC/V

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

blameless balloon acorn atom

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

bossy blossom cocoa devil

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

farmer contract duty habit

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

morning immense humid logic

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

peaceful rascal laser model

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

subway splendid moment never

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

sweeter tumble reason rigid

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

thinking welfare sofa shovel

SYL1 SYL1 SYL1 SYL1

witches wisdom unite widow