CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.2b

ELAKindergartenPhonological Awareness

The Standard

Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students listen for the beats in spoken words and count them. They say syllables separately and blend spoken syllables to make a complete word.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students accurately count and say the syllables in familiar spoken words. They can join syllables such as “ta” and “ble” and split “table” into those parts.
Common Misconceptions: Students may count letters or sounds instead of syllables. They may add extra beats, split consonant blends, or have trouble joining separated syllables into a whole word.
How to Assess It: Say “banana,” “sun,” and “rabbit.” Ask each student to repeat each word, count its syllables, and say the syllables separately.

Lesson moves

Give students picture cards and counters, then have them push one counter forward for each syllable they say.
Partners answer the prompt, “How many beats are in dinosaur, and what parts do you hear?” then explain their thinking.
Play Syllable Sort by having students place picture cards under headings for one, two, three, or four syllables.
Use students’ names to make a class chart, grouping each name by its number of syllables.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.2b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Learning progression

Mastery here sets students up for these next.

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