“Breaking rules” are valuable tools that your child can learn to help them read multi-syllable words, which are usually the words that are going to trip them up once they start reading.
There are 3 simple things your child can do to break a complex word down into syllables to make it easier to read. They are going to be more successful reading a long multi-syllable word when they read each syllable and then put those syllables together.
The first thing is to check the vowel sounds. The number of vowel sounds in the word determines how many syllables it is. There is one vowel sound in every syllable, and only one, so they can go through and count the number of vowels to determine the number of syllables. This will help them know how many times they will have to break the word.
The second thing is to look for those common beginnings and endings that you’ve talked with them about. These will help your child know where to break the beginning and/or ending of the word.
The final thing they can do is start at the end of the word and find the first vowel sound. That vowel is going to “grab” the consonant because it is easier for us to pronounce syllables if they start with a consonant. Continue pairing the vowel with a consonant up to the beginning of the word.
To watch these rules in action, watch the video below.
We hope these help! For more tips on guiding your child to confident reading, keep scrolling and grab our free guide!
