Syllable Worksheets for Kindergarten
Six free syllable worksheets for kindergarten (and older children, too). You’ll have a structured and easy way to work on syllable knowledge.
These easy, print-and-go syllable worksheets for kindergarten help your child break words apart. They are also great for older struggling readers.
Hearing how words break into syllables is important for reading and spelling.
Once your child can read words like cat and fin, they can also read the word catnip or muffin. But first, they need to understand that words in English are made of syllables.
This also helps children learn to spell and write big words. If they have been taught to say big words out loud to themselves to count the syllables. So when a child wants to write “suddenly,” they can break it into manageable chunks: “sud,” “den,” and “lee.”
So check out these syllable worksheets for kindergarten and make sure to read all the tips about teaching syllables to your young learners.
Syllable Worksheets for Kindergarten
You can grab several free syllable worksheets for kindergarten below. Just add your information into the box.
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At what age do kids count syllables?
Before we get to the worksheets, let’s address some FAQs about syllables. You might be wondering, “at what age do kids count syllables?”
Counting syllables is actually an early phonological awareness skill. So children as young as three or four can begin counting syllables.
You simply start saying words and modeling for your child how to count the syllables:
- Parent: Robot. Repeat the word “robot.”
- Child: Robot.
- Parent: We can break robot into two parts: ro-bot.
There are some easy hacks to teach your child how to count syllables.
What’s the easiest way to count syllables?
There are many ways to count syllables. Some popular and easy ways are to count syllables are:
- Clap the syllables
- Put your hand under your chin and count the drops
- Speak like a robot
- Hum the word
For children who are counting syllables orally, I like to put my hand under my chin. Each syllable must have a vowel and our chins drop when we say a vowel sound.
How do you explain a syllable to a five year old?
Five year old children in kindergarten can understand syllables.
You just explain that:
- a syllable is a word part.
- each syllable needs a vowel sound
- most syllables also have consonant sound too.
Then give some examples. I like to use pets:
- Dog has one syllable.
- Hamster has two syllables.
- Parakeet has three syllables.
Free Syllable Worksheets
These can be used for readers in older grades who are still building those skills. Some children in grades four and higher might find these worksheets baby-ish.
So try the free samples prior to buying.
- Counting Syllable Sorts
- Syllable Coloring
- Clapping the Syllables
- Syllable Counting
- Circle the Syllables
- Syllable Type Sorts
Syllables Sort Worksheet
On the counting the syllables worksheet, your child simply sorts by the number of syllables.
This is a cut-and-glue worksheet and it is created by theme. This helps your child develop vocabulary while also building syllable skills.
To use the syllables sort worksheet, you will:
- Have your child cut off the bottom portion. If they don’t understand, you’re going to print two copies and show them with your copy.
- Name the first picture. Say. “this is a worm. Repeat.”
- Your child should say “worm.”
- Say, “Put your hand under your chin and say ‘worm.’ Worm has one syllable because your chin drops once.”
- Tell your child where to glue the piece under column 1.
- Repeat with the rest of the words.
- When your child is finished, encourage them to color in the children to build their fine motor skills. Learning to color in a small space is very important to develop little hand muscles.
Syllable Coloring Worksheets
In this syllable coloring worksheet, your child will follow the code to color. Each word has either 1 or 2 syllables.
To use this worksheet, you will:
- Say: “this is surf. Repeat surf.”
- Child: “Surf”
- Say, “How many syllables are in surf?” Model clapping, holding your hand under your chin, or talking like a robot.
- Child: “1”
- Say: “Yes and you color one syllable word green according to this code.”
These color-by-syllable worksheets are also sorted by phonics sounds. This particular worksheet has bossy r spelled with ur.
Clapping the Syllables Worksheet
In the clapping the syllables worksheet, your child will color in the correct number of clappings for syllables.
Just like with all these worksheets, you will need to name each picture for your child. They might not know what the picture represents. Plus to really get the benefit, they need to hear the word and repeat it back to you.
You can say something like this:
- Parent: This is a telescope. Repeat telescope.
- Child: Telescope
- Parent: Great. Let’s count the syllables by clapping together.
- Parent and child: (clapping) tel-e-scope
- Parent: How many claps was that?
- Child: Three.
- Parent: yes. Thank you!
These clapping worksheets are sorted by initial phonics sounds. It’s perfect to infuse more high level phonological awareness with phonemic awareness and phonics.
Syllable Count Worksheet
On this syllable count worksheet, your child simply colors in the numeral with the correct number of syllables.
Like all the other worksheets, say each word out loud for your child. Ask them to repeat the word.
Then show your child how to color in the correct number of syllables.
These worksheets are all thematic and based on early childhood curriculum topics. One important factor for reading comprehension is vocabulary, and these worksheets help you introduce or reinforce vocabulary.
Circle the Syllables Worksheet
Circle the Syllables worksheet develops syllable discrimination. Your child will listen to the syllables in one word. Then your child will need to choose the word that has the same number of syllables as the first word.
This is one of the most advanced worksheets, and would be too hard for most of my kindergarten students. If you have a younger child or a struggling reader, plan to do this worksheet together.
These worksheets are sorted by phonics sounds. This syllable worksheet focuses on words with long i so it would be great for many first graders.
Syllable Types Sorts
These worksheets are designed to expose children to the six syllable types. When children can hear how words are broken into different types of syllables, they will be better prepared to read and spell them.
The six syllable types are:
- open
- closed
- magic e
- vowel team
- bossy r
- consonant-le
In this syllable worksheet, your child will name 1 and 2 words with an open syllable. That means the syllable ends with a vowel sound, or leaves it “open.”
Some open-syllable words are:
- me
- hi
- so
Then your child will determine if there are one or two syllables and glue them in the correct spot.
More Syllable Worksheets PDF
Hard truth: for most parents and children six free worksheets won’t be enough. A lot of parents will need more guidance to work on syllables with their children.
That’s because learning to read isn’t a natural process. Humans actually rewire their brains to learn to read.
If you find you need more worksheets to help your child or students develop their understanding of syllables, find more Syllable Worksheets in the Printable Parents’ Shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Each worksheet type is sorted either by a theme or phonics skills. This way it works into kindergarten and first-grade curriculum really easily.
The thematic worksheets develop background knowledge and vocabulary for children. The phonics skills reinforce whatever skill children are developing or reviewing. Phonemic awareness is most powerful when it is connected to phonics.
Check out these syllable worksheets in the Printable Parents’ Shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers.
More Phonemic Awareness Resources
These posts will help your child and you develop better phonemic awareness:
