Clap It Out: Discovering Syllables!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 4:21 Video
Print Lesson Plan Watch Video

Lesson Description

Let's learn about syllables with a fun song and dance! We'll clap along to find out how many parts are in different words.

Video Resource

Clap It Out - Learn Syllables | Songs For Kids | Dance Along | GoNoodle

GoNoodle | Get Moving

Duration: 4:21
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Syllables are parts of words.
  • We can clap to count syllables.
  • Different words have different numbers of syllables.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify syllables in spoken words.
  • Students will be able to clap the number of syllables in a word.
  • Students will be able to differentiate between words with one, two, three, four, and five syllables.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they already know about words. Explain that words are made up of smaller parts called syllables. Tell them they will be learning how to find these parts by clapping.
  • Video Time! (5 mins)
    Play the 'Clap It Out - Learn Syllables | Songs For Kids | Dance Along | GoNoodle' video. Encourage students to sing, dance, and clap along with the video.
  • Clap It Out Together (10 mins)
    After the video, review the concept of syllables. Say some words from the video (e.g., mice, awesome, chimpanzee) and have the students clap along with you. Emphasize the different numbers of claps for each word.
  • Group Practice (10 mins)
    Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a set of picture cards (e.g., cat, apple, banana, elephant). Have them take turns saying the word on the card and clapping out the syllables together.
  • Wrap-Up (5 mins)
    Review what they learned. Ask students to give examples of words with one, two, and three syllables. Sing the 'Clap It Out' song one more time to reinforce the lesson.

Interactive Exercises

  • Syllable Sorting
    Prepare picture cards of various objects. Call out a number (1, 2, or 3). Have the students find a picture card with that many syllables and bring it to the front of the room.
  • Clap and Count
    Say a word and have the students clap out the syllables. Then, have them tell you how many claps (syllables) they heard.

Discussion Questions

  • What is a syllable?
  • How can we find out how many syllables are in a word?
  • Can you think of any other words with one syllable? Two syllables? Three syllables?

Skills Developed

  • Phonological Awareness
  • Auditory Discrimination
  • Following Directions
  • Cooperation

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

How many parts does the word 'cat' have?

Correct Answer: One

Question 2:

Let's clap for the word 'ba-na-na'. How many claps did we do?

Correct Answer: Three

Question 3:

Which of these words has TWO parts?

Correct Answer: Ap-ple

Question 4:

If we clap for 'el-e-phant', how many times do we clap?

Correct Answer: Three

Question 5:

The word 'ball' has how many parts?

Correct Answer: One

Question 6:

Which word has 3 parts?

Correct Answer: Um-brel-la

Question 7:

Let's clap 'but-ter-fly'. How many claps?

Correct Answer: Three

Question 8:

Which has 1 part, like 'dog'?

Correct Answer: Pig

Question 9:

We clap a-gain for egg-plant. How many claps?

Correct Answer: Three

Question 10:

Which word has the most parts?

Correct Answer: Hippo-pot-a-mus

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A ______ is a part of a word.

Correct Answer: syllable

Question 2:

We can ______ to find the parts of a word.

Correct Answer: clap

Question 3:

The word 'sun' has ______ syllable.

Correct Answer: one

Question 4:

The word 'ap-ple' has ______ syllables.

Correct Answer: two

Question 5:

Ba-na-na has _____ claps.

Correct Answer: three

Question 6:

We can ___ it out.

Correct Answer: clap

Question 7:

Every clap is a new _____.

Correct Answer: syllable

Question 8:

'Cat' has one ____.

Correct Answer: syllable

Question 9:

'Rain-bow' has two ____.

Correct Answer: syllables

Question 10:

'Um-brel-la' has three ____.

Correct Answer: syllables

Educational Standards

PK.2.PA.3:Students will recognize syllables in spoken words (e.g., pony = po + ny). PK.1.L.2:Students will follow simple one-step oral directions. PK.1.S.2:Students will engage in collaborative discussions about various topics and texts, including their own writing, with peers and adults in small and large groups with prompting.

Teaching Materials

Download ready-to-use materials for this lesson:

Student Worksheet Classroom Slides Assessment Quiz
Add to Google Classroom

User Actions

Sign in to save this lesson plan to your favorites.

Sign In

Share This Lesson

Related Lesson Plans