Syllables Worksheets for Kindergarten: Clap and Count
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Skill: Counting the syllables in spoken words by clapping
Teaching tips and what to try next
Counting syllables is a listening skill, so say each word aloud and clap or tap the chin (the jaw drops once per syllable). Start with names in your family; children love clapping "Ma-de-line." For more sound play, try Rhyming Words: Circle the Rhyme or Beginning Sounds: Match the Letter.
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About this worksheet
A syllable is a beat in a word. Cat has one beat, rab-bit has two, and ba-na-na has three. Hearing these beats is an important early reading skill, because it helps children break long words into smaller parts they can say, read, and later spell. This kindergarten worksheet gives fifteen familiar words to clap and count.
The sheet has five words with one syllable, five with two, and five with three, in mixed order. The words are things young children know, such as dog, apple, cupcake, butterfly, and dinosaur. Each word is printed in large letters with the numbers 1, 2, and 3 below it. Children say the word, clap once for each beat, and circle the number of claps they heard. Because no reading is required, it works well for children who are just starting to learn letters.
How to use it: a grown-up reads each word aloud, and then the child says it too while clapping. Other ways to feel the beats are tapping the table, stomping, or placing a hand under the chin, since the chin drops once for each syllable. Exaggerate the beats at first: but-ter-fly. If your child is unsure, say the word together slowly and count the claps out loud. For extra fun, clap the syllables in family members' names.
The answer key circles the correct number and shows each word split into syllables, such as el-e-phant. This worksheet supports Common Core standard RF.K.2.b (count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words). Build more listening skills with our Rhyming Words and Beginning Sounds worksheets.