Clapping out syllables is the easiest way to begin to help children learn that the words we speak can be separated into "chunks". This is one of the stepping stones to being able to hear all of the little individual sounds in words (e.g., /c/a/t).

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The easiest thing we can do is to clap out syllables. Help children hear the difference between long words like "ca-ter-pill-ar", and and short words like "juice". We do not want to show them how to print the word caterpillar - that will come later in grade one and two. In preschool, we just want to help them hear and play with the SOUNDS in words.

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A fun game you can play is "Beads in a Bucket" (place one bead in each cup as you separate the word into syllables (e.g., /marsh/mell/ow). Likewise, you can play "Hop the Hoops" and have children jump in one hoop per syllable (e.g., /la/dy/bug).

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I usually use pictures of things (or use the objects that they are playing with that contain 3 sounds and see if they can guess my word after I break it up into syllables. I say "I hear with my little ear, something that sounds like... (e.g., um/brell/a).