Prekinder kids love activities that involve themselves and their friends, especially when it includes their photos. Photo activities make very high-interest activities. Here are some activities to teach syllables using children’s photos.
Prepare the Syllable Photo Activity
Use a digital camera to take a head shot of each child in your class, print the pictures on cardstock, and laminate the photo cards. Make larger photo cards (about index card size) to use in pocket charts and mini photo cards to use in center or small group activities.
Teaching the Syllable Photo Activity
As a large group activity, show a photo card to the class, clap the syllables in the child’s name, and have that child come up to the board to place the card in the correct column on the pocket chart. Leave this activity out during center time for your prekinders to practice. If you don’t have a pocket chart, you could attach magnets on the back of each photo, and attach them to a magnetic white board.
Another lesson which gives children repetition is to clap, snap, slap the syllables. You say and repeat the word three times while you clap your hands, snap your fingers, slap your knees. The repetition helps children learn.
For example, for the name “Patrick”, you would say:
“Pat-rick” (clap, clap hands)
“Pat-rick” (snap, snap fingers)
“Pat-rick” (slap, slap knees)
(You clap or snap or slap at the same time you are saying each syllable.)
For the name “Madison”, you would say:
“Mad-i-son” (clap, clap, clap hands)
“Mad-i-son” (snap, snap, snap fingers)
“Mad-i-son” (slap, slap, slap knees)
If you wanted to make posters to hang on the walls of your classroom, you could use 4 pieces of colorful 12×18 construction paper. Label each paper with a different number. As a group activity, sort and glue the children’s photos to the charts.
After your prekinders have had lots of practice with syllables, you can do this small group or center activity using mini photos of the children. You can either print and laminate photos to be sorted and used again and again, or photocopy class photos in black and white for children to sort and glue onto paper.
You can use a table top pocket chart (mine is a mini dollar pocket chart) and have children sort the photos in it.
You can cut 3 sheets of colored construction paper in half for children to sort the photos. Label the sheets with numbers.
You can make dividing lines on a piece of construction paper and label with numbers for children to sort and glue the photos.
These are sample lessons from my big pack of Syllables lessons and activities, available on Teachers Pay Teachers.
{Camera graphic in title image by Ashley Hughes}
Don't worry - we never sell or share email addresses!
I love it. I do not have many words to express how much I love it.
Glad you like it, Marie!
Your ideas inspire me as a teacher. I have been teaching Preschool since 1996 in the public school system at a State Preschool and love to read up on your ideas. Your experience and philosophy is like mine and I enjoy the passion that is displayed through your expertise. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much, Cheryl!
Do you start syllables in the beginning of the year or do you wait later in the year?
I start near the beginning of the year with clapping the first names of the children and “clap, snap, slap” the names (probably around the 4th week of school, after we’ve established routines).
Thank you so much and it’s helpful for our children
Thanks!
Once again, a wonderful, easily doable idea- the best kind! Thanks!
amazing!from last 8 years I was using these pictures for thematic units,myself creative writing or for door décor but now its going to be more fun:)
I really enjoy your ideas for preschools. Thanks alot, and hello from Kyrgyzstan 🙂
Another idea to help count out syllables is to use the “head, shoulders, knees and toes” method. Sometimes clapping out syllables get confusing, when they use their whole body they can break up the word more effectively and then move on to the clapping method.
Great activity to use with Smart Board for signing in or as a class or small group activity. I always made many copies of the children’s pictures to use through out the year.
I use children’s pictures arrayed like Bingo cards and we talk about who is between, who is over, under, at the beginning of the row, the end of the row, etc. Children’s pictures can be used for sorting and comparing- long hair, short hair, girl, boy, beginning letter of name the same, graphing, making lunch choices, center choices.
I love this idea! We have always practiced counting syllables with names, but never with pictures. Love it!
Heidi
Thanks Karen as a Special Education Teacher I need visuals to teach my lessons , this will really help me teacch the concept of syllables to my class.
Rosemary
I’m new to pre-k (only taught 3rd grade) and recently found this website full of great ideas. I will begin counting syllables with the class this week, and will use the “heads, shoulders, knees, and toes” method. This will be done during my greeting/literacy circle time which is 30 min. Greatly appreciate you sharing your expertise!! Please keep up the great work!!
wow ,its toooo good 🙂
can u send me activities for introducing number 1,2 , 3 and soooooooo on
Love this, but have a question. Do you ask the kids to clap the “syllables” or do you use different wording to help them understand. I struggle sometimes to help children understand the skill I am teaching: ie, rhyming: “ending sound”, alliteration, onset and rime…and want to be clear with the wording for each activity. Any thoughts on this?
I use the word “syllables”. We practice syllables all year long, and every child in my class knows exactly what I mean when I say “syllables”. A new vocabulary word for them to add to their language.