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  • Closed Syllables Skill Explainer

Quick Look: Open and Closed Syllables

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Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book
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DeAngela Huggins: Open or closed syllables?

Students: Open.

DeAngela Huggins: Open. So if it's open, Georgia, what's the sound of our vowel?

Georgia: /ō/ ...

DeAngela Huggins: /ō/ ... Now let's read our syllable together. It is ...

Students: /bō/ ...

DeAngela Huggins: What is it?

Students: /bō/ ...

DeAngela Huggins: Then we have open or closed?

Students: Closed.

DeAngela Huggins: Closed. What's the sound of our vowel?

Students: /ă/ ...

DeAngela Huggins: And let's read it.

/lăs/ ...

Students: Plus how, why is it important to know that if it's open or if it's closed? Why do we need to know that? Why don't we even care? Leona?

Leona: Um, if we know if it's open or closed, then we know if it makes its long sound or its short sound.

DeAngela Huggins: And that helps us to do what?

Leona: Read and write.

DeAngela Huggins: Very good. It helps us to read and write the words. So what was our syllable? Let's go ...

Students: /lăs/ ...

DeAngela Huggins: /lăs/ ... Very good.

Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale; the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (opens in new window); the AFT (opens in new window); the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation (opens in new window); and three anonymous donors.