3.2 Explicitly Teach Open Syllables

As you know, the vowels have short sounds and long sounds. Vowels say their short sounds when they are closed in by — or followed by — a consonant. If a vowel has a consonant after it, we call that a closed syllable. You can think about it like the consonant is protecting the vowel so it can say its short sound.

Today we're going to learn about a new syllable type called an open syllable. An open syllable ends with a vowel. When there is no consonant right after the vowel protecting it, the vowel will say its long sound.

When vowels make a long sound, they say their name.

When this vowel makes its long sound it says /ā/.

When this vowel makes its long sound it says /ē/.

When this vowel makes its long sound it says /ī/.

When this vowel makes its long sound it says /ō/.

When this vowel makes its long sound it can say /ū/ or /o͞o/.

I am going to spell a syllable for you. Please do not blurt out the syllable! We are going to move through the syllable together. Here we go.

Now, look all the way through the syllable and touch the vowel. Underline the vowel and mark it with a 'v' for vowel.

Now look next door, immediately after the vowel. Is the vowel closed in by a consonant?

If the vowel is not closed in by the consonant then the syllable is open and the vowel is long.

Let’s mark the vowel with a macron and write an 'O' with a circle around it to show that the syllable is open.

What’s the vowel sound?

Now let’s tap and read the syllable together.

/z/, /ē/. /zē/.