How to Teach Final Syllable Spelling: Part 2

simplyaaronni9
Jun 2
3 min read

Updated: Jun 28

Before you read this post, check out part one of Final Syllable Spelling.

Like I said in part 1, knowing how to teach final syllable spelling is important because it helps students spell, as well as feel more confident when it comes to their writing. It's hard to remember words in isolation, so being able to look inside of a word, namely looking at the end, you can gain a better understanding of how to spell.

How to Teach Final Syllable Spelling: Part 2

When teaching any skill, repetition is a great way to instill the foundation of any skill; this is much the same with this skill. You'll notice that we already did one part of how to teach final syllable spelling. One more day of review is more than beneficial!

Final syllable spelling part 2 anchor chart/poster

Look below to see how to easily teach this concept!

Step 1. Read the definition of what the concept of final stable spelling is. This step is important because for students to retain any skill, they have to have a solid foundation. I would repeat the definition repeatedly throughout this many lesson.

Step 2. Explain that there are 4 rules for this concept. I would reinforce to students that while there are 4 rules, this their second day of practicing with you and they will practice with a partner, as well as independently.

Rule 1: Final syllable spelling is always in the final position. This is important to point out because a student completing this skill incorrectly is only reinforcing an incorrect way of using this rule. An example of this rule is the word bubble.

Rule 2: Final syllable spelling always has a stable pronunciation. Make a point to tell students that "stable" means it doesn't change and is reliable. You can explain that a strong chair is stable, but a wobbly ladder is not. A few good examples of this rule are below:

circle = cir - kul
cradle = c - ra - dul
eagle = e - gul
castle = ka - sul

Rule 3. Final syllable spelling never has accented words. This means there are no breves, circumspec, or macron. This is important to know because final syllable spelling has a stable pronunciation. Words with breves, circumspecs, or macrons do not have stable pronunciation. Not every word has the same ending sound. This is a key way to know if something has stable syllable spelling or not.

Rule 4. Final syllable spelling creates a syllable because of the vowel sound. Explain that since final syllable spelling always has the same ending, the first part of the word has a vowel and that causes there to be more than one syllable in the word. Examples:

crackle = crac | kle
puzzle = puz | zle
simple = sim | ple
raffle = raf | fle

Step 3. When you're done reviewing the four rules, go through the examples below. Point out the similarities in the words, as well as the sounds. Point out each rule as you find them in each word. Take time with this. You could have students come to your interactive board and segment the words for the class. When you're done, ask students how they're feeling about the rules.

ive /iv/	ice / iss/	age / ij/
active	justice	courage
cursive	office	garbage
native	notice	cabbage

Step 4. When you're done reviewing as a class, have students use the words below to find the rule for each word. You can have them write the words in their notebook or even write them on their desks in erasable marker. There are so many ways to tailor these words to your lesson. When they are done, reconvene and review what the class has found.