Kindergarten · English Language Arts · Unit 4 of 12
Clap the Beat
Clap the parts of words
What your child practices
Breaking words into syllables (ba-na-na) by clapping. Clap along out loud: one clap for each part you hear.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: K.9 · counting the syllables in spoken words
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Words have beats. Each beat is a clap.
- Say the word slowly and clap each part.
- Count your claps.
Example: Clap “pizza”. How many claps? piz – za. Two claps. Answer: 2
Clap the Beat in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 4 of 12 in Kindergarten English Language Arts, after Rhyme Time and before Sight Words.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which word has 3 claps?
- 🐘elephant
- 🐶dog
- 🚀rocket
🐘 elephant
Hint: Clap each word. Elephant has 3 claps: el · e · phant.
Question 2
Clap “bus”. How many claps?
🚌bus- 1
- 2
- 3
1
Hint: Clap each part as you say it: bus. That's 1 clap!
Question 3
Clap “butterfly”. How many claps?
🦋butterfly- 1
- 2
- 3
3
Hint: Clap each part as you say it: but · ter · fly. That's 3 claps!
Question 4
Clap “tomato”. How many claps?
🍅tomato- 1
- 2
- 3
3
Hint: Clap each part as you say it: to · ma · to. That's 3 claps!
Question 5
Clap “lemon”. How many claps?
🍋lemon- 1
- 2
- 3
2
Hint: Clap each part as you say it: lem · on. That's 2 claps!
Question 6
Clap “turtle”. How many claps?
🐢turtle- 1
- 2
- 3
2
Hint: Clap each part as you say it: tur · tle. That's 2 claps!