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Kindergarten · English Language Arts · Unit 4 of 16

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.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: KRF2 · counting the syllables in spoken words

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Words have beats. Each beat is a clap.
  2. Say the word slowly and clap each part.
  3. Count your claps.

Example: Clap “pizza”. How many claps? piz – za. Two claps. Answer: 2

Clap the Beat in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 4 of 16 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.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Clap “rocket”. How many claps?

    🚀rocket
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3

  2. Question 2

    Clap “elephant”. How many claps?

    🐘elephant
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3

  3. Question 3

    Which word has 2 claps?

    • 🐸frog
    • ☂️umbrella
    • 🎃pumpkin

  4. Question 4

    Which word has 1 clap?

    • 🦓zebra
    • 🦆duck
    • 🍌banana

  5. Question 5

    Clap “bus”. How many claps?

    🚌bus
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3

  6. Question 6

    Clap “penguin”. How many claps?

    🐧penguin
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3

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