Have students gather around in a common area or circle. Use note cards with words listed on each card. Use one-, two- and three-syllable words. Mix up the cards and make sure the words are written so that line breaks show where one syllable begins and one ends. Have a picture representing the word draw of taped to the back of the card.
Flash the picture side of a card to the students. Have one student at a time say the word represented by the picture. After all students have taken a turn, flip the card over to show how the word is divided into syllables. Say the word by placing emphasis on each syllable. Be overly dramatic to start so children understand how words are divided up during speech. Clap your hands along as you start a new syllable of a word; have children mimic this process so they can understand when a new syllable occurs.
Pass out the cards randomly to the students, who have been divided in to groups of two. Have one student show one of the pictures to the teammate. Have students observe themselves and one another as they say the words. Tell the students, by walking around between groups, to pay attention to how the mouth changes between syllables.
Use larger words as the kindergarteners become better accustomed to pronouncing words properly. Use note cards with four and five syllable words on occasion to illustrate the importance of syllables, especially when sounding out and learning big new words. make sure to keep common words on posters throughout the classroom, all with the word division according to syllables noted below the proper spelling of each word.