An alternative is to have the students cup their jaw and count the number of times it drops when saying the word. This is also a way to count the number of syllables. Point out to students that a syllable has one vowel sound. Ask students to generate a list of short words, then a list of long words. Compare the lists.
Long words contain more letters and more syllables.
Ask students to repeat a series of words you say. As they pronounce each word, have students clap or tap the number of syllables. Start with compound words, progress to two-syllable words, then build to words of three and four syllables. These phonemic-deletion tasks can progress to deleting ending syllables. Once students have mastered the concept of the syllable, begin teaching the six most common syllable spelling patterns.