Your child recognizes letters. Your child knows their sounds.
Now the magic begins. We put those sounds together.
This is called blending.
π± Let's Read CAT
Point to each letter and say the sound slowly:
C β /k/
A β /Δ/
T β /t/
Now slide the sounds together: /k/ /Δ/ /t/ β CAT!
Try some more:
/m/ /Δ/ /p/ β MAP πΊοΈ
/s/ /Ε/ /n/ β SUN βοΈ
/p/ /Δ/ /g/ β PIG π·
β A Tip For Parents
At first, your child may say each sound very slowly. That is okay.
Practise helping them move from /d/ /Ε/ /g/ to DOG! πΆ
With practice, blending becomes faster and more automatic.
Hear the sounds. Blend the sounds. Read the word. β€οΈ
π Keep The Sounds In Front Of Them
Blending is much easier when the letter sounds are already secure. If your child is still hesitating on a sound, spend a few more minutes a day with the Alphabet Flash Cards and Poster set before moving on, and use the activity workbooks to give each letter a week of its own.
π Then Put It In A Real Book
Once your child can blend three-letter words, they are ready to read a real story rather than a word list. Our story books are written with short lines and gentle repetition, so there is always a word your child can sound out for themselves and a story worth finishing.
This is where all those letters and sounds begin turning into reading.
