Blending
Blending is the skill of stringing individual letter sounds together without pausing between them, turning "c... a... t" into the spoken word "cat." It's usually practiced after a child is comfortable with individual letter sounds.
Examples
- • /s/ + /i/ + /t/ → sit
- • /h/ + /o/ + /p/ → hop
How to practice at home
- Start with two sounds: /a/ + /t/ = at.
- Say the sounds slowly without stopping between them, then faster.
- Use continuous sounds first (m, s, f, l), which are easier to stretch.
- Play "robot talk": you say c-a-t, your child says cat.
Watch out for
Pausing between sounds. If your child says the sounds but not the word, say them again faster each time until the word "pops out".