A Busy Parent’s Guide to Blending Sounds

Teaching your child to read doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Blending sounds is key to early literacy, and you can teach it with a few simple tools.

What You Need:

• Three boxes: Represent each sound in a word.
• A dry-erase marker: For writing the letters.
• A toy car: For hands-on blending.
• CVC Words: Simple words like "cat" or "sat."
• Controlled Decodable Text: Simple stories using only sounds your child can decode.

Steps:

1. Say It: Pick a CVC word like "cat." Say each sound: /k/, /a/, /t/.
2. Tap It: Write the word in three boxes. Tap each box as you say each sound.
3. Blend It: Slide the toy car across the boxes while blending the sounds: "caaat."
4. Write It: Have your child write the word and say it again as a whole.
5. Practice It: Use controlled decodable text to reinforce blending with simple sentences.

Example of Decodable Text:

Sam and the Mat
Sam sat.
Sam sat on a mat.
Sam sat in the sun.

This quick method helps your child blend sounds, building reading confidence step by step.