Blending Sounds Into Words

Blending means pushing sounds together until they turn into a word. Try it: c-a-t. Say each sound slowly, then faster: c-aaaa-t, cat! The sounds did not change - you just squished them closer and closer until the word popped out.

Start with three-sound words: sun, map, pig, bed. Tap one finger for each sound as you say it - thumb for the first sound, pointer for the middle, middle finger for the last. Three taps, three sounds, one word. Your fingers help your ears keep the sounds in order.

If a word feels stuck, slow down. Stretch it like a rubber band: sss-uuu-nnn. Then say it a little faster. Reading teachers call this "stretchy snake" because the word stretches out long and then snaps back together. Every reader on Earth learned this exact move.