Blending letters

[tori729]

I decided to try to start teaching my 4.5 yo how to read this year. We're using Phonics Pathways and this is the first time I've attempted teaching a child to read as my 6yo went to kindy last year.

She knows most of the letter sounds and we went over the short vowels so she knows all of those well. However, we got to blending and started with s- blending w/ vowels. I thought she had it - I did the "train game" with her (slowly putting each letter together until it blends). But then we moved on to m- blends and now she will say, "mmmmmssssaaaaa..." because she's stuck on the s- blends that she's memorized. Clearly, she doesn't really understand blending. So what are some ways to help her learn this better? Or is it a developmental thing - a sign that she isn't really ready to learn to read? I've put the book away for now because I don't really know where to go from here. Tips? I'm not really worried about her learning to read quite yet, but since I'm schooling my oldest, I thought I might as well try teaching her to read now.

[Ellie]

I decided to try to start teaching my 4.5 yo how to read this year. We're using Phonics Pathways and this is the first time I've attempted teaching a child to read as my 6yo went to kindy last year.

She knows most of the letter sounds and we went over the short vowels so she knows all of those well. However, we got to blending and started with s- blending w/ vowels. I thought she had it - I did the "train game" with her (slowly putting each letter together until it blends). But then we moved on to m- blends and now she will say, "mmmmmssssaaaaa..." because she's stuck on the s- blends that she's memorized. Clearly, she doesn't really understand blending. So what are some ways to help her learn this better? Or is it a developmental thing - a sign that she isn't really ready to learn to read? I've put the book away for now because I don't really know where to go from here. Tips? I'm not really worried about her learning to read quite yet, but since I'm schooling my oldest, I thought I might as well try teaching her to read now.

 

It's a developmental thing.

 

I think you were wise to put away the book for now.

[Chris in VA]

You might try reinforcing one-to-one correspondance through lots of other types of play. It's one of the underlying skills for letter/sound recognition, and she may have confused things a bit because that skill needs work.

 

 

[craftyerin]

Yep, I'm in the "she's not ready" camp. But I would practice with oral blends all the time! Make it a game to play in the car or wherever.  In AAR's PK level, they set it up like this: 
 

Mom: I'm going to talk really slooooooow and silly, like a turtle.  You see if you can guess what I'm trying to say. rrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaat

and see if she can blend it into "rat". Mine loved the "turtle game"! Also try it without drawing out the sound, but with a distinct beat between the sounds.  /r/ /a/ /t/ and see if she can get "rat". Once she's orally blending easily, I would try Phonics Pathways again. 

[Ivey]

I agree that it's most likely developmental. It's very normal for a young child to know their letter sounds but not be ready for blending.  

 

That said, it's always made more sense to me to teach V-C blends before C-V. 

[AimeeM]

I agree that it's developmental. As much as I fought it, the advice I received on the board to put it away with my son (when he was your kiddo's age) was the best. He knew all letter sounds, and could handle most CV blends, but had a mighty hard time with CVC blends. We put it away for a couple months, tried again, and voila! He is doing much better now (at barely 5).

In the mean time, something fun we've had success with is silly talking - I will talk to him in chunks; he has to mentally blend the chunks (cv, cvc, etc) to figure out what I said. I just did/do it randomly, and now when he thinks I'm acting dim (as in, when he wants something and I'm not responding immediately), he does it to me, lol. It's actually helped quite a bit with blending within our program (or it could be purely developmental - I don't really care why, lol).

[Korrale]

Check out www.readingbear.org. It is free and it is really good with demonstrating blends. It even has the lips to help a child say the sounds. You can do fast or slow blending. And initially the child can be a passive observer.

[Syllieann]

There are ways you can help the child learn to blend. In the meantime, you can still teach the sounds of the various phonograms, as well as rules, and blend for the child, moving slowly through your program. This alone may allow it to click, but I would work on it directly too. The talking slowly game mentioned is good. I have used a little prop and said, "go put it on the c. A. T, now on your brother's l. E. G.

 

Start with v/c blends and have them drag the vowels out until they begin making the second sound. Tell the child not to leave any space between the sounds. When you add a beginning consonant, choose sounds that can be similarly dragged out....f, l, m, n, r, s, v.

[tori729]

You might try reinforcing one-to-one correspondance through lots of other types of play. It's one of the underlying skills for letter/sound recognition, and she may have confused things a bit because that skill needs work.

 

What do you mean by "one-to-one correspondence"?

 

Thanks for the tips! I think I'll just try to incorporate it into our day and just wait on the formal teaching for now.

[wallingjan]

I agree with all the development advice. That said, my daughter (and she was 6) didn't understand blending at all until I stumbled upon "singing" the words. When she sang the sounds, it blended naturally. It was a huge lightbulb moment for her.