Blending Small Words

Children can learn to read simple words by playing activities with you centering on letter sounds and connecting these sounds together to make words. Provide relaxed game-like learning opportunities. Once letters and sounds have been mastered children can start blending small words.

Step two: Blending Small words. At Maeser Elementary we teach Saxon Phonics. This has become a program that I would hate to be without. It puts reading into small simple steps.

The first 3 letters we learn are “l”, “o”, “g”, then the next 3 are “h”, “t”. “p”. With just those six letters we start to put words together. The first word is log. Then we move to hog, hot, pot, top and got. You can see even with 6 letters we can create many words. Make little cards and put the ABC’s on them, (lowercase is the best.) Start putting the letters together.

Play the rubber band game. Say each sound, stretch the word apart, /l/ /o/ /g/, then snap it together: log. Do this with many words. After doing this orally, then start to do it with your cards, spelling words together.

As you are blending the words together, blend the first two letters, /l/ /o/=/lo/, then put on the /g/. Once you have the word blended and sounded out, take off the “l” and put on an “h” for hog.

Do this with all sorts of small 3 letter words. Do it with all the letters and sounds. Help children read small words about things they love like cat and dog. After they read the word look for a picture to cut out from a magazine or paper. Glue it by the word. Make your own illustrated book, or flashcards with the words you and your child are reading.

As you are helping your child read small words, focus on one word or one skill at a time and celebrate each accomplishment. Ask your child’s teacher or librarian for phonetic books. Also look in bookstores or Scholastic book orders. In phonetic books each word can be phonetically sounded out. Make your own books with the words you are reading together.

I believe strongly in systematic phonics instruction. You have just become an expert. Blending simple 3 letter words is the first step. Remember read together. Never stop reading to your children no matter their age. Stories are magical. They take us places we may never go except within the pages of a book! Happy Reading!