Hopefully you are seeing how helpful it is—at the beginning of the school year and the beginning of learning to blend—to give students “clues” as to what to do with their mouths. For example, if they see
z
on the paper, I’ll cue them with:
zip it
and they’ll pretend to zip their jacket and say /zzzzzzz/.
If they see
ub
on the paper, I’ll say these two clues:
punch your tummy and soft lips
and the students will know to say /uuuuu/ (as if they just got punched in the tummy) and then /b/ softly without the schwa attached (not /bu/).
We do this every day at my small group table and they are easily memorizing the clues as I include each letter/sound that has been introduced during whole group phonics.
Where am I going with this? You probably guessed it. When it comes time to read CVC words, the students will already be quite good at blending two sounds and they’ll only need to learn how to add in that third sound. Also, they will be ready for three clues in a row to help them read the CVC words. If they see
pet
I’ll scaffold their attempt at reading it by proactively saying
popcorn, grandma, feel your teeth
(Stay tuned for the grandma story or look for it in this video at 4:37 from last year).
It’s the body actions and the focus on what the mouth is doing that allows my students to be successful with CVC words quite early in the school year.
Are there other ways to teach blending? Of course there are! I just happen to know that this way works very well and is a lot of fun for the students and me.
Some of you have asked for my
clues for letter sounds
and here they are:
You can use your own clues, things you already do when teaching phonics or actions that match your picture alphabet cards. The point is… help your students develop actions and a habit of feeling their mouth make each sound so they can rely on these things when it comes time to blend.
Please ask for more info if need be or if some of the clues don’t make sense to you.
And, as always, to get all the posts and tips as well as access to all the materials I’ve created and use, try a paid subscription. You can always cancel if it’s not helpful to you in your situation.
Sincerely,
Randee
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