Consonant Blends Sort (bl cl fl sp st)
Sort words by their initial consonant blend.
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0/15 sorted
How to run it
Do the l-blends together first — bl, cl and fl — because they are the confusable set and separating them is the actual task. Say each word slowly with the blend held. Once those three are accurate, add sp and st, which are easier because the /s/ at the start is long and obvious. Ten minutes covers the fifteen with the two-stage approach.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentShow the card and wait 3 seconds for the student to read it.Log as correct
- Point to itPoint to the letter pattern that matters, or tap under each sound.Log as cued
- Sound it outSay the first sound together, then let the student blend the rest.Log as cued
- ModelRead it, tapping each sound; the student reads it after you.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use fewer cards and start with the patterns the student already reads, such as 'black' and 'block'.
Read the words in a sentence, or spell them from dictation.
Matching IEP goal
Given decodable word cards, such as 'black' and 'block', Student will read the target pattern accurately in 8 of 10 words across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a visual cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Fifteen words into five bins by their opening blend: black, block and blue for bl; clap, clock and cloud for cl; flag, flat and flower for fl; spoon, spider and spot for sp; star, stop and stamp for st. Five bins is a lot, and that is the point — bl, cl and fl differ by one sound, which forces careful listening rather than a quick guess at the first letter.
What to listen for
Watch for sorting by letter rather than sound. A student who is reading the words will use the spelling, which is legitimate for a phonics goal and defeats the listening one — cover the text if the auditory skill is what you are after. Notice which of bl, cl and fl is weakest: the first consonant is the only difference, and a student who confuses cl and fl is missing a fricative-stop contrast that matters well beyond blends.
Carrying it home
Any five things in the house can be sorted by their first blend. Naming the blend out loud — flower starts with fl — is what makes it a phonics activity rather than a naming one.
What's in this activity
- bl
- cl
- fl
- sp
- st
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- First through third, as phonics work or as listening practice for a student with a blend production target.
- Do I need an account?
- No, it plays free in the browser.
- Should I let the student read the words?
- Depends on the goal. For phonics, reading them is the point. For auditory discrimination, cover the text and say the word yourself, or the student will sort by spelling.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.