What grades is this for?

Kindergarten through second, as core phonemic awareness work.

Yes, all twelve words play with no account.

Why is 'fish' three sounds and not four?

Because sh is one sound written with two letters. Children who are already reading sometimes count letters instead of sounds, which is worth catching early.

Phoneme Blending Flashcards

Blend individual sounds into words.

Use with a student — free

Card 1 of 12

/c/ /a/ /t/ → ?

Say it out loud

This pass0 correct · 0 cued · 0 incorrect · 0/12

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Session summary (SOAP)

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Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.

How to run it

Compress the gaps rather than repeating at the same speed. Saying the sounds progressively closer together is what produces the blend, and it works when repetition does not. Do the three-sound words first and stop there if they are not solid; the four-sound words with clusters are a genuine step up. Eight minutes covers the twelve.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

Step 1IndependentSay the item and wait 5 seconds for the student's answer.Log as correct
Step 2Stretch itSay the word again slowly, stretching the sounds or tapping the syllables.Log as cued
Step 3Two choicesOffer two answers, the right one not always second.Log as cued
Step 4ModelDo it yourself, tapping as you go, then the student does it after you.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Use pictures, fewer items, and words with fewer sounds.

Harder

Take the pictures away, or move on to segmenting a word into its sounds.

Matching IEP goal

Given spoken words, Student will blend spoken sounds into a word in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one repetition.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Twelve words to blend from their sounds, growing in length: /c/ /a/ /t/, /d/ /o/ /g/ and /s/ /u/ /n/ are three sounds; /f/ /i/ /sh/ and /sh/ /i/ /p/ are three sounds with a digraph; /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/, /f/ /l/ /a/ /g/, /h/ /a/ /n/ /d/ and /s/ /w/ /i/ /m/ are four. The progression matters — a child who blends three sounds cannot necessarily blend four.

What to listen for

Watch the digraph words. Fish is three sounds and four letters, and a child who blends /f/ /i/ /s/ /h/ has been misled by the spelling. Notice where four-sound words break down — usually at the cluster, where two consonants have to be held together before the vowel arrives.

Carrying it home

Blending games need nothing at all. Saying a word in sounds and asking what it is takes five seconds, and letting the child do one for you is half the fun.

What's in this activity

/c/ /a/ /t/ → ?
/d/ /o/ /g/ → ?
/s/ /u/ /n/ → ?
/f/ /i/ /sh/ → ?
/m/ /o/ /p/ → ?
/b/ /e/ /d/ → ?
/sh/ /i/ /p/ → ?
/l/ /e/ /g/ → ?
/s/ /t/ /o/ /p/ → ?
/f/ /l/ /a/ /g/ → ?
/h/ /a/ /n/ /d/ → ?
/s/ /w/ /i/ /m/ → ?

Questions

What grades is this for?: Kindergarten through second, as core phonemic awareness work.
Is it free?: Yes, all twelve words play with no account.
Why is 'fish' three sounds and not four?: Because sh is one sound written with two letters. Children who are already reading sometimes count letters instead of sounds, which is worth catching early.

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.

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