Reading - what IS "blending"?

[Bumpsadaisie]

Does it just mean "sounding out the word"?

Thanks!
Bumps x

where the sounds blend into each other to make the word.

eg c -a - t cat

as they get the hang of it they stop sounding out the individual sound and do that in their head so it becomes straight to cat.

Yes, the bit where they put all the sounds together to make the word. Sometimes children can sound out but can't yet blend- if you say d-o-g to them, they genuinely won't be able to hear/say what the word is.