How to support blending?

[Bingbong21]

Reception child not yet there on blending CVC. Not overly worried but wondering how to best support this skill? Ideally as fun as possible.

He has an EHCP so does have ASN.

Lots of practice in different fun ways, little and often.

Sticking the sounds he’s learnt to something he’s interested in (cars, trains, figures etc) and building words practically by zooming them together.

Using foam letters at bathtime to do the same.

Breaking words up orally into sounds (segmenting) so he can hear the sounds-‘ooh, there’s a cat! What sounds can we hear in cat? C…a…t’ etc

Also, lots of exposure to books and language-nursery rhymes are great for this.

You can try drawing a road of a piece of paper. Laminate it and then write CVC words across it. Ask you son to drive the car along the road, sounding out the sounds. Get the car to drive quicker and quicker and ask him what word he can hear.

Like a previous poster said. Do lots of oral blending. You could play a game where you hide CVC objects behind your back. You segment the sounds and your son has to guess what you've got behind your back by blending them.

It is one of those things that takes practice and more practice and then it suddenly clicks.

My daughter uses "robot arms" (basically straight long arms moving up and down) and moves her arms faster and faster as she says the letters to blend the word. It seems to be working for her although people can stare when I say use your robot arms 😂

Alphablocks on ceebies. Say things to him like please can you pass the p-e-n.

I’m a reception teacher and lots of our little ones aren’t blending yet so really don’t worry. It’s a skill that needs loads of practice. Lots of good suggestions above.

I’d suggest that you make absolutely sure you’re pronouncing sounds the way the school is. I know a lot we’re not how I would have pronounced!

Otherwise, I just pick up off words from signs and boxes etc to do so it’s not a forced session and less pressure. Obviously only pick phonetic words!

@RachelSq

I’d suggest that you make absolutely sure you’re pronouncing sounds the way the school is. I know a lot we’re not how I would have pronounced!

Otherwise, I just pick up off words from signs and boxes etc to do so it’s not a forced session and less pressure. Obviously only pick phonetic words!

Good point. Our school says M as "mmm" (I think!) but I've heard a lot of parents saying "muh" which I guess will be confusing

As above phonics does seemed to have changed. I would have said muh for m. Now they use mmmmmmm or sssssssss instead of suh. Find out what phonic system they use (our school use read, write inc) and it has taken a lot of getting used to for me as my eldest used the old way of phonics (I have 19 years between my 2).

I can give you absolutely tons of ideas/games but it depends what exact skills he has in phonics, can he hear and say the initial and final sounds in words?