Grade by Grade
B. Foundations of Language · Sounds, Letters and Reading Words

Blending and Breaking Apart Sounds

B2.1 B2.4About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can blend sounds together to say a word.
  • I can break a word apart into all of its sounds.
  • I can count the sounds in words with 2, 3, 4 and 5 sounds.
  • I know that two letters can work together to make one sound.

Words to know

blend
To push sounds together to make a word. /m/ /a/ /p/ blends to map.
segment
To break a word apart into each of its sounds. map → /m/ /a/ /p/.
sound boxes
A row of boxes with one box for each sound in a word.
robot talk
Saying a word one sound at a time, like a robot: /d/ /o/ /g/.

Robot talk!

A robot is talking to you. It says each sound separately:

/d/ ... /o/ ... /g/

Can you figure out the word? Push the sounds together fast: dog!

Putting sounds together to make a word is called blending. Breaking a word apart into sounds is called segmenting. Readers blend. Spellers segment. You need both!

Blending

To blend, say each sound, then say them closer and closer together until you hear the word.

/s/ /u/ /n/ → s-u-n → su-n → sun

Some sounds can be stretched (/s/, /m/, /f/, /l/, /n/, /a/). Stretch them like gum so there is no gap: sssuuunnn.

Segmenting

To segment, say the word slowly and tap one finger for each sound you hear. Start with your thumb.

map → /m/ (tap) /a/ (tap) /p/ (tap) → 3 sounds

You can also push a coin into a sound box for each sound.

frogfrog has 4 sounds: one box for each sound
Sound boxes for frog: /f/ /r/ /o/ /g/.

Words have different numbers of sounds

  • 2 sounds: up (/u/ /p/), it, at, in, egg
  • 3 sounds: cat, sun, dog, bed
  • 4 sounds: frog, stop, jump, hand, clap
  • 5 sounds: stamp, plant, crisp

Two letters, one sound

Some letter pairs make one sound. In ship, the letters s and h work together to make /sh/. So ship has only 3 sounds: /sh/ /i/ /p/.

The same is true for ch (chin: /ch/ /i/ /n/) and th (thin: /th/ /i/ /n/). Count sounds with your ears, not by counting letters.

Just for fun

Why did the robot go on vacation?

It needed to re-charge its batteries! 🤖 (Say it in robot talk: /r/ /e/ ... /ch/ /ar/ /j/!)

Worked example

Let's blend a word together

A robot says: /f/ /l/ /a/ /g/. What is the word?

  1. Say each sound: /f/ ... /l/ ... /a/ ... /g/.
  2. Push the first two together: /fl/.
  3. Add the next sound: /fla/.
  4. Add the last sound: /flag/.
  5. Say it fast like a normal word: flag!

The word is flag.

Worked example

Let's segment a word together

How many sounds are in stamp?

  1. Say it slowly: s-t-a-m-p.
  2. Tap a finger for each sound: /s/ (1), /t/ (2), /a/ (3), /m/ (4), /p/ (5).
  3. Check by blending them back: /s/ /t/ /a/ /m/ /p/ → stamp. Yes!

stamp has 5 sounds: /s/ /t/ /a/ /m/ /p/.

stampstamp: 5 sounds, 5 boxes
Sound boxes for stamp.
Hands-on activity

Coin sound boxes

You need: a piece of paper, a marker, and 5 coins (or buttons, or cereal bits).

  1. Draw 5 boxes in a row on the paper.
  2. A grown-up says a word, like sock.
  3. Say the word slowly. Push one coin into a box for each sound: /s/ /o/ /k/ → 3 coins.
  4. Touch each coin and say its sound, then sweep your finger under all of them and say the whole word.

Try these words: sock, ship, frog, nest, jump, plant, mop, chin.

Answers: sock 3, ship 3, frog 4, nest 4, jump 4, plant 5, mop 3, chin 3.

Your turn

1

Blend: /c/ /a/ /t/

2

Blend: /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/

3

Segment dog. Say each sound.

4

How many sounds in up?

5

How many sounds in jump?

6

How many sounds in fish?

7

Blend: /ch/ /i/ /p/

More practice: warm-up

1

Blend: /m/ /o/ /p/

2

Blend: /b/ /e/ /d/

3

Blend: /i/ /t/

4

Segment sun.

5

How many sounds in hat?

More practice: on your own

1

Blend: /s/ /n/ /a/ /k/

2

How many sounds in hand? Say them.

3

How many sounds in ship? Why is it not 4?

4

Segment clap.

5

Blend: /th/ /i/ /n/

Challenge

1

How many sounds in plant? Say each one.

2

Say stop. Now say it without the /s/. What word is left?

3

Which word has more sounds: chip or clip? Explain.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Blend these sounds: /s/ /u/ /n/

2.

How many sounds are in dog?

3.

How many sounds are in ship?

4.

Which word has 4 sounds?

5.

Blend these sounds: /f/ /l/ /a/ /g/

6.

How many sounds are in stamp?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Blending (sounds → word) is the core of reading; segmenting (word → sounds) is the core of spelling. Grade 1 students should move from 2- and 3-sound words to words with 4 and 5 sounds (B2.1), and apply these skills to read and spell (B2.4).

How to help at home:

  • Play "robot talk" all day: "Get your /h/ /a/ /t/." "Time for /b/ /e/ /d/."
  • Use objects (coins, cereal) to show one object per sound. Seeing and touching helps.
  • When blending, stretch continuous sounds (mmm, sss, fff) so there is no gap. For stop sounds (/b/, /d/, /p/, /t/, /k/, /g/) keep them short and crisp: say /b/, not "buh". Adding "uh" makes "buh-a-tuh", which doesn't blend to bat.

Common difficulties:

  • Dropping the second consonant in a blend (saying /f/ /o/ /g/ for frog). Slow down and feel your mouth change from /f/ to /r/.
  • Counting letters instead of sounds. Ship has 4 letters but 3 sounds.
  • Forgetting the first sound by the time they reach the end. Practise with 2- and 3-sound words first, then build up.