Blending CVC words (Phase 2 phonics)

It's so exciting when children start to put sounds together and realise that they can read! Practise some CVC words together with this handy activity sheet created by an experienced teacher and watch their confidence grow.

What is an example of blending in phonics?

Here is a simple example of blending in phonics:

To read the word 'cat', children will need to look at each letter and blend the sounds. 

c/a/t

They will slowly make the sound of each letter out loud, then blend them together more quickly. This will then lead to the child reading the word smoothly. 

Blending helps the child go from recognising individual sounds to understanding how they come together to form a word.

How do you teach your child to blend CVC sounds?

Teaching your child to blend CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) sounds is a key step in helping them learn to read. Here's a step-by-step guide to make this process fun and effective:

• Start with individual sounds
  Begin by making sure your child is familiar with the individual letter sounds (phonemes) in CVC words. For example, for the word cat, they should know the sounds /c/, /a/, and /t/.
• Practise each sound: Use flashcards or simple letter blocks to practice saying each sound separately. For cat, practise saying /c/, /a/, and /t/ one by one.
   
• Model blending
  Start by modeling how to blend the sounds together. Say each sound slowly and with a small pause in between: /c/ ... /a/ ... /t/.
  Gradually shorten the pauses: /c/ /a/ /t/.
  Finally, blend the sounds into the whole word smoothly: cat.
   
• Practice with fun activities
  Use online phonics games, apps, or board games that focus on blending CVC words. 
  Create simple stories or sentences using CVC words and read them together.