Before a child can decode words, they need to hear them. This chapter is where that listening begins.
Watch together before you open the practice cards.
Say each sound slowly. Child listens and blends to say the whole word. No letters yet.
Say the sounds again, a little closer together. Then say the word yourself and move on.
Now the letters appear. Child taps each tile, says its sound, then blends to read.
Five minutes done well. Always end on a word they can read.
Why this order matters. Set 1 trains the ear before the eye. A child who can hear /m/ /a/ /t/ as "mat" will decode the written letters with far more confidence.
Start with Set 1. Move to Set 2 when blending feels easy.
Short a, CVC words, and glued sounds: am, an. You say each sound aloud. Child listens and blends to say the whole word. No letters yet pure ear training.
Short a, CVC words, and glued sounds: am, an. Child taps each letter tile, says its sound, then blends to read the word. Glued sounds are marked as one unit.
Print single-sided and cut apart. Cardstock holds up best for little hands.
Rhyme Time Scavenger Hunt, Sound Swap Game, and Syllable Clap and Sort. Simple activities to do at home with no materials needed.
Ms. Ashley says
Keep sound work playful and oral. Clap words apart, sing them, stretch them like taffy. A child who can hear the sounds in a word before they ever see it on a page will decode with far more confidence when letters enter the picture.