When children learn to read, one of the skills they need to develop is the ability to blend individual sounds into words. This can be a challenge for some kids, but there are a few things that parents and teachers can do to help. One approach is providing a list of blending words for kindergarteners to practice. These lists typically include simple, three-letter words that can be easily sounded out.
Blending words, also known as transitions, essentially signal changes between ideas in your writing. These signal words can help show order, list items, or compare and contrast concepts. For example, At – bat, bed, bet, bit, bot, but, did, dip, dish, fix, hid, him, hit, hop, jog, kit, leg, lip, mat, mix, mop, net, nut, pan, pet, pit, pot, rid, rob, rot, rug, sip, six, ten, top, wet, win, yes, zoo.
These were some of the few examples of the 3 alphabet-based blending words. In this post, we will discuss a lot more about blending words, how they are different from digraphs and where they are ideally used. We will also unfurl a set of 20 blending words that your kid can use in their everyday conversations. Read more below.
Blending words: The process of putting together individual sounds within a word
Blending is the process of putting together individual sounds to form a word:
For example, the word ‘cat’ can be created by blending the sounds /k/ + /a/ + /t/. Once children can identify all of the individual sounds in a word, they can blend them together to say the word as a whole.
Since blending concerns segmenting words and forming the whole word, students must learn both skills. Early phonemic awareness skills are essential for preschoolers and kindergartners to learn blending words.
The process of identifying blended words is easy. However, as a ward to kindergarteners, it is essential for one to follow the process rigorously.
- The first step is to identify all of the individual sounds in a word. Once children can identify all of the individual sounds in a word, they can blend them together to say the word as a whole. This process can be tricky for some children, as they need to be able to hear all of the individual sounds in a word and then put them together quickly in their minds.
- If a child is struggling to blend words, it may be helpful to break the word down into smaller chunks and help them blend each sound separately. For example, the word ‘train’ can be broken down into three chunks: /t/ + /r/ + /ain/. Once each sound has been blended separately, the child can then put them all together to say the whole word.
- Start by Oral Blending the words. This technique involves saying a word and then breaking it into its individual sounds for your child to blend together. For example, you could say the word ‘bat’ and then break it down into /ba/ + /e/ + /t/. Once your child has blended the word orally, you can then move on to written blending.
- You can also use Continuous and Stop sounds in the right places. This ensures that the child knows when to start and end each sound. For example, the word ‘hat’ starts with a continuous sound (/ha/) and ends with a stop sound (/t/). Therefore, spaces, where pauses need to be taken, should be clear to kids.
Ways to teach blending words
- Use of rhymes. This helps kids learn to identify the individual sounds in words and then blend them together to form a word. For example, the nursery rhyme ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ includes the words ‘ Mary, ” had, ” a” little, ” lamb. ‘ By breaking down each word into its individual sounds, children can then start to blend them together to say the whole word.
- Use of picture books. When reading a book with your child, point out words that they may find difficult to blend and then help them break the word down into smaller chunks. For example, if your child is struggling to blend the word ‘car,’ you could say, “The word ‘car’ starts with the sound /c/. Can you hear that sound? The next sound is /a/. Can you hear that sound? And the last sound is /r/. Can you hear that sound? Now put all of the sounds together and see if you can say the word ‘car.’
Blended words for kindergarteners
Kindergarteners are introduced to many new words as they begin their schooling. Here are 20 blended words that your child may encounter in their day-to-day learning.
1. car= c/a/r/
2. train= tr//ae/n OR tr//a/in
3. bat= b/a/t
4. hat= h/a/t
5. bed= b/e/d
6. ten= t/e/n
7. dish= d/i/shh
8. fish= f/i/shh
9. lamb= l/a/m//b
10. lock= l/o//c k
11. black= b /l /a /c k
12. truck = tr //u /c k
13. milk = m /i /l k
14. sun = s /u//n
15. sand = s /a //n d
16. star = s /t //a r
17. bug = b /u //g
18. cup = c /u//p
19. rug = r /u //g
20. fire= fa// i/ re OR fa/i//rre
How to practice these words for the best outcomes?
Here are some tips on how you can help your child practice blending words:
- Read aloud to your child regularly and point out words that they may find difficult to blend.
- Help them break the word into smaller chunks and blend each sound separately.
- Encourage your child to use rhymes when learning new words. This will help them identify the individual sounds in words and then blend them together to form a word.
- Play word games with your child. This will help them hear the individual sounds in words and blend them together to form a new word.
- Practice makes perfect! The more your child practices blending words, the better they will become at it.
Takeaway
Blending is an important phonics skill for kindergarteners as it helps them read and write independently. As you help your kindergartener learn to read, be sure to introduce them to blending words. Blending words will help them become better readers and spellers. We have provided a list of blending words for kindergarten that can get your child started on the right path. By using some of the tips and tricks outlined above, you can help your child practice this skill and become a pro at it in no time!
I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn