Sue Lloyd

Blending consonants and vowels Blending is an essential skill that children must acquire if they are to become good at reading.

Most children should be able to blend simple words after a few weeks of being taught with

Jolly Phonics. Generally speaking a quarter of the children in a class will find it exceedingly

easy, half will pick it up steadily, and a quarter will find it more difficult. The following

ideas are for the children who are either slow at blending, or experiencing difficulty in hearing

the word when they have said the letter sounds. These children benefit from being taught to

blend just a consonant and a short vowel. Start by using the 'blending consonant(s) and

vowel chart', which starts below. Altogether, as you point to each pair of letters, say the

consonant and vowel blended together, and not each individual sound (phoneme). Regularly

use the charts: a little and often is the secret. Practice is important for these children.

na ne ni no nu etc.

It also helps if you print the consonant(s) and vowels on the pages that follow the chart pages,

laminate them, and cut them up. Start with the consonant and short vowel, which is the

simplest, before progressing to the harder, consonant blend and short vowel.

A special needs teacher or classroom assistant could play games with a small group of

children or, if more appropriate, an individual child:

hold up each card - the child who can blend it, without saying each individual letter sound, keeps it. Count up at the end to see who is the winner. (How many in a

minute for an individual child.)

drop a pile in the middle of the children. They pick a card and read it to you. It is much the same as above just more of a scramble and fun for the children.

deal out a few cards for each child. The children put their cards out in front of them. When it is their turn they point to each card and blend their letter sounds. If

they are successful they get points or a clap.

These activities will help to speed up the blending, as well as improve the auditory/phonemic

skills of the children.

* Note that the letter sounds are in the Sassoon Primary Infant font. If you do not

have this font on your computer, then the words will change to a font that is on your computer. If this is not suitable for the children to read or it doesn't fit into the

squares, then highlight and choose a more appropriate font e.g. one that does a rounded

letter rather than this complicated printed one , or change the font size so it fits into the squares.

*Sassoon Primary Infant font can be purchased on the internet at www.clubtype.co.uk

Sue Lloyd

Consonant and short vowel chart (print enlarge with photocopier)

na ne ni no nu

da de di do du

fa fe fi fo fu

ra re ri ro ru

ga ge gi go gu

ma me mi mo mu

wa we wi wo wu

la le li lo lu

Consonant and short vowel chart

Sue Lloyd

ba be bi bo bu

va ve vi vo vu

ta te ti to tu

za ze zi zo zu

sa se si so su

pa pe pi po pu

ha he hi ho hu

Consonant blend and short vowel chart

fra fre fri fro fru

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sma sme smi smo smu

cra cre cri cro cru

gla gle gli glo glu

dra dre dri dro dru

pra pre pri pro pru

bla ble bli blo blu

cla cle cli clo clu

Consonant blend and short vowel chart

sna sne sni sno snu

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fla fle fli flo flu

bra bre bri bro bru

sla sle sli slo slu

gra gre gri gro gru

pla ple pli plo plu

tra tre tri tro tru

sta ste sti sto stu

Digraph and short vowel chart

tha the thi tho thu

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sha she shi sho shu

cha che chi cho chu

thra thre thri thro thru

shra shre shri shro shru

* If the children say 'the' rather than use the short vowel explain that they are right it is a tricky word, but you would like them to use the short vowel for this activity. It is just the

beginning of words, such as 'then'.

consonant and short vowel

b bi bo bu

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c co cu d

de di ka du

f fe fi fo

fu g ko gu

h hi ho hu

consonant and short vowel

j je ji jo

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ju ke ki l

le li lo lu

m mi mo mu

n ne ni nu

p pe pi po

consonant and short vowel

pu r re ri

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ro ru s se

si su t te

ti za tu v

ve vi vu wi

e ze zi

consonant blend and short vowel

bla ble bli blo

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cla cle cli clo

clu cra cre cri

cro cru dra dre

dri dro dru fra

fre fri fro fru

consonant blend and short vowel

gra gre gri gro

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gru pra pre pri

pro pru tra tre

tri tro tru sca

sco scu sma sme

smi smo smu sna

consonant blend and short vowel

Sue Lloyd

sni sno snu swe

swi twe twi sta

ste sti sto stu

scra scri scro scru

spra spre spri spro

spru