Blending Sounds to Read Words
PROCEDURALApply phonic knowledge to blend sounds in unfamiliar words containing taught grapheme-phoneme correspondences; respond speedily to graphemes for all 40+ phonemes
Mastery Evidence
- Sound out and blend unfamiliar phonically regular words (e.g. /sh/-/o/-/p/ → 'shop')
- Read words containing taught GPCs without excessive sounding out
- Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying differing letter sounds (e.g. 'big' vs 'bag')
Assessment Prompt
“When [child] comes across a word they haven't seen before, can they sound it out bit by bit and blend the parts together to read it — even if it takes a moment?”
Curriculum Standards6 alignments
RF.1.3.bCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsDecode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
RF.K.3Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsKnow and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RF.K.3.dCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsDistinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.
Eng_App1_Y1_06The national curriculum in EnglandRevision of work covered in Reception: guidance and rules which have been taught.
Eng_Y1_RWR_01The national curriculum in EnglandApply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words.
Eng_Y1_RWR_03The national curriculum in EnglandRead accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words containing GPCs that have been taught.
Unlocks9
- Compound WordssoftAges 5—8
- Number Words to TwentyhardAges 5—6
- Reading Inflectional EndingshardAges 5—7
- Syllables (age 6+)hardAges 6—9
- Alternative Spellings for Known SoundshardAges 6—8
- Self-Correcting While ReadinghardAges 5—11
- Reading ContractionshardAges 5—6
- Reading High-Frequency Words by SightsoftAges 5—8
- Reading fluentlyhardAges 5—7