Four Sounds: Beginning Blends

Grade level

1st grade

Time

About 15 minutes

Topic

Short vowels and CVC words

Answer key

Not needed: answers vary

Kids practice

Short vowel sounds, Blending CVC words, Segmenting sounds, Reading short sentences

What kids do

“Four boxes this time! Say each sound, blend them to read the word, write it, then draw it.”

Printed on the sheet:

1. Sound boxes: one sound in each box. Touch each box as you say its sound, then sweep your finger under the word to blend. The vowel is in the colored box.

Teacher tip

Four sounds now. Push four counters before writing.

How to use it

• Model blending with your arm: touch your shoulder, elbow and wrist for each sound, then slide down.
• Push a counter into each sound box as you say each sound.
• Send it home with a note asking families to listen to their child read the words.

Watch for

Short e and short i are the hardest to tell apart. Exaggerate the mouth shapes.

Talk about it

• If we change the first letter, what new word do we get?
• How did you figure out that word?

Take it further

Build CVC words with letter tiles at a center.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.