Five Sounds: Blends at Both Ends

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

“Five boxes! 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

Five sounds is a lot. Tap each sound on a finger.

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.
• Use it in a small reading group so you can hear each child sound out a few words.

Watch for

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

Talk about it

• What vowel sound do you hear in the middle?
• What sound does this letter or letter team make?

Take it further

Play “change one letter”: cat to hat to hot to hop.

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