How to Teach Blending and Segmenting

Blending and segmenting are essential components of phonological awareness. To become proficient readers, it is critical that students can blend and segment words automatically. Check out these free activities for teaching blending and segmenting.

Are you looking for free activities to teach your kindergarten and first-grade students how to blend and segment? Look no further! Check out these digital and paper freebies to get you started with teaching blending and segmenting. In order to become proficient readers, blending and segmenting are critical skills that students need in order to decode words automatically.

What is blending and segmenting?

Blending is when a student hears sounds individually and then puts them together to make a word. For example, the sounds /c/ - /a/ - /t/ would be blended into the word /cat/.

Segmenting is the opposite; the student takes a word and then identifies the individual sounds. For example, they would take the word /cat/ and say /c/ - /a/ - /t/

Teaching Blending and Segmenting

Here are two examples of the process I used to introduce blending and segmenting with Google Slides.

Blending:

show the pictures /of rain/ and /bow/
say each word
have the students repeat each word
Model (then eventually ask) what the word is
Students will say rainbow

Segmenting:

show the picture /rainbow/
say the word
have students repeat the word
Model (then eventually ask) what the two parts are /rain/ /bow/
Students will say /rain/ /bow/

Here are two quick videos showing the process:

Using Manipulatives

Once students are solid using visuals, you can move on to manipulatives. You can use many different manipulatives, but my go-to is basic colored cubes.

You can repeat the same steps listed above to blend and segment syllables. This time, have students touch the cubes when saying the word.

Click HERE for a list of compound words that you can use for this activity.

Oral Blending/Segmentation

Visual models for blending and segmenting compound words helped students understand the concept. Using manipulatives allowed them to practice with some support. Now it is time for students to show what they know and blend and segment orally! You can use the list of compound words provided above.

Simply say the two words for blending, and students will tell you the compound word. Say the compound word for blending, and students will tell you the two words!

What’s Next?

Once students have mastered blending and segmenting syllables in compound words, you can move onto the individual sound (phoneme) level. You can use the same three easy steps to introduce blending and segmenting of words with 2 sounds, then 3 sounds, and so on!

Additional Resources

Google Slides Freebie:

If you still need to grab a copy of the free Google Slides resources for blending and segmenting - click here to grab yours now!

Word Lists:

Here are three different word lists (all free) that you can use for these activities. They are broken into words with 2, 3, and 4 sounds.

Guess My Word:

Guess My Word is a fun and engaging activity that can be used to practice blending and segmenting words with 2, 3, and 4 sounds in a whole or small group setting.

Self Checking Poke Cards

Poke cards are an independent and self-checking activity for students to practice specific skills. How Many Syllables focuses on segmenting the syllables into word parts. How Many Sounds [link] focuses on segmenting the sounds in words.