Short vowels and blends
You learn to segment spoken words into individual phonemes and match each sound to its letter.
How to write it
- Say the word slowly.
- Listen for each individual sound.
- Write down the letters in the order you hear them.
A worked example
The green ___ jumped into the pond. (sound it out)
- Say the word slowly: f-r-o-g.
- Count the sounds: four.
- Write a letter for each sound in order: f, r, o, g.
- Read it back: frog.
More examples
Stick a ___ on the letter before posting it. (sound it out)
- Say the word slowly: s-t-a-m-p.
- Listen to the end blend: m and p.
- Write all five letters: stamp.
The elephant lifted its long ___. (sound it out)
- Say the word slowly: t-r-u-nk.
- Notice the blend nk at the end.
- Write: trunk.
Try it yourself
sound it out
We will ___ a sunflower seed in the garden.
sound it out
The green ___ jumped into the pond.
Watch out
Skipping a consonant inside a blend, writing stam instead of stamp or fllag instead of flag.
Tap your fingers on the desk for each sound you hear. Five taps means five letters.
Tips
- Segment slowly: say each individual sound aloud before writing.
- Blend the letters back together once written to check that it sounds right.
Why it works
Words are made of sounds that follow one another. Saying the word slowly helps you hear each phoneme clearly. Writing each letter in order prevents missing sounds in blends.