Word Analysis:
Consonant Blends
Introduction:
A direct teaching strategy is provided for teaching and assessing the student’s ability to read
words with consonant blends. Materials are provided for instruction with three blends.
Students who have learned the sounds of the consonant letters and some vowel sounds are
ready to learn about consonant blends. Note: Be sure to pronounce the blend with the sounds
of the letters together (as /br/) and not with two separate sounds (as /b/ and /r/).
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Strategy: Using Consonant Blends Materials Needed:
Show the student the Blend Card for br. Point to the two words below the blend.
Say: This word is bake. It starts with the sound /b/. What letter makes this sound in
bake? (b)
This word is brake. It starts with /br/. What letters make /br/ in brake? (b and r)
Together these two letters make a “consonant blend.” We hear two consonant
sounds blended together. Now you read these two words.
Point to bake and brake as the student reads them. Then point to the three words at the bottom
of the card.
| Say: | These words have the same consonant blend as the word brake. Read these words
after I read them:
|
| | |
| | What blend do you hear at the beginning of bring, brown, and brave?
(/br/) What
letters make the /br/ blend in these words? (b and r) |
Show the student the Practice Words Card with the words band and brand at the top. Point to
the word band.
Say: This word is band. Can you read the other word?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
If the student reads the word correctly, use the same instructional procedure and continue with
the other words on the card.
If the student cannot read the word, point to br on the Blend Card. Say: These letters say /br/. This word is brand. What do you hear at the beginning of
brand? (/br/) What letters make /br/? (b and r) What is this word? |
Repeat the instructional procedure with the Blend Cards and Practice Words Cards provided
for the sp and cl blends.
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s responses.
Interpreting and Using TTS Results: The number of errors indicates how difficult or easy acquisition of this skill is for the student.
Repeat this strategy for teaching additional blends in later sessions. It is not necessary to teach
every consonant blend. Most students will be able to manage consonant blends if provided with
strategic instruction and practice with several.
