In early grades like kindergarten and first, children are introduced to consonant blends as part of their phonics journey. Along with blends, they also learn about consonant digraphs. This article will walk you through the basics so you can support your young learner with ease. We will also provide you with some fun practice activities and free resources and games.
A consonant blend is a group of two or more consonants that are blended together, such as in the word swim. The blend is sw. Although the consonants are blended together, you can still hear each sound in the word. There are beginning blends and final blends.
Some examples of beginning blends are:
Some examples of final blends are:
Consonant blends should be taught after your learner has mastered single letter sounds of the alphabet. This includes all consonant sounds and short vowel sounds. When your child can comfortably read simple three-letter words like cat, hop, and sun, they’re usually ready to take on this next concept.
A consonant blend is when two or more letters come together, but each gets to say its own sound. For example in the word swim, the s and the w form sw.
They are often confused with consonant digraphs, but these two phonics skills are completely different.
A consonant digraph is when two letters come together, but they form a single sound. For example in the word ship, the s and the h form /sh/.
One of the most effective ways to practice new phonics concepts is by reading words and sentences through enjoyable, hands-on activities. At Little Lions Literacy, you’ll find a wide range of games and practice tools designed to make phonics learning exciting.
For an exciting way to practice this concept, give your learner these FREE downloadable Activities.
Thank you so much for reading this post today. You might also be interested in reading our previous posts:
All About Phonemic Awareness: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
What is the Floss Rule in Phonics?
Explore our decodable book collection, where your child can practice reading words and sentences that include consonant blends while also working on comprehension questions. Each book also features extension activities to keep the learning going.
