A Floor for 
Games to Go: Blend Words and Tap Them Apart Again
1. Say one sound at a time: er-r-r--oh--z-z-z.
Remember to pronounce the sounds correctly.
2. The child blends the sounds into a whole word: "Rose."
3. Then the child says the word again, stretching it out and tapping a 'magic wand' once for each sound: [tap] r-r-r, [tap] oh, [tap] z-z-z.
An index finger makes a good 'magic wand.'
Say sounds
Child blends
Child taps and says
sh-ow
"show"
"sh-ow"
f-u-n
"fun"
"f-u-n"
p-u-pp-y
"puppy"
"p-u-pp-y"
Choose words to match your child’s skill.
they are ready to begin a Phonics program.
- Begin with two-sound words:
M-m-m--y (‘my’), S-s-s--ee (‘see’), J--oe,
Kn--ee, I--ce, T--oy, Sh--oe.
(Count sounds, not letters)
- See the Block Challenges games, Two Sound List 1 and List 2, for more words you can use.
- It’s easier when the beginning sound is stretchy: m-m-m . . a . . t (‘mat’)
- The Easy Blend List has stretchy-first-sound words you can use.
- It’s more difficult when the beginning sound is short: p . . . ie,
d . . o . . g
they are ready to begin a Phonics program.
