Phonics Phase 1 & 2: Letter Sounds and Blending Worksheet

How to use this worksheet

Review each letter sound with your child first, saying 's,' 'a,' 't,' 'p,' 'i,' and 'n' clearly and having them repeat each one back. Point to the letters s, a, and t in order and demonstrate saying each sound slowly, then blending them together faster to hear the word 'sat' emerge. Have your child practice saying the sounds and blending them themselves, repeating the process a few times until they can hear the whole word forming.

Materials needed

• Pencil
• Crayons

Extension activities

• •Use magnetic letters or letter cards to build other simple words from the same sound set, like 'pat,' 'sat,' or 'tap.'
• •Practice reading simple three-letter words made from s, a, t, p, i, n aloud together.
• •Play an oral blending game, saying sounds slowly like 'p...i...n' and having your child guess the word.
• •Make a simple picture card for the word 'sat' and match it to the blended word once your child reads it.

Tips for parents and teachers

Encourage your child to sound out each letter slowly and hold each sound briefly before blending, since rushing the individual sounds often makes it harder to hear the word take shape. Flashcards with these letters are a great low-pressure way to build fluency with the individual sounds before returning to blending practice. Celebrate the moment a child first blends sounds into a recognizable word, since that breakthrough is a major step toward independent reading.