Sound Blending

What is sound blending?

Sound blending is the ability to build words from individual sounds by blending the sounds together in sequence.

• For example, the learner blends the sounds m, o, m to form the word mom.

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Why is sound blending important?

Sound blending is essential in reading.

In order to read words, students must

• know the sounds for each of the letters
• then blend these sounds together to determine the word.

Sound blending is an example of a phonological awareness skill.

Instruction in phonological awareness skills supports the acquisition of literacy skills.

Students who have strong phonological awareness skills demonstrate better literacy skills. 

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Sample goal for sound blending skills

 The learner will:

• listen to the sounds in a word, presented orally with each sound said slowly (extended 1-2 seconds)
• blend the sounds together in sequence (either out loud or in his/her head)
• determine the target word
• indicate the word by saying it out loud, signing it, or selecting the appropriate picture or AAC symbol with at least 80% accuracy.

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Instructional Task

Here is an example of instruction to teach sound blending:

• The instructor says the word "mom" slowly holding each of the sounds for 1-2 seconds
  • “mmmmoooommmm”
• The learner
  • listens to the sounds
  • blends them together in his/her head
  • determines the word
  • says the word out loud, signs it, or selects the correct picture or AAC symbol from a group of 4.

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Instructional Materials

Here is an example of a response plate for instruction in sound blending. The response options are pot, mom, mop, and man.

This response plate is from the Accessible Literacy Learning (ALL) curriculum from DynaVox Mayer-Johnson, Inc.  Picture Communication Symbols (c) 1981-2009. DynaVox Mayer-Johnson, Inc. are used with permission. All rights reserved.

The learner must listen to the sounds, blend them, and then point to the picture of mom.

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Instructional Procedure

The instructor teaches sound blending skills using the procedures described earlier

• Model
  • The instructor demonstrates sound blending for the learner.
• Guided practice
  • The instructor provides scaffolding support or prompting to help the learner blend sounds successfully.
    • Starts by saying the word slowly
    • Then says it a bit faster gradually blending the sounds
  • The instructor gradually fades this support as the learner develops competence.
• Independent practice
  • The learner listens to the sounds and blends them independently.
  • The instructor monitors the learner’s responses and provides appropriate feedback.  

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Student Example

Michael is 3 years, 2 months old in this video

• Michael was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old.
• He had just turned 3 when we first met him. He was only able to say a few words and he didn’t yet know how to read. Michael used a few signs and PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) to request favorite foods or activities, but he was very frustrated that he couldn’t express himself more fully.
• This video was taken after 4 weeks of literacy instruction.
  • Michael is learning to blend sounds.
    • Tina, a graduate student at Penn State,
      • shows him a response plate with 4 PCS: the picture symbols for bag, leg, bed, and beg.
      • reviews the symbols with him to make sure he knows them
      • says the target word slowly
        • “b [short pause] eeeeg”
    • Michael
      • listens to the word said slowly
      • blends the sounds together
      • points to the PCS for the target word, “beg”
• After 4 weeks (approximately 4 hours) of instruction, Michael has successfully learned to blend sounds.
  • At this time, he is also learning phoneme segmentation skills and letter-sound correspondences. He is starting to learn to decode words.
• He is also starting to say more words.
• Michael is already on the way to becoming a successful reader.

Click here to learn more about Michael’s success learning literacy skills.

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Pointers

Some letter sounds can be elongated and held continuously:

• a, e, f, i, l, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, y, z

Other letter sounds cannot be elongated or held continuously:

• b, c, d, g, h, j, k, p, q, t, x

If the sound can be held continuously, hold the sound for 1-2 seconds and blend it smoothly into the next sound in the word

• For example, for the word man, say "mmmmaaaannnn"

If the sound can not be held continuously, say the sound once, pause briefly for 1-2 seconds, and then say the next sound in the word elongating it for 1-2 seconds if possible

• For example, for the word pin, say "p [1 second pause] iiiinnnn"

It is easier to blend sounds that can be held continuously.

Start instruction with words that have continuous sounds

• For example, mom, run, van, sun

Gradually add words that have sounds that cannot be held continuously

• For example, dad, cat, dog, pop

Some students may benefit from visual supports when learning sound blending skills.

• Point to the letters while saying each of the sounds slowly
  • Say “rrrruuuunnnn” and point to the letters r, u, and n in sequence as each sound is said
    • The letters provide a visual support to help the student hold the sounds in memory.

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