Blending consonants and vowels
Blending is an essential skill that children must acquire if they are to become good at reading.
Most children should be able to blend simple words after a few weeks of being taught with
Jolly Phonics. Generally speaking a quarter of the children in a class will find it exceedingly
easy, half will pick it up steadily, and a quarter will find it more difficult. The following
ideas are for the children who are either slow at blending, or experiencing difficulty in hearing
the word when they have said the letter sounds. These children benefit from being taught to
blend just a consonant and a short vowel. Start by using the 'blending consonant(s) and
vowel chart', which starts below. Altogether, as you point to each pair of letters, say the
consonant and vowel blended together, and not each individual sound (phoneme). Regularly
use the charts: – a little and often is the secret. Practice is important for these children.
na
ne
ni
no
nu
etc.
It also helps if you print the consonant(s) and vowels on the pages that follow the chart pages,
laminate them, and cut them up. Start with the consonant and short vowel, which is the
simplest, before progressing to the harder, consonant blend and short vowel.
A special needs teacher or classroom assistant could play games with a small group of
children or, if more appropriate, an individual child:
 hold up each card - the child who can blend it, without saying each individual letter
sound, keeps it. Count up at the end to see who is the winner. (How many in a
minute for an individual child.)
 drop a pile in the middle of the children. They pick a card and read it to you. It is
much the same as above – just more of a scramble and fun for the children.
 deal out a few cards for each child. The children put their cards out in front of
them. When it is their turn they point to each card and blend their letter sounds. If
they are successful they get points or a clap.
These activities will help to speed up the blending, as well as improve the auditory/phonemic
skills of the children.
* Note that the letter sounds are in the Sassoon Primary Infant font. If you do not
have this font on your computer, then the words will change to a font that is on your
computer. If this is not suitable for the children to read or it doesn't fit into the
squares, then highlight and choose a more appropriate font e.g. one that does a rounded
letter <a> rather than this complicated printed one <a>, or change the font size so it fits
into the squares.
*Sassoon Primary Infant font can be purchased on the internet at www.clubtype.co.uk
© Sue Lloyd
Consonant and short vowel chart (print – enlarge with photocopier)
na
ne
ni
no
nu
da
de
di
do
du
fa
fe
fi
fo
fu
ra
re
ri
ro
ru
ga
ge
gi
go
gu
ma
me
mi
mo
mu
wa
we
wi
wo
wu
la
le
li
lo
lu
Consonant and short vowel chart
© Sue Lloyd
ba
be
bi
bo
bu
va
ve
vi
vo
vu
ta
te
ti
to
tu
za
ze
zi
zo
zu
sa
se
si
so
su
pa
pe
pi
po
pu
ha
he
hi
ho
hu
Consonant blend and short vowel chart
fra
© Sue Lloyd
fre
fri
fro
fru
sma
sme
smi
smo smu
cra
cre
cri
cro
cru
gla
gle
gli
glo
glu
dra
dre
dri
dro
dru
pra
pre
pri
pro
pru
bla
ble
bli
blo
blu
cla
cle
cli
clo
clu
Consonant blend and short vowel chart
sna
© Sue Lloyd
sne
sni
sno
snu
fla
fle
fli
flo
flu
bra
bre
bri
bro
bru
sla
sle
sli
slo
slu
gra
gre
gri
gro
gru
pla
ple
pli
plo
plu
tra
tre
tri
tro
tru
sta
ste
sti
sto
stu
tho
thu
Digraph and short vowel chart
tha
© Sue Lloyd
the
thi
sha
she
shi
sho
shu
cha
che
chi
cho
chu
thra
thre
thri
thro
thru
shra
shre
shri
shro
shru
*
If the children say 'the' rather than use the short vowel explain that they are right – it is a
tricky word, but you would like them to use the short vowel for this activity. It is just the
beginning of words, such as 'then'.
consonant and short vowel
bå bi bo bu
© Sue Lloyd
cå
de
få
fu
hå
co
di
fe
gå
hi
cu
ka
fi
ko
ho
då
du
fo
gu
hu
consonant and short vowel
jå je ji jo
© Sue Lloyd
ju
le
må
nå
på
ke
li
mi
ne
pe
ki lå
lo lu
mo mu
ni nu
pi po
consonant and short vowel
pu rå re ri
© Sue Lloyd
ro
si
ti
ve
¥å
ru
su
za
vi
¥e
så
tå
tu
vu
ze
se
te
vå
wi
zi
consonant blend and short vowel
bla ble bli blo
© Sue Lloyd
cla cle cli clo
clu cra cre cri
cro cru dra dre
dri dro dru fra
fre fri fro fru
consonant blend and short vowel
gra gre gri gro
© Sue Lloyd
gru pra pre pri
pro pru tra tre
tri tro tru sca
sco scu sma sme
smi smo smu sna
consonant blend and short vowel
© Sue Lloyd
sni sno snu swe
swi twe twi sta
ste
sti
sto stu
scra scri scro scru
spra spre spri spro
spru
© Sue Lloyd