Learning to read IS rocket science. Little ones have to figure out how sounds go together to make words. If students cannot master blending skills, their reading will be choppy, and they will have difficulty grasping the meaning of their reading.

The Science of Reading has shown how important explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics helps develop strong blending skills. Structured practice in blending helps students become confident and efficient in decoding, which leads to better reading fluency.

When students can read more fluently, this bridges the word recognition and language comprehension domains of Scarborough’s Reading Rope because it frees up cognitive space. Students can focus on meaning instead of decoding the words.

Let’s explore three strategies for strengthening blending skills in early readers. Whether you are a classroom teacher, a reading interventionist, or a parent supporting a young learner, these strategies will help your students become proficient when it comes to blending and decoding.

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Why Blending Skills Matter

Let’s begin by defining blending. Blending is smoothly combining individual phonemes (sounds) to form words. In other words, students are using what they know about sound-symbol correspondences. For example, in the word “cat,” a child must be able to see the letters, map the sound to the letters, then blend the sounds /k/ /a/ /t/ together to say the word.

Mastering blending is essential because it:

• Supports word recognition: Students read words more quickly when they can blend sounds efficiently.
• Boosts reading fluency: Struggling with decoding and blending can overload a student’s working memory, making it harder to understand what they are reading.
• Enhances comprehension: Students can focus more on extracting meaning from reading, which is the end goal.

When students have not received explicit blending instruction, they’re more likely to guess words over using their knowledge of phonemic awareness and phonics skills. It is our job to teach them how.

Use Additive Sound-by-Sound Blending

Additive blending is a great strategy for early or developing readers who need more support when learning to blend. Rather than expecting students to combine all the sounds at once, this approach lets them build the word one sound at a time—adding each new sound and blending as they go. It gives students repeated practice, helps support their memory, and solidifies the connection between sounds and words.

Additive Blending in Action

• Start with the first sound:
• Say the initial sound of the word.
  • For example, the word “mat” begins with /m/.
• Add the second sound and blend:
• Say the first two sounds together.
  • /m/ + /a/ = /ma/
• Add the final sound and blend the whole word:
• Combine what the student already blended with the final sound.
  • /ma/ + /t/ = “mat”
• Repeat the entire word smoothly:
• After the final blend, have the student repeat the whole word to reinforce the successful decoding.

This technique reduces the cognitive load by allowing students to focus on fewer sounds at a time while still building toward the entire word. It also supports working memory by offering repetition and reinforcement at each step. Additive blending is particularly effective for students who find it difficult to remember all the phonemes while blending.

Use Successive (Continuous) Blending

Successive blending can help to minimize the cognitive load for students who struggle with phoneme segmentation. Instead of breaking words into isolated sounds and then attempting to blend them successive blending keeps sounds connected as much as possible. This is also known as continuous blending, and is great for students who have already been introduced to the concept of blending through additive blending.

Successive Blending in Action

Let’s use the word “wish” as our example.

• Write “wish” on the board. Underline and point to the digraph “sh.” Say, “Sound?” and make sure students say /sh/.
• Start at the beginning of the word, touching each grapheme and asking students to say the sound for each one.
• Then, you’ll guide the blending of the whole word by running your finger under the word. It will sound like “dddiiiiishsh”.
• Have students to compress the extended version “dddiiiiishsh” to dish.
• Point to the word and say, “The word is dish.”

It’s important to minimize the stops between sounds. When students are reading and they pause too long between phonemes, they forget what they read and struggle to read the word. We should encourage smooth transitions between sounds without choppy pauses.

Successive blending reduces the mental load and helps students hear how phonemes connect naturally within words.

Provide Opportunities for Blending Practice in Print

The Science of Reading supports a structured phonics approach where students gradually move from simple to more complex word structures. Students need lots of opportunities to apply their blending skills. And not just once or twice—this kind of practice needs to be intentional, consistent, and built into your daily routine.

Blending is a skill that strengthens with repetition. But here’s the key: that repetition needs to be structured and targeted.

Blending Lines

Blending lines is one of my favorite tools for building fluency with decoding. Wiley Blevins discusses blending lines in his books A Fresh Look at Phonics and Differentiating Phonics Instruction. Students read a series of carefully chosen, decodable words that reinforce the phonics patterns you’ve already taught. The goal is to move from slow, sound-by-sound blending to more automatic word reading.

When you use blending lines consistently, students begin to recognize patterns more quickly, apply what they know to new words, and gain the confidence that comes from successful decoding.

You can use blending lines during small group instruction, in intervention groups, or even as morning work. Students do not need to read every line on the page, but they are designed to give every student access to the phonics skill. They’re quick, focused, and highly effective.

Roll and Read for Blending

Roll and Read is another engaging way to give students repeated blending practice without feeling repetitive. With just a die and a Roll and Read mat, students roll, read across a row of decodable words, and repeat. It’s simple, fun, and packed with the kind of focused repetition that helps build automaticity.

I love using Roll and Read for independent centers or partner work. It’s low-prep but high-impact—and it gives students multiple exposures to the same patterns in a playful, purposeful way. Also, foam dice are the way to go!

Why Repeated Practice Matters

The more chances students have to blend words in print, the more fluent and confident they become. Decodable word reading helps bridge the gap between phonics instruction and fluent reading.

Why Structured Blending Practice Matters

Structured practice with printed words helps students to apply blending skills in genuine reading situations, supporting decoding and fluency.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

It’s important to avoid these common issues when it comes to blending:

• Skipping oral blending before moving to print: Blending should first be practiced without letters before adding written words.
• Using unreliable strategies like guessing from pictures: Encourage phoneme-level decoding rather than memorization or guessing.
• Overloading students with too many new patterns at once: Keep phonics instruction systematic and progressive.

Blending is a fundamental skill that helps little readers transition from phonemic awareness to fluent reading. By implementing these strategies, students will develop the blending skills necessary for fluent reading, improved comprehension, and long-term literacy success.