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Comprehensive Definition
Blending is the process of smoothly combining individual sounds (phonemes) in a sequence to form a whole word. It is a critical skill within Phonemic Awareness and is the inverse of segmenting.
When a student learns to read using Synthetic Phonics, blending is the mechanism they use to decode a written word. They must first identify the sounds represented by the letters (or letter groups/graphemes), hold those sounds in sequence in their working memory, and then merge them together to pronounce the word.
Automatic and accurate blending is essential for developing automaticity in reading and is a key indicator of reading readiness and future reading success. Difficulties in blending are often a primary obstacle for beginning readers.
Practical Example
When a student encounters the written word 'clip,' they are taught to:
Say the sounds in the word: /c/, /l/, /i/, /p/.
Blend the sounds together: /c/-/l/-/i/-/p/ becomes 'clip.'
Common Misconception
Students must know letter sounds before they begin learning how to blend.
Correction: While blending can involve letters it is not necessary to practise the skill of blending. Children can begin by orally blending without reference to print. However, research shows that adding letters does no harm and can support letter sound knowledge growth.
FAQs
Q: How is blending related to reading?
A: Blending is the decoding mechanism for reading. Every time a reader sounds out a new or unfamiliar word, they are using the skill of blending to synthesize the sounds of the letters into a pronounceable word.
Q: What is the difference between Blending and Segmenting?
A: They are reciprocal skills in Phonemic Awareness: Blending is combining sounds into a word (e.g., /c/-/a/-/t/ -> cat). Segmenting is breaking a word into its individual sounds (e.g., cat -> /c/-/a/-/t/).
Q: Should I teach blending with letter names or letter sounds?
A: Blending must always be taught using the pure letter sounds (phonemes), not the letter names. For example, blending 'm-a-t' using the sounds /m//a//t/ results in 'mat.' Using the letter names 'em-ay-tee' does not allow the student to synthesize the word.
