🔊 Helping with Phonics & Sounds
Everything you need to help — without doing it for them.
🧭 Simple explanation (for you)
Every letter makes a sound. Blending is saying the sounds quickly together: c-a-t → cat. Start with short words, then digraphs (sh, ch, th) that make one sound from two letters.
❓ Questions to ask
- “What sound does this letter make?”
- “Can you say the sounds slowly?”
- “Now blend them fast — what word?”
- “What word family is it in?”
💡 Hints (not answers)
- Say sounds, not letter names
- Blend slowly then fast
- Use word families (-at, -in)
- Tap one finger per sound
🏡 Practice activity
The sound hunt: find three things that start with the same sound.
Need the bigger picture?
See the principles of helping without doing.