As we explicitly learn a specific letter and the sound or sounds a letter makes, we start using that letter to make words. We write and read words by blending sounds together. The students use a notebook to write the beginning, middle, and end sounds they hear in words. We practice reading words and check to see if we read them correctly by picture cues and context clues. Another way we blend in class is by listening. We will say words and think about the sounds we hear at the beginning, the middle, and the end. Then, we will explain what letter we think goes there and why. This can be done without writing anything down, just by visualizing.
The students love to listen to words and determine if they rhyme. Words that have the same middle and end sounds are rhyming words. A new game we are playing is to pick the two words out of the three given that rhyme. I would say, "pig, dog, wig." The children would repeat the words back, think about it, and decide which ones rhyme.
Both blending and rhyming are important phonological skills in reading development. The students love both because they get to play with letters to make and read words. These are great things you can play at home that will help your child be a great reader!