Phoneme Blending Help

[Guest]

Hi - I have a few chn who really struggled with learning initial phonemes, but with a little 1:1 and parental support they now recognize the initial 26 sounds and a few digraphs such as sh, ch, th, qu, but they still have real difficulty blending even simple CVC words such as cat, peg, dog.

 

Any ideas how to help them. A few can identify initial sounds of words but the other 2 still struggle with that so will focus on that for the time being. But for the ones hearing initial sounds I feel I'm not targeting the underlying difficulty or them as the blending is becomming a stumbling block for them and I don't want them to lose confidence as they have done remarkably well recently.

 

 

Tks in advance...

[Guest]

This isn't going to be much help (sorry!) but I have always found that I just have to keep plugging away with the blending til they get it.......

 

Can they blend orally/aurally (if you say 'p-i-g', can they tell you the word it makes)?

 

Mind you, I had a small group who could easily do it if someone said the sounds to them, but were struggling to do it if it was them saying the sounds. They were just starting to get it (and were really pleased with themselves, recognising their own achievements, etc) a few weeks ago - hopefully they've continued to build on that initial success, but I've been off sick since so don't know. My only idea was to encourage them to repeat the sounds several times, saying them quicker each time - in the desperate hope that they'd 'get it'!

 

Hopefully someone else will have a more tried and tested solution....!

[Guest LornaW]

I agree with you purplemagic it is lots and lots more of the phase one activities to give them the chances to disern between sounds and then to associate phoneme sounds first to hear and say. I have mentioned it before but the books are so good I would recommend Singing Phonics by Helen McGregor and Cath Birt lots fo great songs and rhymes and all referenced to Letters and Sounds.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Singing-Phonics-Ca...t/dp/1408104725

 

Lorna

[Guest]

Agree with all said!

 

Sometimes though, these little strugglers feel put on the spot! I try to do it always with visual and especially at other times of the day - go and get your c-oa-t etc. Bet it must sound monotonous to those of mine who can blend!

Although haven't heard anyone say be qu-i-e-t!

 

Keep plugging away!

 

Jenni

[Guest]

Actually, yes that's something else I do - play I spy (either with objects or, usually, pictures of objects) so that as I say I spy a d-o-g for example, they have things to look at to help - start with, say, only 3 pictures if they really struggle, building up to a much larger amount. I also make sure that, to start with, there's only 1 of any initial sound, but then once they get the hang of it, make sure there's a couple of one sound - so, to start with, might have

 

dog, pig, hat

 

but then would extend to

 

cat, cup, bin, log

 

so that they have to think of more than just the first sound.

[Guest]

Thanks - I'll definitely try those suggestions...Tks