1st grade · English Language Arts · Unit 1 of 13
Blend It
Put sounds together
What your child practices
Blending sounds into words (s-u-n makes sun), counting the sounds in a word and hearing the last sound. These listening skills are the base of reading and spelling.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: 1.6 · blending and counting the sounds in words
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Say each sound in the word.
- Push the sounds together to read it: p – i – g, pig.
- To find the last sound, listen to the end of the word.
Example: Which letter makes the last sound in “cat”? Say it slowly: c – a – t. The last sound is /t/. Answer: t
Blend It in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 1 of 13 in 1st grade English Language Arts, before Short Vowels.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which letter makes the last sound?
☀️su_- p
- n
- g
n
Hint: Say “sun” slowly and listen to the very end.
Question 2
Which letter makes the last sound?
🖊️pe_- f
- n
- t
n
Hint: Say “pen” slowly and listen to the very end.
Question 3
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
f - i - sh
- 🐷pig
- 🐟fish
- 🐸frog
🐟 fish
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: f-i-sh… fish!
Question 4
How many sounds do you hear in “lock”?
🔒lock- 4
- 3
- 2
3
Hint: Say it slowly and hold up a finger for each sound: l-o-ck.
Question 5
How many sounds do you hear in “tie”?
👔tie- 3
- 4
- 2
2
Hint: Say it slowly and hold up a finger for each sound: t-ie.
Question 6
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
c - a - t
- 🐱cat
- 🥫can
- 🎩hat
🐱 cat
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: c-a-t… cat!