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.
Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 1.RF.2 · 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 Arizona
In the Arizona Academic Standards, 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.
- 1st grade guide for Arizona parents
- Printable 1st grade English Language Arts sheet
- Arizona report cards explained
Source: Arizona Department of Education
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?
✋han_- p
- b
- d
d
Hint: Say “hand” slowly and listen to the very end.
Question 2
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
d - o - g
- 🦆duck
- 🐶dog
- 🥁drum
🐶 dog
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: d-o-g… dog!
Question 3
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
h - a - t
- 🎩hat
- 🦇bat
- ✋hand
🎩 hat
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: h-a-t… hat!
Question 4
Which letter makes the last sound?
🔟te_- n
- d
- s
n
Hint: Say “ten” slowly and listen to the very end.
Question 5
How many sounds do you hear in “bat”?
🦇bat- 4
- 2
- 3
3
Hint: Say it slowly and hold up a finger for each sound: b-a-t.
Question 6
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
b - e - ll
- 🚌bus
- 🔔bell
- 🐛bug
🔔 bell
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: b-e-ll… bell!