From Letter Sounds to Reading CVC Words
Are you a homeschool MOM of a Kindergartener wondering, “Why does my child know all her letter sounds, but struggles to read simple CVC words?” Read 3 key strategies below, or listen here.
Next Steps for Your Child’s Phonics and Reading:
- Move from knowing letter sounds to reading CVC words
- Teach continuous blending as a strategy to get your child from letter sounds to reading CVC words
Continuous Blending
To move your child from letter sounds to reading CVC words, begin with continuous blending. How? Start with sounds you can hold, called continuous sounds. Continuous sounds are /m/, /a/, /s/, /l/, /r/, etc. Then, use a ‘stop’ sound at the end of the word, which is a sound that cannot be held. For example, we cannot hold the sound for the letter ‘t’ (/t/).
Say it Quickly!
Sometimes, kids needs you to cue them to just say the word quickly! When moving kids from letter sounds to reading CVC words, sometimes we need to tell our child, “Look at the word. When you know it, then say it out loud. No sounding out!”
Move the Letters!
Try moving the magnetic letters for 3 sounds closer together each time, prompting your child to say the sounds in order more quickly. This will help your child go from saying each letter sounds to reading CVC words with a concrete visual aid.
Choose a Phonics Curriculum that Uses Sound Boxes
When you teach a child to put one sound per box using a sound box mat, they work with sounds and letters at the same time. This directly links letters and sounds for your kids, leading to quick, easy blending of sounds in simple CVC words. Choose a phonics curriculum that uses sound boxes to teach your child to read and spell simple CVC words.
So, if your child is struggling to make the transition from know letter sounds to read CVC words as whole words, not segmented or stuck in sound-it-out mode, then try these 3 strategies.
