Does your child know the sounds of C, A and T but struggle to say cat?
This is a common early-reading challenge. The missing skill may be blending—joining individual sounds together to make a word.
Here are five activities you can try at home.
1. Robot Talk
Say a familiar word in separate sounds:
"/s/ ... /u/ ... /n/"
Then say the sounds closer together and help your child hear sun.
2. Slide Your Finger
Write MAT on paper. Point to each letter, then slide your finger under the entire word as you blend the sounds.
3. Change One Letter
Use magnetic letters to build sat. Replace S with M to make mat, then M with B to make bat.
Ask your child to decode each new word.
4. Mystery Word
Hide a picture of a cat or sun. Say the word in separate sounds and let your child guess the object before showing it.
5. Read a Short Story Together
Once your child can blend simple words, move to short decodable stories that use patterns they've learned.
You could explore the Fitzroy Phonics Readers Stories 1–10 for structured practice.
If you want additional early-level stories, Vidya Vitran Learning also carries the Fitzroy Readers 1–10 + 1X–10X Bundle. Choose the appropriate level rather than rushing through both sets.
Parent tip: If blending is difficult, practise with spoken sounds before using written letters. Keep activities playful and short.
