Notes on Blending, Segmenting, and Spelling Support

Continuous blending and segmentation

  • Purpose: model decoding and spelling clearly; errors can affect reading/writing skills.
  • Continuous blending: keep the voice on while blending sounds to form a word (e.g., nap →
    N A P with no breaks).
  • Segmentation then blending: you can start by segmenting (e.g., N - A - P) and then move to continuous blending for ease of perception.
  • Counts and elements:
    • A word like nap has 33 sounds and uses 11 letter per sound (N, A, P).
    • This helps students hear the hidden word in the middle of sounds.
  • Visual cue: finger spell each sound (grapheme) to map sounds to letters.
    • Nap: N, A, P with one finger per sound.
    • Digraph example: CH in CHap uses two fingers for the first sound (the CH digraph makes /tʃ/).

Finger spelling and grapheme codes

  • Purpose: provide a clear, repeatable visual cue for sound-letter mapping.
  • Procedure: finger spell each sound in order, underlining or labeling two-letter codes (digraphs or letter clusters).
    • Nap: three sounds, three fingers (one per sound).
    • Sting: demonstrates a digraph for ng; underline the two-letter code to show NG represents a single sound.
    • CH digraph example: two fingers for the first sound (CH together make /tʃ/).
  • Underlining two-letter codes: helps students identify digraphs and letter patterns (e.g., NG, CH).

Word examples and modelling (continuous blending and codes)

  • Nap: continuous blending demonstrated; no breaks in voice.
  • Sat: continuous blending; emphasize keeping the voice on.
  • Strum: example of continuous blending with consonant clusters; some sounds are harder to blend continuously due to stops in the speech stream.
  • Sting: finger spelling; NG as a two-letter code; underline digraphs.
  • Sheep and Cheap: demonstrate two-letter codes within words and how digraphs affect spelling (sheep has ee digraph; cheap includes CH digraph).
  • Sprite:
    • Silent final E on the end changes the preceding vowel to its long sound (i.e., spri + t(e) -> Spri). End E is not spoken but alters the vowel sound.
    • Explanation: silent final E changes the vowel; in Sprite the final E makes the I sound long.
  • Choose:
    • Another example of a digraph and a final E; digraphs and vowel changes are highlighted.
  • Flower:
    • Two-syllable word: flow-er.
    • Schwa: the final -er often has a schwa sound (uh) in spelling instruction; useful for teaching spelling as flow + er.
    • Mark two-letter codes for digraphs and note the two syllables.
  • Spraying:
    • Two-syllable word; finger spell syllable by syllable (flow + er; spray + ing approach for breaking into parts).
    • Demonstrates how to split multi-syllable words for teaching.

Two-syllable words and syllable-by-syllable handling

  • When teaching two-syllable words, finger spell one syllable at a time.
    • Example: Flower -> flow + er; spell each syllable separately.
  • Use two-letter codes and underlining to show digraphs within each syllable.
  • Schwa note: some endings create a neutral vowel sound; mark as needed for spelling guidance.

Modelling reading and spelling in class

  • The instructor models reading and spelling aloud to demonstrate strategies.
  • Document camera demonstration:
    • Spell a word first using finger spelling, then write it while saying each sound aloud.
    • Example: Cheap
    • Finger spell: CHEAP (C-H as a two-letter code, then E-A as sounds, then P).
    • Identify two-letter codes and underlines for digraphs.
    • Sprite example with silent final E:
    • Highlight how the E at the end changes the vowel before it.
  • Practice technique: read the word continuously, then decompose into sounds, then re-blend.
  • Bonus content: information on marking words with two-letter codes and noting job-like rules:
    • Job 4: Every syllable needs a vowel.
    • Job 5: Silent final E has a specific role (e.g., modifies preceding vowel).
    • “Rabbit rule” for doubling consonants: a consonant may double in certain end-syllable contexts (e.g., spraying ends with a doubled consonant in some spellings).

Takeaways for last-minute review

  • Continuous blending supports fluent decoding; segment briefly to identify sounds, then blend smoothly.
  • Finger spelling clarifies sound-letter mapping; use one finger per sound and highlight digraphs with two-letter codes.
  • Recognize digraphs (e.g., CH, NG) and silent final E; explain their impact on pronunciation and spelling.
  • Introduce schwa in multi-syllable words (e.g., flower) to explain non-emphasized vowel sounds.
  • Model spelling aloud using finger spelling, then write and underline two-letter codes to reinforce patterns.
  • Break multi-syllable words into syllables during teaching to reduce cognitive load (e.g., spraying -> spray + ing, flower -> flow + er).