Teaching kids to blend, or combine, sounds in order to pronounce new words is an important element to first grade reading. Segmenting the sounds that make up a word, and then blending those sounds to pronounce them correctly, can be a tricky skill to master. This lesson helps take first graders through this process, with guided practice and helpful examples.

Knowing how to read short O words like hot, pot, and top takes practice. This guided lesson can help kids master the short O sound. Kids will be taught to identify the short O within common sight words, which will boost reading fluency. Don't forget to check out the short O printables at the end of the lesson to continue the learning.

Understanding how to pronounce the short I sound, such as in pill and film, is important for first graders encountering words they don't know. This guided lesson teaches kids all about the Short I sound, and provides lots of examples of short I words. Targeted practice like this helps to reinforce kids' understanding of short vowel sounds and boosts phonemic awareness, upon which lifelong reading skills are based.

Being able to recognize the short I sound, as in dig, fin and kid, is one of the foundations of kindergarten phonics. This guided lesson teaches kids all about the short I, and offers lots of practice to encourage retention. You can get even more practice with this phonics skill by checking out the printables that work in partership with this lesson.