Sound It Out
Aligned to RF.1.2 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches
Words are made of little sounds. We can blend sounds together to make a word, or break a word into its sounds.
Worked examples
Example 1
Blend /c/ + /a/ + /t/ to say "cat." Now break it back apart: cat = /c/ /a/ /t/. Three sounds!
Example 2
Blend /s/ + /t/ + /o/ + /p/ to say 'stop.' Now break it apart again: four sounds.
Example 3
Change only the last sound in 'stop' to /k/ and you get 'stock.' One sound at the end makes a whole new word.
Practice questions
- Blend these sounds: /m/ /a/ /p/. What word is it?
- Break the word "sun" into its sounds.
- Clap once for each sound in "dog."
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Suena los Sonidos
Las palabras se hacen de sonidos pequeños y de sílabas. Podemos unir sonidos para formar una palabra o separarla en sus sílabas.
Ejemplo 1: Une las sílabas ma + no para decir "mano." Ahora sepárala: mano = ma-no. ¡Dos sílabas! Aplaudimos una vez por cada sílaba.
Ejemplo 2: Une las sílabas pe + lo + ta para decir 'pelota.' Ahora sepárala: tres sílabas.
Ejemplo 3: Cambia solo la primera sílaba de 'pelota' por 'ca' y obtienes 'caleta'. Una sílaba distinta hace una palabra distinta.
More Reading: Foundational Skills lessons
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