Beginning Consonant Blends

After your students have learned to read short vowel words, it is time to work on beginning blends.  Most beginning blends fall into one of three categories: l blends, r blends, and s blends. Work on one type of blends at a time.  I have always thought s blends are the easiest for students to master first, then l blends, with r blends being last.  Spend at least a week teaching each type of blend.

These are the most common beginning blends.  I created these by using my hot glue gun to glue magnetic letters together.

1. Reading and sorting words by beginning blend.

Here is another activity center idea for sorting.  By changing how the sort looks, it feels like a different activity to the children.

2.  Building blend words with onsets (the blend) and rimes.

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Print the blends in one color, and the rimes in a different color.  Students can use the cards to build and read real (and nonsense) words.  This works great as a tabletop activity during guided reading or intervention time.

I created these mats with some word family sticky notes I found several years ago.

This set makes a great center.  Students add blends with magnetic letters, letter cards, or dry-erase markers.

3. Bingo type games are always fun!  In this version students draw a picture card and find the matching word on their mats.

4.Write and Wipe mats

 These mats make a great center or independent activity.  Place them in a write and wipe pocket, sheet protector, or laminate them. Students write the beginning blends.

5. Roll and Read is another fun center idea.  Students roll a die and find a word with the beginning blend.  If they can read the word, they add it to their pile.

6.  Worksheets

Students read, write, sort and glue the words into the correct column.

I hope this has helped you to think of some fun ideas and centers for beginning blends!