Why Blending Feels So Hard for Some Children (And the Free Game Pack That Helps)
I attended 3 Sports Days last week. Yes, that's right, I've currently got 3 children at 3 different schools, which requires an eye-watering level of admin skills, and added up to a lot of time watching egg and spoon races. (Next step for my 3-year-old: teach her to run forwards instead of towards me!)
Two of my children approach sport completely differently. One wants to win gold. The other couldn't care less where they finish, as long as they make it to the end without falling over.
It reminded me so much of learning to read.
Some children seem to grasp blending almost immediately. You show them how to push the sounds together and, after a bit of practice, they're away, often racing through books with confidence and ease.
Others need much longer. They know their sounds perfectly well, but blending them into words just doesn't click straight away. It can feel slow and frustrating, both for them and for us.
I've taught enough children over the years to know that this is often the point where confidence starts to wobble.
That's why I'm such a fan of making blending playful.
You don't need worksheets or fancy resources. In fact, some of the games I've found most effective are the ones you can play while you're laying the table, walking to school, or waiting for dinner to cook.
I've put together some of my favourites into a free download. I hope they make this stage feel just a little bit easier, and a lot more fun.
Free Blending Games Pack
Simple, playful games you can use anywhere — no worksheets, no prep, just five minutes here and there to build blending confidence.
👉 Download Your Free Blending Games Pack
Still Struggling? There's More Help Inside Little Reading Stars
If blending feels like the hardest part of learning to read in your house at the moment, I've got lots more help inside Little Reading Stars — my online course for parents who want to give their children the best start in reading.
There's an entire module dedicated to blending, where I show you exactly how I teach it, the games I use, and what to do when it just doesn't seem to be clicking yet.
Little Reading Stars
If you'd like to have a look, you can find all the details here:
👉Take a look at Little Reading StarsA Message That Made My Day
One lovely parent sent me this message this week, and it absolutely made my day...
One happy parent inside Little Reading Stars
Best wishes, as always,
Miss Mabel
P.S. If you're still unsure whether you're saying the phonics sounds correctly, you'll find every single sound modeled for you inside The Phonics App. Lots of parents tell me it's reassuring just to be able to tap and listen whenever they need to.
