In this guide
Listen. Join the sounds. Find the meaning.
The star that gives Earth light and warmth.
After reading sun, invite your child to draw a sunny sky.
Blending is hearing the whole word
Blending means joining sounds to say a word. When reading, the child connects the letters on the page with those sounds. Reading guidance treats learning sound-letter connections and practising word reading as related parts of early literacy.
You can also play with spoken sounds without showing letters. Say the sounds in a familiar word and then the whole word. This is a listening activity; when you add the written word, you are connecting that listening to print.
Reading behind this guidance: Institute of Education Sciences
A simple routine to try with sun
Use this example only if your child has learned s, u as in up, and n. Otherwise choose a word from their current learning. Put one large, clear letter on each card and sit where you can both see the word.
First, let your child listen
Point under s and make its sound. Move smoothly through the sound for u and then n. Let the sounds run into one another, then say sun naturally. Your child can hear the whole demonstration before trying.
Read it together
Move your finger under the letters again while you both say the sounds and the word. Keep your voice available as support. If your child loses their place, start together again without making the word longer or harder.
Offer a turn
Ask whether your child would like to move the pointing finger or say the word. If they need your voice again, join in. Notice a specific action: 'You followed all three letters.'
Do something with the word
Draw a sun, talk about a sunny day or make a spoken sentence together. Once the word is familiar, cover the cards and rebuild it together. Your child can point to the letters while you move them.
Listen to your own model
Keep sounds clear and avoid adding a strong 'uh' after a consonant. For example, model s as a hiss, rather than 'suh'. Extra vowel sounds can make blending harder. Some sounds can be held; others, such as t, need a brief sound rather than a stretch.
A written description cannot demonstrate pronunciation fully. Use the sound examples from your child's learning programme, or ask their teacher to show you. You can listen first and practise together without needing to become a phonics expert.
Reading behind this guidance: Department for Education, England
Make the next turn easier
If your child gives only the last sound, return to a shared demonstration of the whole word. If a letter is unfamiliar, revisit that sound. If they seem tired or frustrated, leave the cards and enjoy something else together. There is no need to turn one difficult word into a long session.
Keep reading stories aloud while blending develops. Your child can enjoy the plot, pictures and conversation now. For their own word practice, return to examples that use the sounds they have learned.
Inside AptyRead
Put the learning into practice.
In AptyRead, children take an active part in building words and exploring their meanings from Lesson 1. The sequential course brings new learning into later activities. Sit together for a lesson, listen to the sounds and give your child room to take their own turn.
Explore the five-level journeySources and further reading
These resources inform the general reading guidance. The home activities are examples from the AptyRead team.
- Institute of Education SciencesFoundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
- Department for Education, EnglandThe reading framework