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Step 4: Phoneme Segmenting and Word Building
After Blending, Your Child is Ready for Segmenting
Segmentation is recognized as the most essential skill for helping children become great readers. There have been numerous classrooms and studies that have consistently demonstrated the benefits of segmentation practice for emerging readers.
Educators who understand this concept understand that phoneme segmenting can be difficult to learn, but that the rewards and benefits are well worth the efforts. Segmentation involves breaking down words into their sequential letter sounds. It’s like spelling by sounds instead of with letters.
An example of practicing this skill with your child is presenting an image of a cat and saying, ‘cat’ – /c/ /a/ /t/, then asking her to say it with you, ‘cat’ – /c/ /a/ /t/.
Phoneme segmenting abilities are the marker many educators use to determine whether kindergarten to first-graders will be successful in reading. If they have difficulty segmenting words, they will be plagued with problems reading.
The segmenting products we have below were carefully designed using various fun games and lessons. They will help your child build powerful segmenting skills and lead them to the next step of reading words.
Use our checklist to determine exactly where your children are at on the path to reading. Give your children simple tests to reveal any specific gaps in their skills that need filling in. All the materials you’ll need to build those missing skills are included. Move from Segmenting to Word Building
The best way to help prepare your child for decoding words is to practice word building with 3-letter phonetic CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Word building is encoding, which also includes segmenting skills and alphabetic principle knowledge.
Word building first requires a child to segment out a word, like “hat,” into its three sounds. The next step requires placing the corresponding three letters in the proper sequence, “h,” “a,” and “t.” Don’t confuse this process with spelling.
The goal of word building is to strengthen your child’s understanding of how the sequence of letters in printed words represents the sequence of sounds in spoken words. Word building strengthens your child’s concept of the alphabetic principle at the word level.
Teach Segmenting Properly with Fun Games and Activities
Phoneme Segmenting Apps
ABC Reading Magic 1
Short Vowel Words
Your Child will learn how to blend, segment, and read 3-letter, short vowel words
This exciting game app introduces your child to CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, such as “cat,” “box,” and “rug.” It reinforces letter sound knowledge and helps children learn the essential reading skill of segmenting.
ABC Reading Magic 2
Consonant Blends
Your Child will learn how to blend, segment, and read words with consonant blends in them
This app focuses on consonant blends-CVCC (consonant-vowel-consonant-consonant) and CCVC (consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant) words, such as “land,” “jump,” and “nest.” It also reinforces letter sound knowledge and helps children learn the essential reading skill of segmenting.
Word Building Apps
ABC Spelling Magic 1
Short Vowel Words
This fun app shows children new ways to build and segment words. It focuses on CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, such as “cat,” “box,” and “rug.” It helps children learn and reinforce letter sound knowledge.
This app helps children learn the essential reading skill of segmenting. Children have the option to build words using the entire alphabet or just the letters for that word.
ABC Spelling Magic 2
Consonant Blends
Your children will learn how to build, segment, and read words with consonant blends.
This app uses consonant blends-CVCC (consonant-vowel-consonant-consonant) words and CCVC (consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant) words, such as “land,” “jump,” and “nest.”
These games reinforce letter sound knowledge and segmenting, an essential reading skill.
