Wear Out Those Blue Cards

Learning the accurate, isolated sounds of English to the point of automaticity is not an end unto itself. It would be similar to learning the addition facts and never using them to solve a problem. STEPS instruction has students using the sounds shortly after their introduction to blend the sounds of nonsense syllables. Blending nonsense syllables provides practice with the left to right directionality of reading. Practicing with nonsense syllables takes away the "guess the word" inclination and keeps attention on the process of accurate, quick decoding.
The small student-sized cards are easy to use when flashing for sound/symbol retention and blending activities in a pocket chart or desk top.
Stack up the Blue Set phonogram cards in three piles: consonants, vowels, consonants.
Go through sound, sound, sound: /v/-/a/-/p/
Blend the sounds dragging out the vowel sound slightly: /va....p/
Say the syllable quickly: /vap/
Remove a card from a stack to practice blending a different syllable.
For this type of practice use only the first, most common sound, of each phonogram and remind students that the vowel opens our mouth and the final consonant's job is to close our mouth.
STEPS offers computerized blending activities and more in the online class, Fluency 101.

Reading Fluency Class!

FREE SUPPORT!----Often students have learned the code necessary to read, but they are stuck reading slowly grinding it out, one word at a time. Building fluency is the key to helping a child learn to love to read! In this FREE course, learn how fluency impacts reading comprehension and how to build it in readers of all ages.