Ten oral blending activities

1. Give Instructions
Give the children instructions in sound-talk eg: It’s home t-igh-m time! Let’s go out to p-l-ay play!

2. Use a puppet or toy
Pretend a puppet or toy is shy and can only speak in sound-talk, eg:
Pop is very shy. He says he wants to go out to play. He says he wants to j-u-m-p. What does he want to do?
Or encourage the children to ask the puppet questions in a similar manner.

3. Say something wrong
For example:

‘This is my s-o-ck’ as you put on your coat.
The children will soon correct you.

4. Hide simple items in a sound box
In my box I have a …. d-o-g.
When the children say dog, pull out the dog to reward them. Repeat the sounds and say the word together.

5. Have some small objects set out
I’m choosing the… l-ea-f. When the children say leaf, repeat the sounds and say the word together.

6. At home time or play time, give out cards that feature pictures of CVC words
You may go if you have the… t-a-p, z-i-p, b-a-t, etc.
Each child who had the picture must say the sounds, say the word hand it in and go!

7. Play the above game in reverse
Have all the children standing up,
Sit down if you are wearing g-r-ee-n. Children wearing green sit down and you say:
Sit down if you are wearing p-i-nk.
Ask one or two of the children already sitting to repeat p-i-nk and say pink. Before the children sit down, ask them to show you what they are wearing that is pink! Continue until all of the children are sitting.

8. Play ‘I Spy’ using sound-talk
I spy with my little eye a… b-a-g. Invite a child to say the sounds, say the word and find the object. If they can, it is their turn to spy something.

9. Play ‘Please may I have…?’
Say to a particular child
----------, please may I have a blue p-e-n?
The child must then get up and find a blue pen for you. You say:
Th-a-nk y-oo. Then select another item.

10. Play the train game.
Choose a child to start. The child says:
I got on the train with a c-a-t- cat! I choose [another child] to join the train. The chosen child gets up and joins the train (a line) and says:
I got on the train with a p-e-n – a pen! I choose… and so on.
Keep playing until all the children are standing in a long train line. Some children will need help with this.