Two new courses for paraprofessionals are live. Earn your free certificate!

  • Phonics

Build-a-Word: Ending Blends

Video thumbnail for Build-a-Word: Spelling Words With Ending Blends
Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book
Hide Video Transcript Show Video Transcript

Antonio Fierro: Let's use the build-a-word strategy with blends, but in the final position. The word is best. "Marion is my best friend." What's the word? Best. Alright, let's identify those phonemes. Best. /b/, /ĕ/, s/, /t/. Best. /b/, /ĕ/, s/, /t/. I have four phonemes, so I have four lines. /b/, /ĕ/, /s/, /t/. All right. The first phoneme is /b/. Which grapheme represents that sound? Letter 'b'. /ĕ/ ... hmm ... Which grapheme? /ĕ/ ... 'e'. /s/ ... Which grapheme? 's'. And the final is /t/ ... Which grapheme? 't'. Here is my blend in the final position. Let's go ahead and write the word "best." Best. 

What did you notice?

Support Materials

Word Chaining with Ending Blends

The purpose of this activity is to offer students practice reading words with ending blends, like soft and jump.

Download Activity

Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale; the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (opens in new window); the AFT (opens in new window); the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation (opens in new window); and several anonymous donors.