3.2 Explicitly Teaching Onset-Rime

Now it’s time to teach! Here's a research-based approach that we recommend, with examples of language you could use if this is new to you. When teaching onset-rime, we begin by teaching students how to blend, and then we teach how to segment. This sample lesson teaches students solely how to blend onset-rime.

First, review relevant skills that your students should know prior to learning about onset-rime. Review how to identify syllables in a word (syllable awareness). You can also review other previously taught skills that support the lesson, including how words are made up of speech sounds, segmenting words into syllables, and blending syllables.  

You might say something like this, “In a one-syllable word, the first sound you hear is called the onset. This is the beginning consonant sound. After the consonant sound comes a vowel sound. The vowel and everything after it is called the rime. Together we call these two parts onset-rime.”  

Next, you might explain, “We’re going to learn how to blend an onset and a rime together to make a word.” 

Then, you'll use a gradual release approach — or I Do, We Do, You Do, to teach them the skill.

First, tell your children that “it’s my turn” and that it’s their job to watch and listen. Then model how to blend two parts of a word using the strategy Touch and Say.  

Place a square-shaped piece of felt and a rectangular-shaped felt on the table side by side with a space between. Remember to place them for “mirror teaching” with the square on the student’s left and the rectangle on their right like in this picture.

To model this skill, provide students with an onset, such as /m/, followed by the rime, such as /ăt/.

Say the target word in its segmented form:

Repeat the word, this time elongating the onset:

Tell the students to watch and listen as you blend the word.

Touch the square felt as you say /m/ (the onset).

Next, touch the rectangular felt as you say /ăt/ (the rime).

Push the square to meet the rectangle as you blend the word into:

Repeat the word:

Repeat this with guided practice using other words, such as make, top, sail, rip, and mom. The vowel can be short or long since you don't have to worry about spelling patterns complicating this phonological lesson.

1. Tell students it is now their turn to try some words with you.
2. Dictate additional words to children — day, cape, best — and guide them in using felts to practice blending and segmenting the words with you.

1. Tell students, “Now it’s your turn.”
2. Continue presenting words for children to try independently. Call on individual students to practice. Ask other children to practice in their heads and be ready to help out if a friend needs it. Here are a few words for practice: ball, food, and mug.
3. Provide support for any students who need it by modeling the correct answer and then having children independently repeat what you demonstrated.

Once students are confident in blending onset-rime, the next task that students need to learn and practice is segmenting. We have a sample lesson plan on segmenting onset-rime (opens in new window)that follows the gradual release approach we modeled above.

When students catch on to the concept of onset-rime within words, they are ready to move on to phoneme identification. If you are unsure of your student's proficiency with this skill, you can use this quick assessment to check their progress. (opens in new window)