A free 3-minute check that shows where the trouble with blends starts
Some children drop a sound in the first blends (hand, stop), some only in blends with r and five-sound words (frog, stamp), and some are not yet steady on short words. The start is different for each. Read the words together; it takes about three minutes.
Already sure this is the problem? Skip the check and see the 10-day plan: Stop and Jump
How to do it: do not teach and do not correct. Just listen, and tap what your child could do. Nothing you tap is sent anywhere.
Show your child this screen. They read each word. Tap each word your child reads correctly, however slowly.
Your child reads each word. Tap each word read correctly. If a sound is left out (stop read as top), it is not correct.
Your child reads each word. Tap each word read correctly.
When your child meets a word like stop, what happens most often?
In a consonant blend two consonants sit side by side, and each one keeps its own sound: s and t in stop. Said fast, the two sounds run together, so the ear catches only one, and a child who reads quickly skips a letter. It is common, and blends are usually taught in kindergarten and first grade, right after short words.
This check does not diagnose anything. A child who drops sounds in blends is not showing a sign of dyslexia by that alone. If your child is seven or older, or reading is hard in many ways, share what you saw with the teacher.
More help: Why can’t my child blend sounds? A free check · Make a free consonant blends worksheet · Make a free blend ladder
