Age: 6-7 years

Duration: 40 min

Objectives

• Identify initial consonant blends bl, cr, st, tr in spoken and written words.
• Blend two consonant sounds smoothly without inserting a vowel.
• Sort picture cards by blend and read blend words on the board.

Vocab

• bl: blue, block, blow
• cr: crab, cry, cross
• st: star, stop, stick
• tr: tree, truck, trip
• blend: "Two letters, one smooth start."

Warm-up (5min)

Stretch-and-blend drill: hold /b/, slide to /l/ → "bl." Repeat for cr, st, tr with hand sweep gesture.

Main Activity (25min): "Blend Sort & Build"

Four corner stations labeled bl/cr/st/tr. Students sort 16 picture cards. At each station, blend aloud, write the word on a mini whiteboard, and build new words with magnetic letters. Pairs compete to read the most blend words in 3 minutes.

Wrap-up (5min)

Exit ticket: teacher says a blend — student writes one word and reads it.

Teacher Tips

• Common error: "buh-lue" — model continuous blend, no schwa.
• Limit to four blends this lesson; add br, gr, fl in later units.
• Starters reading band expects CCVC/CVCC familiarity.