TEXES Science of Teaching Reading Practice Test

What should the teacher focus on when students are learning to blend sounds in kindergarten?

1. Naming letters and their sounds

2. Identifying initial consonant sounds

3. Blending individual phonemes

4. Recognizing rhyming words

The correct answer is: Blending individual phonemes

When students are learning to blend sounds in kindergarten, the primary focus should be on blending individual phonemes. This skill is crucial for developing phonemic awareness, which forms the foundation for reading and writing. Blending involves the ability to take individual sounds (or phonemes) and combine them to form words. For instance, when children hear the sounds /c/, /a/, and /t/, they learn to blend these sounds together to say the word "cat." Focusing on blending helps students understand how sounds work together to create meaning, which is essential for their reading development. Mastery of this skill allows them to decode new words independently, fostering a sense of agency in their reading practice. Phoneme blending is more foundational at this stage than simply naming letters or identifying consonant sounds. While all the other options have their place in early literacy instruction, the ability to blend sounds is a critical step in helping children become proficient readers.