What is involved in the process of phoneme blending?

Phoneme blending is the process of combining individual sounds, or phonemes, to form a whole word. This skill is crucial for reading development as it allows children to decode words by piecing together the sounds they hear. For example, if a child hears the sounds /c/, /a/, and /t/, they blend these phonemes together to make the word "cat."

This cognitive ability is foundational for reading, as it supports word recognition and fluency. In contrast, identifying an odd word in a list relates more to phonemic awareness but does not involve blending sounds into a word. Writing and reading a new word encompasses various skills beyond just blending, such as spelling and comprehension. Replacing a sound to create a new word, known as phoneme substitution, is a different process. It focuses on modifying an existing word rather than constructing it from its sounds. Thus, the correct understanding of phoneme blending is captured in the choice that emphasizes the combination of sounds to create a complete word.