AUDITORY BLENDING/SOUND BLENDING

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE TOPIC:

• Auditory adequacy includes hearing, listening and comprehension; it

encompasses auditory acuity, auditory discrimination, auditory
blending and auditory comprehension (MacGinitie, 1967; Wepman,
1961).
• Hearing is the process by which sound waves are received, modified
and relayed along the nervous system by ear (Horrworth, 1966).

WHAT IS AUDITORY BLENDING?

Auditory blending is the ability to build words from individual sounds by

blending the sounds together in sequence.
• For example, the learner blends the sounds m, o, m to form the
word mom.
• The ability to synthesize the individual sounds (phonemes) of a word so
that the whole word can be comprehended or understood.
• "Auditory blending refers to the blending of different components of
sound to understand words."
• Taken from: (Psychology Dictionary)

WHY IS AUDITORY BLENDING IMPORTANT?

• Auditory blending is essential in reading.

• In order to read words, students must know the sounds for each of the
letters.
• Students blend these sounds together to determine the word.
• Auditory blending is an example of a phonological awareness skill.
• Instruction in phonological awareness skills supports the acquisition of
literacy skills.
• Students who have strong phonological awareness skills demonstrate
better literacy skills.
HOW TO DEVELOP AUDITORY BLENDING SKILLS

• The learner will:

• listen to the sounds in a word, presented orally with each sound said
slowly (extended 1-2 seconds)
• blend the sounds together in sequence (either out loud or in his/her
head)
• determine the target word
• indicate the word by saying it out loud, signing it, or selecting the
appropriate picture or AAC symbol with at least 80% accuracy.

INSTRUCTIONAL TASK
• Here is an example of instruction to teach sound blending:
• The literacy teacher says the word "mom" slowly holding each of the
sounds for 1-2 seconds
– “mmmmoooommmm”
• The learner
– listens to the sounds
– blends them together in his/her head
– determines the word
– says the word out loud, signs it, or selects the correct picture or
AAC symbol from a group of 4.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

• Here is an example of a response plate for instruction in sound

blending. The response options are pot, mom, mop, and man.
• This response plate is from the from DynaVox Mayer-Johnson, Inc.
Picture Communication Symbols (c) 1981-2009. DynaVox Mayer-
Johnson, Inc.
• The learner must listen to the sounds, blend them, and then point to
the picture of mom.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE

The literacy teacher teaches auditory blending skills using the procedures
described earlier

Model:
The literacy teacher demonstrates sound blending for the learner.

Guided practice
The literacy teacher provides scaffolding support or prompting to help the
learner blend sounds successfully.
Starts by saying the word slowly
Then says it a bit faster gradually blending the sounds
The literacy teacher gradually fades this support as the learner develops
competence.
Independent practice
The learner listens to the sounds and blends them independently.
The literacy teacher monitors the learner’s responses and provides
appropriate feedback.

POINTERS
Some letter sounds can be elongated and held continuously:
• a, e, f, i, l, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, y, z
• Other letter sounds cannot be elongated or held continuously:
• b, c, d, g, h, j, k, p, q, t, x
• If the sound can be held continuously, hold the sound for 1-2 seconds
and blend it smoothly into the next sound in the word
• For example, for the word man, say "mmmmaaaannnn"
• If the sound cannot be held continuously, say the sound once, pause
briefly for 1-2 seconds, and then say the next sound in the word
elongating it for 1-2 seconds if possible
• For example, for the word pin, say "p [1 second pause] iiiinnnn"
• It is easier to blend sounds that can be held continuously.

Start instruction with words that have continuous sounds

• For example, mom, run, van, sun

• Gradually add words that have sounds that cannot be held
continuously
• For example, dad, cat, dog, pop
• Some students may benefit from visual supports when learning sound
blending skills.
• Point to the letters while saying each of the sounds slowly
Say “rrrruuuunnnn” and point to the letters r, u, and n in sequence as each
sound is said
The letters provide a visual support to help the student hold the sounds in
memory.
ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP AUDITORY BLENDING.

• FINISH MY SENTENCE: Before beginning the activity, create a list of

simple sentences. Include in each sentence a three or four-letter word
you can ask your child to blend. Here are some examples: I gave him
my /p/ /e/ /n/. Sam got on the /b//u//s/. The pig ran in the /m//u//d/.
Suzy took my favorite /h//a//t/. Say, “Today we are going to play a
game. I am going to say a sentence and you must help me finish it.
Listen to my first sentence. ‘I gave him my /p/ /e/ /n/.’ What did I give
him?” Help your child discover that /p/ /e/ /n/ is “pen”. Repeat the
procedure with more sentences and continue asking your child to tell
you the word that was broken apart. When your child gets good at oral
blending, ask him to come up with his own sentence to say.

THE SUITCASE GAME

• The Suitcase Game Fill a suitcase with different types of clothing and
travel items. Say, “Imagine we are preparing to go on a vacation. We
are going to (country). Last night I packed our suitcase for the trip, but
I think I may have forgotten something. Can you help me find out what
I forgot? One item in my suitcase is a pair of /p/ /a/ /n/ /t/ /s/. What is
the first item in my suitcase?” (pants) After your child says, “pants,”
pull a pair of pants out of your suitcase to show him that he is correct.
Say, “The second item in my suitcase is a /b/ /r/ /u/ /sh/. What did I
pack?”
• After you go through each of the items in your suitcase, ask your child,
“What did I forget to pack?” If your child needs assistance, give him
clues such as, “Oh no, I forgot my /h/ /a/ /t/. Additional items in the
suitcase (or missing from the suitcase could be a book, comb, belt,
shirt, shoes, socks, suit, dress, or skirt.
SOUND BLENDING
• Sound Blending Pick out one of your child’s favorite picture books.
Read the book before you read it to your child, and make a list of one-
syllable words from the story that are the names of a person, place,
animal or thing. Sit close to your child while you read the book out
loud. Then tell your child that you are going to read the book again,
but this time you want her/him to help. Next say that you will stretch
out the sounds in some of the words while you are reading, and you
want your child to help by squeezing these sounds together and saying
the words. (For example, “There was a big window in the rrrrr-oo-oo-
oo-mmmmm.”) Finally, read the book stretching out the sounds in the
words you have chosen, and let your child guess what the word is.
Don’t be afraid to help your child at first.

• Slow Motion Begin by saying your child’s name in slow motion,

stretching out each sound as you say it. Repeat her/his name in this
“slow- motion language” so your child hears each sound clearly. Ask,
“What did I say?” When the child guesses his name, try it with other
words, stretching out each sound as you say it. Ask your child to guess
what word you said, saying the word as it is normally pronounced.
Offer lots of praise for successful “translation.”

SOUND IT OUT
• SOUND IT OUT
• Write the song “Sound It Out!” on chart paper. Sing the song to the
tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” At the end of the song, say a
word in parts for children to orally blend. For example, /s/ /a/ /t/.
• Sound It Out!
• If you have a new word, sound it out! If you have a new word, sound it
out! If you have a new word, then slowly say that word. If you have a
new word, sound it out!
REFERENCES:

1) National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research ( NIDRR)

2) Dechant, V Emerald, and Smith P Henry. (1977).PSYCHOLGY IN

TEACHING READING, SECOND EDITION.

3) TEACHER.SCHOLASTIC.COM

4) Ehri, L.C., & Roberts, T. (2006). The roots of learning to read and
write: Acquisition of letters and phonemic awareness. In D.K. Dickinson
& S.B. Neuman (Eds.), Handbook of early literacy research (Vol. 2, pp.
113–131). New York: Guilford
Institution:The Mico University

Programme: Language and Literacy

Course: Psychology And Physiology In Literacy Acquisition

Lecturer: Mr. Denver Holt

Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2019.

Topic: Auditory Blending

PRESENTER: Romaine Austin #301