Tess Philip

Simple Phonemic Awareness Activity: Segmenting & Blending

Mastering segmenting and blending is a crucial milestone for early readers and writers! In this video, I’m sharing a simple, hands-on activity using just a rubber band to help your child hear and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in words.

This "Stretch & Clap" method provides a physical representation of how we pull words apart to spell and push them back together to read.

What you’ll learn:
1️⃣What is segmenting and blending?
2️⃣How to use a rubber band to visualize phonemes.
3️⃣Examples with CVC (cat) and CCVC (slip) words.

Try this at home this week and let me know how it goes in the comments!

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Segmenting and blending, phonemic awareness activities, how to teach reading, science of reading, literacy strategies, Orton-Gillingham activities, homeschooling reading tips, phonics for kids, Tess Philip, The Reading Compass.

The "Secret Sauce" to Decoding: Pause, Segment, Blend

It is so important to have strong literacy foundations. So in this language lesson, we are learning about phonemes.

In this clip, I’m demonstrating one of the most effective ways to help a child move from "guessing" to "decoding" using The Very Last Castle.

We’re focusing on three essential steps:
1️⃣ The Pause: Giving the brain time to process.
2️⃣ Segmenting: Breaking the word into individual sounds (phonemes).
3️⃣ Blending: Sliding those sounds together to create the word.

Watch how we tackle words like "HISS" and "THUD" to build a rock-solid reading foundation.

Want a deeper dive into these techniques? I’ve put together a full "Decoding Activity Sheet" called the Word Practice Board over on The Reading Compass. Join our community of parents and educators to get the tools you need to help your child thrive!

🔗 www.tessphilip.substack.com (or check the link in my bio)

Join the conversation:
✅ Subscribe for more bite-sized literacy lessons.
👍 Like if you’re going to try the "Pause" technique today!
💬 Comment: What’s one word your little reader is currently working to blend?

Core: How to Blend Words, Segmenting for Beginners, Phonics Blending Technique, Science of Reading at Home, Decoding Strategies.
Specific: Pause Segment Blend, Reading Fluency Tips, Interactive Phonics Lesson.

Why multi-syllable words feel "tricky" (and how to fix it!) 🧩

​Ever notice your child cruising through short words like "car" or "for," but then they hit a wall with "sister" or "forget"?

​The secret is spotting the R-controlled syllable. When an "r" follows a vowel, it changes the sound entirely—and in longer words, it’s easy for kids to lose track of where one syllable ends and the next begins.

​Here is the strategy I use:
1. Underline the vowels and mark them with a V
2. Identify all the consonants inbetween.
3. Noticed the VCCV pattern and split the word VC | CV
4. ​Spot the R: Look for those bossy combinations (ar, er, ir, or, ur). Label other syllable types.
5. ​Blend it together: Read each "chunk" before putting it all together.

​Teaching reading doesn't have to be a mystery.

It’s all about giving them the right tools to "crack the code!" 🔓

​Want more literacy tips for your home or classroom? 👇

Save this post and follow for more phonics breakdowns!

Some words to practice:
Market
Garden
Party
Target
Better
Sister
Silver
Thirty
Stirrup
Forget
Corner
Turtle
Burger

​ BossyR TheReadingCompass

Welcome back! Today I’m taking you along for a realistic, busy, and slightly caffeinated day in our life.

As a mom of three with 20 years of teaching experience, I’ve learned that homeschooling isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being flexible. From "car-schooling" at music lessons to my secret turmeric coffee superpower, this is how we actually get it all done.

What’s in this video:
* Morning Rituals: Skincare, snuggles, and turmeric coffee (my anti-inflammatory secret!).
* The Bake: Homemade muffins to keep the kids fueled for learning.
* Car-Schooling: How we tackle Math and Nessy reading skills while waiting at music lessons.
* Deep Work: Essential English writing skills and History using The Story of the World.
* The Juggle: Balancing my own online classes and filming tutorials while the kids play.
* The Lifesaver: A Crockpot dinner that saved my 6:00 PM sanity.

Resources Mentioned:
* Nessy Learning (Reading/Spelling)
* The Story of the World (History)
* The Good and Beautiful Math (G1, G2, G4)

Let’s Connect:
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Homeschool day in the life, DITL homeschool, homeschooling mom of 3, realistic homeschool routine, carschooling ideas, Nessy learning, homeschooling and working, turmeric coffee recipe, homeschooling writing skills, homeschool morning routine, large family homeschooling, homeschooling 20 years experience, teacher turned homeschool mom, crockpot meals for busy moms.

Stop the "guessing game" when your child hits a big word! 🛑📖

Does your child breeze through short words but get stuck on longer ones like "cupcake" or "reptile"?

It’s time to add to the Rabbit and Candy patterns and introduce the Closed + Magic E division!

This simple 4-step process gives them a "road map" for decoding. No more guessing—just reading! 🗺️✨

Try these words at home today:

Sun | rise

In | hale

Mis | take

Pan | cake

Want to master all the syllable types?

I’ve broken them all down for you in a Substack article! It’s the ultimate cheat sheet for parents. 📝 + A bookmark reference for you and your learner.

Comment SYLLABLE and I'll send the link 🔗

Follow for more simple reading tips that actually work! 💡

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What's a new word you've learned recently??

Share it in the comments below 👇🏼👇🏼