Word families are the easiest way to build blending proficiency.

Word families are the easiest method for developing blending proficiency. Not only are word families ideal for beginning readers and special-needs students, they can be utilized to help all students extend spelling skills.

Students first decode the base using short and long vowel spelling patterns. Then they blend each initial sound to the base to read the word formed. Rhyming facilitates the blending process. Consonants, blends, and digraphs are added to the 91 bases to form 651 words.

Word families are primarily a reading activity, rather than seatwork. The other two blending products that Reading Manipulatives offers have student sets that can be done independently.