Blending lines are rows of words that students sound out with the phonics they've learned. Each line practices the new focus skill and reviews skills from earlier lessons, and you can use them with your whole class, an intervention group, or one student at a time.
I recommend reading them with your students after your phonics lesson, but before you begin your decodable text reading.
How to use blending lines
Wiley Blevins shares these tips in A Fresh Look at Phonics:
Model one or two words at the start, then let students do the work.
Have the class read the lines together the first time through. Watch for students who drop out as the words get harder.
Then point to words in random order and call on students one at a time. Give the easier lines to students who need more practice and the harder lines to students who are ready.
Keep it to five minutes or less.
Use the same lines for several days as a warm-up, and send a copy home for practice.
What goes in the lines
Mix in words that differ by just one sound, like hat, hit and hot, so students have to look at every letter. Add a line you can use to check who has the new skill, and finish with a sentence or two.
Write your own
To help you write your own, I made free editable blending lines pages. You type your words into a planning sheet that reminds you what each line is for, and they fill into the student page on their own. The page prints without the planning boxes, so it's ready to hand out.
