Kindergarten · Reading · week 10

At, An, Am: Your First Printed Words

Blend printed letters to read the words at, an, and am, and explain that each is made by blending two sounds together.

Today you read with your eyes for the first time. Look at the letters a and t sitting next to each other: at. Blend the sounds just like you have all week, but now you see the letters too.

At, an, and am are each just two sounds blended together. You already know all three sounds. Now you match them to the letters on the page.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Point under each letter as you say its sound, then slide your finger across as you blend the two sounds together.
  • Write at, an, and am on separate cards if you can, so your child sees each word alone.
  • If your child already blended these sounds by ear back in week one, point that out. Reading with the eyes uses the very same skill.
  • If your child is ready for more, try adding one sound to the front of at, like s, and see what new word appears. That is the big skill for next week.
Talk about it:
  • What two letters make the word at?
  • How is reading at with your eyes like blending sounds with your ears?
  • Which of the three words, at, an, or am, felt easiest to read?

Mastery looks like: They blend the printed letters in at, an, and am into the correct word, reading with their eyes what they already knew how to blend with their ears.

Common stumbles: Saying the letter names instead of blending the sounds; guessing a word from its shape instead of actually blending it.

See it visually

Interactive, spoken-aloud tools that show this idea in motion.

Blending & SegmentingSlide sounds together to read a word — /s/ /u/ /n/ → “sun”.try →
Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Reading for this learner.
← Back to todayAll coursesYear planner