Segmenting is the skill of breaking a word apart into individual sounds. It helps young readers hear and say each sound clearly, supporting spelling and reading development.
Segmenting helps children learn how words are made. It builds phonological awareness, which is essential for spelling and reading. It also helps children write words by identifying each sound they hear.
Segmenting means hearing a word and saying each sound one at a time. Children start by listening closely, then breaking the word into beginning, middle, and ending sounds.
Say a word aloud and help your child break it into sounds. Example: “What sounds are in cat?” → “c - a - t.”
Clap once for each sound in a word. This helps children count and hear the sounds clearly. Example: “/s/ /i/ /t/” → three claps.
Say the word slowly and stretch each sound. Example: “ssss - uuuu - nnn” → “sun.”
Draw boxes for each sound and move a chip or finger into each one. Example: For “bat,” move a chip to “b,” then “a,” then “t.”
Hold up a finger for each sound. Say the word, then show three fingers: one for each part. Example: “/d/ /i/ /g/.”
Some children can say the whole word but struggle to break it into parts. Practice helps them improve over time.
Segmenting helps children become stronger readers and spellers. Practice daily with patience and excitement to build lifelong literacy skills.