What skill is usually taught in the early stages of phonics instruction?

Blending CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words is a foundational skill taught in the early stages of phonics instruction because it helps young learners connect the sounds they hear with their corresponding letters. This skill is critical as it lays the groundwork for reading progression by enabling children to combine individual letter sounds into cohesive words. For example, when a child learns to blend the sounds /c/, /a/, and /t/, they can read the word "cat."

Developing the ability to blend sounds is essential for decoding words, which is a key component of reading fluency. By mastering this skill, students gain the confidence to tackle more complex words and texts in their literacy journey. In contrast, skills such as decoding complex texts, identifying themes in literature, and writing essays require a higher level of reading comprehension and writing ability that typically come after basic phonetic skills are established. Thus, focusing on blending CVC words is a vital step in early phonics instruction.