Ft Blends

A worksheet to help teach words ending in 'ft', such as gift, lift, loft etc...

This worksheet presumes the child is familiar with SH and TH.

Consonant Blends are often tricky to learn, especially for children with a processing difficulty, such as dyslexia. By targeting the individual blends, children can be helped over this stage of phonic learning, so crucial for further success in reading and spelling.

What is included in the pack?

One PDF sheet for the FT final blend.

What does the worksheet involve?

Pupils are instructed to combine the two letters on the worksheet and then complete words by adding the letters 'ft'. They then read the words they have made and write them under the pictures.

They are then given six more words to make by writing 'ft' in the spaces. Once read, the child must use the words to complete the sentences, so practising reading comprehension as well as having vital practice spelling words ending in 'ft'.

Children can easily work on the sheet unaided once they have been instructed, although it is strongly suggested that an adult works with those children with special needs, for maximum benefit.

How to use

The introduction of the concept of final blends needs to be done thoroughly. When I work with children, especially those with a special need, I first like to teach children to blend two consonant letters. Then I work on developing the children's phonemic awareness: that being the ability to hear two consonant letters blended at the end of a word, easily. To help children to read final blends, I have them sound out the first three letters, and then add the fourth. to spell such words, I help them learn to hold on to the first letter of the blends, e.g. l-i-ffffff-t.

This is difficult for some pupils and takes a lot of practice. These worksheets can assist by first encouraging students to blend the two consonant letters and then by helping them to hear the blend at the end of a word. As often as you can, practice blending the letters in each final blend and encourage the students to follow suit. I find that modelling is key at this stage.

Who are the initial blends Find and colour worksheets for?

Young learners

Those with a special need

Due to their non-babyish nature, they can be successfully used with older ESL/EFL pupils.