Which statement best describes the blending process?

The blending process involves the combination of individual phonemes to form a recognizable word. This skill is fundamental in early reading development, as it allows students to take the individual sounds they hear and merge them together to articulate words. For instance, if a child hears the sounds /c/, /a/, and /t/, blending enables them to connect those sounds to say "cat."

Blending is crucial for literacy because it lays the groundwork for decoding, where students apply this skill to read unfamiliar words. By mastering blending, students develop confidence and fluency in reading, as they learn to efficiently connect sounds to form words they can understand and use in communication.