Steps 1-5 Program
Practice Pages
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Step 2 focuses on words with short vowels and consonant blends. Blends are when two consonant letters come together, but the sound spelling for each letter can still be heard. Step 2 introduces and practices beginning blends, ending blends and double letter blends.
Step 3 focuses on medial short vowel sounds in words with consonant digraphs (ch, sh, th, -tch, ng*, nk*). Consonant digraphs are consonant combinations that change the original sound of the letters to form a new sound. Step 3 also includes a section that focuses on reading multisyllabic words with short vowel sounds.
NOTE: Many programs utilize “kn” and “wh” as consonant digraphs, but Express Readers teaches them under the category of silent letters, as the “k” in “kn” is not heard and the “h” in “wh” is not heard in some dialects. These combinations are a reading focus in Step 6.
