BL and BR Blends Worksheets & Activities (Free!)
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These 5 free PDF worksheets reinforce a strong understanding of the sounds that consonant blends BR and BL make. The activities provide repeated practice reading and writing words with blends, sorting pictures according to beginning blends, and reading decodable sentences with initial BR and BL blends.
Teaching Initial Consonant Blends
Initial consonant blends (or beginning blends) are two or more consonants next to one another with no vowels between. In consonant blends, you will hear EACH sound, blended quickly together.
Blends are usually taught together based on similar features:
- L blends organized by second consonant: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl.
- R blends organized by second consonant: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr.
- S blends organized by first consonant: sc, sk, sl, st, sp, sm, sn, sw.
- Other: tw.
Blends can be tricky, and many kids will need additional support differentiating between blends that have the same first consonant.
That’s why we’re focusing on BL and BR in this post. The activities included should be used with students who have already been taught L blends & R blends.
Get a lot more SOR-aligned resources with our Consonant Blends Resource on TPT.
BL Blends
Some examples of initial consonant BL blends include:
- bloom
- bleed
- blue
- blow
- blue
- blimp
- blush
- black
- blurb
BR Blends
Blends with R need explicit instruction in the sounds that are created. Be sure your students are not saying /Buh-er/ or /ber/. We don’t say the word “brat” as “Ber-at.”
Show them the mouth and tongue placement when saying the blend. Notice that only the lips should move when making the /br/ sound, not their tongue.
Have them carefully listen and repeat, making the same sound with the same mouth and tongue placement.
Some examples of initial consonant BR blends include:
- broom
- bread
- break
- brain
- bring
- broke
- Brad
- bridge
- bride
Using the Worksheets
Included are five free easy to download pdf worksheets with colorful pictures. They each focus on various skills, so students can practice as they sort words, read sentences, and fill in the blank.
Kids will practice consonant BL and BR blends:
- In isolation
- By building words with these blends
- By reading words with blends
- Sorting pictures according to initial blends
- Reading decodable sentences with blends
Tips & Info
Begin teaching initial blends as soon as kids have a strong grasp on closed-syllable CVC words and words with digraphs.
Age Group: These worksheets are great for 1st and second-grade students learning consonant blends.
Free Related Resources
- B, S, and L Blends Worksheets
- Consonant Blends Anchor Chart
- CVC Word Flashcards
- SH Worksheets for Digraphs Learning
- Spelling Practice Worksheets (for words with consonant blends)
Download & Print
We’d love to hear about your experience with these worksheets!
Please leave a comment below or tag us on Instagram @literacylearn.
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Thank you for these worksheets
Hi Jasmine,
You’re welcome! So glad you’re finding them helpful.
Katie and Laura
Thanks so much!
Hi Tracy, it’s our pleasure! 🙂 -Kate & Laura
nice work. it will be very useful
Hi Faith, We’re so glad to hear that! 🙂