Children who can blend sounds together are easily able to apply the skill to reading. This skill will pay off when your child begins sounding out words. When beginner readers sound out words, they slowly say each sound within the words such as c-a-t. Then they repeat the sounds faster to read the word. This is called blending. Developing this skill doesn't have to wait until the child is reading full words and sentences, they can practice them now with this activity so sounding out words will be much easier.