Which instruction method involves blending letter sounds so students can decode words?

The instruction method that blends letter sounds to assist students in decoding words is blending. This technique is fundamental to phonics instruction, as it enables students to combine individual sounds (phonemes) into a cohesive word. For example, when a teacher prompts students to say the sounds /c/, /a/, and /t/ separately, and then encourages them to blend those sounds together, the students learn to pronounce the word "cat." This skill is essential for reading development because it helps students approach unfamiliar words systematically, enhancing their overall reading fluency and comprehension.

Other methods mentioned serve different purposes in literacy development. Phonemic segmentation focuses on breaking down words into their constituent sounds, while sound isolation involves identifying specific sounds within words. Vocabulary building aims to expand students’ language by introducing new words but does not specifically target the decoding process through sound blending. Thus, blending is the most accurate term for the described instruction method.