Ending Blends Pictures Worksheet

Ending blends are two consonants that sit side by side at the end of a word, and a reader has to hear both of them to spell the word correctly. A child who says ten for tent or bel for belt has heard the vowel and the first consonant but let the last sound slip away. The Ending Blends Pictures Worksheet slows that moment down: the child looks at a picture, says its name out loud, listens all the way to the end, and writes the two letters that finish it.

Six picture cards fill the top of the page. Each one shows a familiar object with the first two letters of its name already printed beside a writing line, so the child only has to supply the ending blend. A tent gives nt, a nest gives st, a lamp gives mp, a mask gives sk, a belt gives lt, and a sink gives nk – six different blends, no repeats, so no one can guess by pattern. Three sentences at the bottom of the page ask the child to put one of those words back into real reading. An answer key follows on the second page.

What’s Included

• One printable worksheet page with six picture cards and a writing line under each
• Six different ending blends: nt, st, mp, sk, lt, and nk
• Three fill-in-the-blank sentences using words from the pictures
• A full answer key on the final page
• Wide, clearly ruled writing lines sized for first grade handwriting

Three Reasons This Helps Kids

• It trains the ear before the pencil. Saying the picture name out loud is the whole first step, so the child practices hearing the final two sounds instead of copying letters.
• It removes the guessing. The printed word beginning pins each word to one answer, so a child who is unsure gets a second clue rather than a dead end.
• It moves the skill into reading. The sentences at the bottom ask the child to use a blend word in context, which is where the skill actually has to work.

Ideas for Teachers and Parents

Before handing out this 1st grade blends worksheet, say the six words aloud and have the class hold up two fingers when they hear two consonants at the end. During independent work, ask a child who is stuck to stretch the word slowly – ma – s – k – rather than telling them the letters. Afterward, keep the page as a word list: send children hunting for other words that end in the same six blends, or have them use a completed sentence as the opening line of their own short story. The Ending Blends Pictures Worksheet also works well in a small phonics group, in a literacy center, or as a quick review before a spelling assessment.

Related Resources

• Fill in the Blank Ending Blends Worksheet
• Blends SP, ST Worksheet
• Find the Phonemes Blends Worksheet
• 44 Sounds of the English Language Video Lesson