When a teacher slowly pronounces sounds and then asks what words the sounds would make together, which skill is being developed?

The skill being developed in this scenario is the ability to blend phonemes. When a teacher articulates individual sounds slowly and encourages students to combine those sounds to form words, they are practicing the process of blending. This skill is crucial for reading development, as it helps students learn how to put together sounds to read and pronounce words fluently.

Blending is a fundamental aspect of phonemic awareness, which is essential for successful reading. By hearing the separate sounds and merging them into words, students enhance their decoding skills and overall reading proficiency. This practice lays the groundwork for further reading strategies, including the recognition of familiar words and subsequently improving reading comprehension.