Pinyin Reading Practice for Kids 2: Blend, Read and Check (Ages 6–8)

By the end you can

• Blend a sound and a vowel into one syllable. Blending boxes show it step by step: say the first sound short and quick, then slide straight into the vowel, in one beat with no "uh" in the middle.
  爸爸 · bàba · dad
• Hear the difference between sounds that are close. Each Read page plays three sounds and asks your child to circle the one they hear, such as bā or pā, dà or tà, and rè or lè. For t, hold a hand in front of the mouth and feel the puff of air.
  兔子 · tùzi · rabbit
• Read the curly tongue and teeth sounds. Units 5 and 6 cover zh, ch, sh and r, and z, c and s, including the c that sounds like the ts at the end of "cats".
  吃饭 · chī fàn · eat a meal
• Find the hidden ü. After j, q, x and y, a plain-looking u is really ü with its dots taken off, as in ju, qu, xu and yún. After n and l the dots stay, because lù and lǜ are different words.
  去 · qù · go
• Glide through two vowels and hear n against ng. Read ai, ei, ao and ou as one sliding sound, then tell an from ang and en from eng: tongue on the top teeth for n, a hum at the back for ng.
  晚安 · wǎn'ān · good night
• Put the tone mark on the right letter. The mark sits on a if there is one, otherwise on o or e, and on the second letter in iu and ui. Your child writes hao, liu and shui with their marks.
  水 · shuǐ · water
• Read two-beat words. Read a long word one beat at a time, clapping once for each, then say the beats together quickly.
  熊猫 · xióngmāo · panda
• Read 20 words and a short story in pinyin. Bao's Pinyin Quiz brings back 20 words from the twelve units and a four-line story to read and act out, with all the answers at the back.

What’s inside

• Unit 1: Blend: Lip Sounds Meet Vowels · Read: Read, Circle and Check: b p m f
• Unit 2: Blend: Tongue Tip Sounds · Read: Read, Circle and Check: d t n l
• Unit 3: Blend: Back of the Mouth Blends · Read: Read, Circle and Check: g k h
• Unit 4: Blend: j q x and the Hidden ü · Read: Read, Circle and Check: j q x
• Unit 5: Blend: Curly Tongue Sounds · Read: Read, Circle and Check: zh ch sh r
• Unit 6: Blend: Teeth Sounds z c s · Read: Read, Circle and Check: z c s
• Unit 7: Blend: Single Vowels and ü · Read: Read, Circle and Check: Vowels
• Unit 8: Blend: Two Vowels Glide · Read: Read and Check: ai ei ao ou
• Unit 9: Blend: Front n and Back ng · Read: Read, Circle and Check: n and ng
• Unit 10: Blend: in, ing, un and ün · Read: Read, Circle and Check: in ing un
• Unit 11: Blend: Where the Tone Mark Sits · Read: Read, Circle and Check: Tones
• Unit 12: Blend: Two-Beat Words · Read: Read, Circle and Check: Words
• Pinyin quiz: Bao's Pinyin Quiz

How to use this book

One page a day, about 10 minutes: 2 minutes with the free audio, 5 minutes blending out loud with the boxes, 3 minutes on the activity. Each unit is a Blend page then a Read page, so the book takes about five weeks.

1. Week 1: Units 1 to 3. b p m f, d t n l, and g k h. Play a line, pause, and let your child say it back before you move on.
2. Week 2: Units 4 to 6. j q x and the hidden ü, then the curly tongue sounds and z c s. Play spot-the-dots with every ju, qu and xu you see.
3. Week 3: Units 7 to 9. Single vowels and ü, two-vowel glides, and n against ng. Say 晚安 at bedtime as the Unit 9 task.
4. Week 4: Units 10 to 12. in, ing and un, tone marks, and two-beat words. Clap the beats of every long word.
5. Week 5: Bao's Pinyin Quiz. Read the 20 words, read the story, then act it out together. Let your child tick their own answers with the key at the back.

Who it’s for

Children aged 6 to 8 who know the pinyin sounds and are ready to blend them into words, with a parent at home or a teacher in class. It follows Pinyin & Tones Fun for Kids.

Before you start: The pinyin letters and the four tones, as in Pinyin & Tones Fun for Kids. Grown-ups don't need to speak Chinese: every blend is on the free audio and the answers are at the back.

Frequently asked questions

Should I correct every tone?

No. Tones wobble at this age, so the book suggests saying the word again happily instead of correcting each one. Praise what you hear, such as a smooth slide from b into à.

Is there audio for every blend?

Yes, free on this book's page on saymei.app, and the QR code in the book opens it. Play a line, pause, and let your child say it back. The Read pages' listening tasks are on the audio too.

Does my child need to read characters?

No. The book teaches reading pinyin, with a picture clue for each word, and every task can be done from the pinyin and the pictures.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 33-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class or my children?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

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