A student pronounces the word "flat" as "fat". Which area of instruction will most likely help the student?

The pronunciation issue that the student is experiencing, where "flat" is pronounced as "fat," suggests difficulty with the distinction between vowel sounds, specifically the short "a" in "flat." Instruction in consonant blends, while important, focuses primarily on the combination of consonants at the beginning or end of syllables, rather than addressing the vowel sound confusion presented in this scenario.

To support the student in accurately pronouncing words with similar vowel sounds, it would be more effective to provide targeted instruction on vowel sounds and how they differ. This may include activities that reinforce the articulation of the short vowels, helping the student understand how to produce the correct sounds in various contexts.

Consonant digraphs and graphemes relate more to groups of letters and their corresponding sounds rather than directly addressing the issue of vowel pronunciation. Diphthongs also involve specific vowel combinations but do not directly resolve the confusion related to the single vowel sound in the word "flat." Thus, a focus on consonant blends would not specifically target the area of need in this case.