Discuss vowel sounds with your 3-year-old. Explain to your child that some vowel sounds are short and some are long. Review examples of different vowel sounds with your child. For example, discuss the different pronunciation of "a" in the words "ham" or "cake."
Practice pronouncing blended sounds with your child. When two or three consonant letters appear together, this is referred to as a "blended" word. Examples of blended letter sounds include "str" or "br." Look at your child's favorite storybook together and try to pick out the blended sounds. Practice pronouncing the words slowly, as sometimes this is a difficult concept for children to understand and put into practice.
Use letter flash cards to practice phonetic spelling. Write letters of the alphabet on a series of small cards. Arrange the letters into short words. For example, form the word "rat." Allow your child to switch out different letters of the word to form new words. Your child could switch out the letters from "rat" to make "rag" or "rot" or "mat." Help your child say these new words out loud.