What skill does blending phonemes orally primarily prepare students for in reading development?

Blending phonemes orally is a foundational skill that directly supports the ability to decode words, which involves combining individual sounds to form recognizable words. When students practice blending sounds in isolation, they are developing the necessary ability to connect letter-sounds as they read printed text. This decoding process is crucial for reading fluency and comprehension, as it allows students to sound out unfamiliar words and build their vocabulary.

The other options do relate to reading skills but do not directly arise from the practice of blending phonemes. Recognizing high-frequency words automatically involves familiarity with those specific words rather than blending sounds. Guessing the meaning of unfamiliar words from context relies more on contextual clues and prior knowledge than on phonemic skills. Lastly, dividing written words into onsets and rimes involves segmenting words rather than blending, highlighting a different aspect of phonemic awareness that is important but separate from the specific skill developed through oral blending. Thus, the primary skill developed through blending phonemes is indeed the ability to combine letter-sounds to decode words effectively.