phonics homework for kindergarten

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Phonics Worksheets

Free phonics worksheets.

Phonics is a method of teaching kids to learn to read by helping them to match the sounds of letters, and groups of letters, to distinguish words. These free worksheets help your kids learn to define sounds from letters to make words . 

Beginning sounds

Recognize the sounds and letters at the beginning of words.

Beginning and ending consonants and consonant blends.

Vowel worksheets

Vowels and the sounds they make.

Write letters and words by "sounding out" simple words.

Rhyming worksheets

Rhyming exercises.

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• Kindergarten Phonics Worksheets

Building Phonemic Awareness: Interactive Worksheets for Young Learners

Discover engaging phonics worksheets for kindergarteners that focus on various essential phonics skills. From rhyming words and identifying long and short vowel sounds to CVC words and silent 'e' patterns, these interactive worksheets are carefully crafted to strengthen phonemic awareness and boost reading proficiency in young learners. Whether circling rhyming words, coloring vowel sounds, tracing CVC words, or identifying beginning sounds, these comprehensive worksheets provide valuable tools for enhancing spelling skills and reinforcing phonics understanding. Perfect for teachers and parents seeking fun and educational resources to support kindergarten phonics learning.

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Free Phonics Worksheets

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Our phonics worksheets are designed to be convenient for educators and families. We offer three options to access our free worksheets. You can download the PDF file, print it from your browser, or use the online version of our kindergarten worksheets. These options allow you to save, print, or complete our worksheets directly on our website. By providing these flexible options, we aim to make learning phonics accessible, convenient, and engaging for teachers, parents, and kids.

Free Kindergarten Worksheets

• Phonics Worksheet
• CVC Words Worksheet
• Long and Short Vowel Sounds Worksheet
• Bossy E Worksheet
• Beginning Sounds Worksheet
• Short Vowel Sounds Worksheet
• Kindergarten English Worksheets
• Kindergarten Alphabet Worksheets
• Kindergarten Reading Worksheets
• Kindergarten Writing Worksheets
• Kindergarten Vocabulary Worksheets
• Kindergarten Sight Words Worksheets
• Kindergarten Opposite Worksheets
• Kindergarten Grammar Worksheets
• Kindergarten Spelling Worksheets
• Kindergarten Rhyming Words Worksheets

Main Categories of Kindergarten Worksheets

• Kindergarten Math Worksheets
• Learning About Our World
• Kindergarten Holiday Worksheets
• Kindergarten Seasons Worksheets

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• Kindergarten Sight Words
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• Kindergarten Worksheets

Phonics Worksheets

When your kindergarten child begins to show readiness to read, then phonics is a great place to start. You might have already decided to begin solely with phonics, or you might be starting with a blend of phonics and sight words . Either way, we've got a ton of free reading worksheets, games, printables and activities you can use to teach your child to read.

If you're looking for a comprehensive reading program check out our 36-Week Kindergarten Reading Program . This reading curriculum provides you with everything you need to teach your child to read.  Structured over a 4-day/week program you’ll cover phonics, digraphs, blends, sight words, grammar, and writing. Hands-on activities keep your child engaged and learning with little to no-prep required. 

R.E.A.D. Curriculum Notebook

• 4 Days a Week over 36 Weeks
• One Word Family per week
• 2-3 Sight Words per week
• Beginning Blends cycle every fifth week
• 60-page Interactive Grammar Notebook
• Weekly Writing Prompts
• Science Sequencing & Drawing Activities
• Daily Warm-Up Activities

Free Kindergarten Phonics Worksheets

Our free phonics worksheets for kindergarten are organized by word family. These specific word families have been chosen to help your kindergarten students sound out the short vowel sounds, as well as identify common pairings they are likely to see during their kindergarten year. For each collection, you'll find read and color activity sheets, cut & paste making words, handwriting worksheets, phonics early readers and more!

Click for Individual Sets:

If you are ready to move to long vowel sounds be sure to check out our First Grade Phonics Worksheets on our sister site.

Free Phonics Printables

Here is a peek at the types of Free Phonics Printables we've made available to you! These are available for all of the listed word families above, simply click each picture to get started!

Phonics Charts & Build a Word

Introduce your students to the new word family by providing this simple easy read chart that can double as a coloring page. Each sheet features the word family written across the top, and a variety of pictures and words that rhyme below. Students can practice reading the rhyming words, and you can hang the chart near your student's workstation. We've also created some fun, hands-on, "Build a Word" activity sheets that will have your students spelling each set of word family words. We've provided printable letter tiles or you can use this set with your own plastic letters.

Phonics Handwriting Worksheets & Flashcards

Students can work on their handwriting with these free printable phonics handwriting worksheets. Each worksheet features a single word family and multiple opportunities to write and spell the words. Additionally, for extra reading practice, we've created these free phonics flashcards that can be used for phonics games or review activities.

Free Phonics Early Readers

To finish out their learning, students can put their new reading skills to the test with these free printables phonics minibooks. Each minibook reader prints on a single sheet of paper and with some creative folding, turns into a hand-held booklet that is just right for your kindergarten students. Each page the minibook features a picture prompt as well as a word for students to practice reading on their own.

Looking for more? Check out our complete Kindergarten Reading Program!

Kindergarten Reading Curriculum:

Ready, Eager, Able and Determined to READ!  This 36-week curriculum provides you with everything you need to teach your child to read.  Structured over a 4-day/week program you’ll cover phonics, digraphs, blends, sight words, grammar, and writing. Hands-on activities keep your child engaged and learning with little to no-prep required. 

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Free Phonics Worksheets for Kindergarten

If your kid is ready to start reading and writing then check these free phonics worksheets.

These worksheets will help your kids in reading and writing.

Kindergarten Phonics Worksheets

In this free five page worksheet, I’ve created these worksheets around various activities such as CVC, vowels, building words, beginning sounds, and syllables.

But if you are looking for a complete bundle you can check my 200+ pages kindergarten bundle .

These worksheets are designed for kindergarten students and when kids start to read phonics is a good way to start.

My free phonics worksheets for kindergarten will give them a good start in this regard.

Following are the preview of the worksheets included.

Color the Vowel Worksheet

This is a worksheet around vowels, here kids will see the pictures, and then they have to identify and color the vowel in the word.

This activity will give them good practice on vowels but if you want more vowel worksheets you can check my free missing vowel worksheets .

Free Mix and Fix Worksheet

In this mix and fix worksheet, kids will have to cut the letters and unscramble them to form the word according to the image.

This will give kids some spelling practice.

If you want to give more scramble word practice to your kids, use our free word scramble worksheet generator to create scramble word worksheets from your custom words.

Build a CVC Word Worksheet

This is a CVC worksheet, here kids will learn words of different CVC word families.

Kids will have to cut and paste the CVC words in the correct box to build the word.

Coloring Beginning Sound Worksheet

In this beginning sounds worksheet, kids will have to color the beginning sound of each image.

If you want more beginning sound worksheets feel free to check my beginning sounds worksheet .

Free Syllable Counting Worksheet

This worksheet is around syllables, hopefully, this will give your kids good practice in learning syllables.

Here kids will have to say the name of each picture and count the syllables then color the correct number.

I hope these various phonic activities will be a good starting point for your kids in learning phonic words.

You can download the pdf from the link below.

Note: These free printable worksheets are for personal or classroom use only. Altering or redistribution is not allowed in any way.

Other kindergarten worksheets

• Free kindergarten worksheets
• Math worksheets for kindergarten
• Addition worksheets for kindergarten
• Subtraction worksheets for kindergarten
• Counting worksheets for kindergarten
• Shapes worksheets for kindergarten
• Alphabet tracing worksheets
• Kindergarten writing worksheets
• Kindergarten reading comprehension worksheets
• Matching upper and lowercase letters worksheets
• Months of the year worksheets
• Days of the week worksheets
• Hundreds chart for kindergarten
• Addition chart for kindergarten
• Subtraction chart for kindergarten

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• Kindergarten

Kindergarten Reading Skills | Phonics

Connection to reading.

To become skilled readers, children must have a strong base in phonics, or an understanding of the sounds of printed letters and words. Children will use phonics when learning how to blend sounds together to read words.

Because several areas of the brain must work together to “decode” or sound out words, children must practice this skill repeatedly. Your child will also use phonics to spell words when they write.

In Kindergarten your child will start by being able to read CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant words) such as  t-a-p. Your child will begin trying to sound out each letter sound to blend into a word. They will begin to spell words.

Help Your Child Sound Out a Tough Word

Show your child how to read short words, do i know the letter sounds teaching letter knowledge to your child, when your child is stuck: should i tell them the word, what is phonics why is it important for my child to read, why talking about the letters we see all around us prepares our child to read.

HOME ACTIVITIES

Keep it simple.

If your child is starting to read and still seems unsure, review the alphabet and letter sounds. Next, look at short CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words (top, cat, fog and so on) and have your child break them apart into their individual sounds. Then blend these sounds back together (/t/ /o/ /p/; top).

A little practice can lead to great improvement

Talk or play games about letter sounds for a few minutes each day. While driving, give your child a 2 letter word or 3 letter word to spell (like it, in, rip, top, and ). Keep the activities fun and light so kids can enjoy a quick challenge and get a boost of confidence from practicing one skill a day.

We Love Reading!

Remember, we want children to develop a love of reading, so focus on reading the books they enjoy over and over again. We don’t want to ever frustrate children with the “mechanics,” such as drilling letter sounds to the point of tears. The goal of reading is to understand the story; phonics will help kids sound out words quickly to comprehend what they read.

Be a Word Detective

What sound does each letter make in this word on the cereal box? Research suggests that seeing print, saying the sounds, and hearing the sounds while pointing at the letter with a parent or teacher has the greatest impact on learning “phonemic awareness” or sounds.

Look Around!

Start by making sure your child knows every upper and lower case letter in the alphabet. Write down for yourself which letters they know and don’t know so you can keep track. Find the letters in natural settings, like on a poster at the movie theatre. Ask if your child can say the letter name and letter sound they see. “What is the name of this movie? What letter does it start with? The letter m, you’re right! I’m going to try to read the word: Mmmmmminions. Did you hear the mmmm sound?” Help them if they don’t know the answer. Children are naturally curious about the print they see all around them, so use it as a meaningful “teachable moment”.

Remind your child often that we’re learning letter sounds so that we can read everything around us. “It’s like learning to ride a bike–in the beginning Mom might have needed to remind you to push the pedals with your feet and balance on the seat, but now you can ride down the street by yourself. We practice so you can read on your own!”

Stick Writing

Using a stick from outside, trace letters in dirt or sand. Tell your child easy two-letter words and see if they can sound them out, such as “it”, “no”, “at”

Write a Word Family

Using a red crayon write a short word like “can”. Then ask your child to think of 2 more words that rhyme with “can” and write them under “can” using a different color crayon.

The H Brothers

Explain to your child that sometimes two letters will stand together to create one new sound. The “h brothers” join with other letters to make the sounds:   sh, ch, th, wh and ph .

Th is can be confusing for kids, so make sure to write an example word and use gestures to help them remember the new letter combination.

ch : touch your chin making the “ch” sound

sh: Make the “shushing” sound while holding your finger to your mouth

wh : bite into some white or wheat bread

ph : Pretend to talk on your invisible phone

Pick a Letter!

Practicing phonics can feel tedious, so it’s important to find ways to make it fun, simple and quick. Next time you have a scrap of paper write three letters on it, for example b, s, and t. Have your child say each letter and its sound. Then ask, “What’s the first letter you hear in ‘table’?” Give them one point for each word they get right, and tell them to try to earn five points.

Letter Scramble

Draw three boxes side by side on a piece of paper. Using magnetic letters or letters written on small strips of paper, scramble the letters of a three-letter word (use a CVC word, consonant-vowel-consonant: wig, sat, cup, run ) under the boxes. Have your child unscramble the letters and place them into the correct box.

Listen to Your Child Read Daily

In the beginning it will be hard work for your child to “decode” or sound out the words they see in books for Kindergartners. Have them use their favorite stuffed animal, finger puppet or action figure to help them sound out a tough word. The toy can either listen or they can pretend that the toy is reading.

Reread books over and over

Your child might want to read the same story every night. Try to stay excited about reading by being enthusiastic. Remember to point to words as you read and enunciate the different sounds in words. “The pirate ssshhhhip is setting sail!” Remind your kids that your voice should sound natural, like you’re talking to a friend when you read.

Rock N’ Learn Free Phonics Worksheets

Use phonics games to help build kids’  “decoding” or sounding out skills. This will make your child a stronger and faster reader.

Starfall Phonics Activities

ABCYa.com Kindergarten Word Games

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The brand new online platform offering free phonics resources, activities and games for parents, educators and children!

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Teach and learn how to read for Free with our phonics reading program!

• 9 soundcards for each phoneme, with images and audio
• 133 practice worksheets to download and print (300+ pages)
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Get Started With Free Phonics Alphabet Lessons

Alphabet lessons contain, phonemic awareness.

Phonics is a fundamental part of learning to read the English language. It is the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and their spellings (graphemes).

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Fun with phonics

Phonics.com is a FREE online reading program that teaches phonics for children in kindergarten and up. Learning with Phonics.com is a colorful combination of words, sounds, images, practice and play. Each lesson focuses on a different group of consonant and vowel phonemes, with sound cards to show the relationship between letters and pictures.

Free phonics resources

Free worksheets and online activities help kids review their skills before moving on to the next lesson. These free resources are also perfect for teachers to use in the classroom or as part of their lesson plans.

Common Core

The Phonics.com program has been developed to align with the Common Core K-5 Reading Standards Foundational Skills:

• Print Concepts
• Phonological Awareness
• Phonics & Word Recognition

The first release of Free resources, the Phonics Alphabet, covers the 42 phonemes that make up the English language. These are essential for reading fluency and are taught in the Common Core order.

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Phonics Lessons for Kindergarten

posted on August 1, 2022

Phonics lessons for kindergarten should give kids a strong decoding foundation. Decoding skills allow kids to sound out words. When a child can read words sound-by-sound, he can read a broad range of English text.

Most English words are phonetic to some degree. Even words like “preamble” are phonetically regular because “pre” and “ble” have consistent pronunciations. Also, “bear,” often cited for its irregular spelling, still has phonetic components: the /b/ and /r/ are regular. In fact, only a small percentage of English words are irregular.

“Surprisingly, approximately only four percent of all English words in print defy explanation and are truly irregular” (Louisa Moats, Carol Tolman, from Reading Rockets ).

Thus, if you teach a child to decode, you give him the tools to read nearly any word. In phonics lessons for kindergarten, work on giving your student a strong decoding foundation so he becomes a confident reader.

Phonics lessons for kindergarten

For a printable pdf sample phonics lesson for kindergarten see:

Lesson for Kindergarten PDF

Beginning phonics lessons include the following activities:

Letter sound knowledge, explicitly introduce new phonics sound, phonics flashcards, teaching kids that sight words require a sound tweak, phonemic awareness activities, letter switch out activity, decontextualized word lists.

Some phonics curricular include more activities, but the above are important for reading success.

For more details on each activity, see below.

Our printable phonics books help kids learn to read with a gradual, step-by-step approach.

For a printable pdf sample phonics lesson for kindergarten see: Lesson for Kindergarten PDF

Kids should master letter sounds in kindergarten. Introduce 2-4 letter sounds at a time. Do NOT teach letter names. Contrary to popular belief, letter names do not facilitate reading. Only letter sounds crack the code. For example, letter names “dee-oh-jee” do not equate to dog. However, letter sounds “d-oooo-g” do sound out dog. Letter sounds crack the code. Letter names DO NOT.  

Continuous versus stop sounds

Make sure your student holds continuous sounds and clips stop sounds. Continuous sounds are sounds you can hold for a long time without adding an “uh.” For example, continuous sounds include: a, e, f, I, l, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, z. You can hold these sounds for a few seconds without adding any additional sounds. Continuous sounds are important. They help beginning readers blend sounds. For example, kids may have an easier time sounding out “Ssss-aaaa-mmmm” than “dig,” because “Sam” is composed of continuous sounds.

In contrast, stop sounds need to be clipped so your student does not add an “uh.” Make sure you and your student say stop sounds quickly. Clip off that “uh” you’re tempted to add. Some stop sounds include: b, c, d, g, j, k, p, q, t, y. If you add an “uh” to stop sounds, the extra “uh” will make decoding difficult for your beginner. She’ll say “duh-iii-guh” for dig. Thus, she may read “dug” for “dig.” Make sure your student clips stop sounds in every activity.

Teach one phonics sound per letter

Teach one sound per letter. For example, teach “c” says /c/ as in cat. Do not say that c can say /s/ and is sometimes silent and… etc. In the beginning, teach only one sound per letter.

Kids need to rote memorize letter sounds. You can use mnemonics to help your student. For example, you can teach that m says “mmmm” as in monkey or c says “c” as in cat.  

Include letter tracing activities in your letter sound lessons. Kids need to learn that “d” and “b” are different. They need to differentiate “m” and “w.” Letter tracing activities can help kids learn the subtle differences between letter shapes.

If your student is ready, introduce a new phonics sound. Maybe your student needs to learn short e. Write a short e sentence on the board like:

The hen set an egg in the nest.

Tell your student that “e” says /e/ as in hen, set, egg and nest. Turn your new sound “e” into a phonics flashcard.

Kids need to rote memorize phonics sounds. They need to know that “ai” says /ai/ as in sail. They need to know “e_” says /e/ as in hen. Make a flashcard for each kindergarten phonics sound. Have your student say each phonics every lesson. Mix up the cards so your student does not memorize their order. Here are the phonics sounds list for kindergarten:

Letter Sounds

b as in bat

c as in cat

d as in dog

f as in frog

g as in goat

h as in hat

j as in jaguar

k as in kangaroo

l as in lion

m as in monkey

n as in nest

p as in panda

q as in queen

r as in rhinoceros

s as in snow

t as in turtle

v as in violin

w as in wing

x as in fox

y as in yak

z as in zebra

Short Vowels

Reading elephant sets 1-5 help kids practice short vowel sounds..

a_ as in apple (ex. hat, sat)

e_ as in elephant (ex. hen, pet)

i_ as in igloo (ex. sit, pig)

o_ as in octopus (ex. dog, pop)

u_ as in up (ex. cup, bug)

Consonant Digraphs

Reading elephant set 6 allows kids to practice consonant digraphs..

sh as in ship

th as in math

th as in then

ch as in chop

_tch as in match

_ck as in back

_ng as in long

_ing as in king

_ang as in sang

wh_ as in when

_ink as in pink

_ank as in tank

qu as in quick

Consonant blends

Reading elephant set 7 allows kids to practice consonant blends..

Consonant blends are 2 or 3 letter sounds in a row. For example, the “fl” in “flop” is a consonant blend. The “br” in “brick” is a consonant blend. Don’t teach kids to memorize consonant blends: they are decodable. Kids should read consonant blends sound-by-sound. If you teach consonant blends as phonics flashcards it may not harm their learning process, but it’s not necessary; in fact, unnecessary consonant blends flashcards will just give your student more to memorize. Instead, focus only on teaching them tr as in truck and dr as in drop. “Tr” and “dr” require a sound change. Otherwise, consonant blends do not require memorization.

Reading Elephant Set 8 allows kids to practice silent e.

a_e as in make

e_e as in Pete

i_e as in kite

o_e as in hope

u_e as in use

u_e as in duke

Sight words break the phonetic code in some way. Kids need to memorize how to spell sight words, because they can’t sound them out. Words like “their” and “could” are sight words.

Words like “play” and “happy” are often found on sight word lists. However, these words are totally phonetic. Kids should not memorize phonetic words: they should decode them.

Some more sample sight words include “would” “the” and “they.” These are words that have something irregular about them. For example, the “oul” in “would” is irregular, the “e” in “the” is irregular and the “ey” in “they” is irregular.

Since kindergartners need to learn to spell sight words, you should include sight word flashcards in your lessons. Cover them up with your hand. Have your student try to spell them from memory. Then reveal the word to help your student make any corrections.

Phonemic awareness (PA) activities are especially important for kindergartners. Letter sound knowledge and phonemic awareness abilities are the greatest predictors of reading success. Thus, do not leave PA activities out of your phonics lessons for kindergarten.

Phonemic awareness is the ability to segment, blend and manipulate sounds. For example, a phonemically aware person can segment “grass” into 4 sounds: “g-rrr-aaa-ssss.” In addition, a phonemically aware person can identify that although “shrill” has 6 letters, it only has 4 sounds: “sh-rrr-iii-lll.” Children need to be taught PA. It is not an innate skill. We all develop phonemic awareness as we become literate.

Teachers should explicitly teach phonemic awareness.

How do you teach PA? Teachers can use sound games to teach kids to separate and blend sounds. For example, you can ask your student to say the sounds in “hat” in order. Their response should be “h-aaaa-t.” Notice that your student should clip the stop sounds “h” and “t” and hold the continuous sound “aaaa.” In addition, you can ask your student to blend sounds. For example, you can ask your student to blend the sounds in “b-aaaa-t” to which they should respond “bat!”

The letter switch out activity can help kids see that changing one letter changes the entire meaning of the word. kids can read words like: mat, sat, sap, tap, tip, top. This word list helps kids understand the importance of sounding out words. With just one letter change, the whole word changes.

Decontextualized word lists are an important part of phonics lessons for kindergarten. What is a decontextualized word list? It’s just a list of 6-20 words for the child to read sound-by-sound. The list should be at the child’s level. In the beginning, the student will read a list of 6 words like: 1. sat 2. ham 3. lap 4. gap 5. Dan 6. yak

Later, as the kindergartner learns more phonics sounds, she can read a longer list like:

Decontextualized word lists are a very important part of phonics lessons for kindergarten. They help kindergarteners practice new phonics sounds. They also help students review old phonics sounds so they don’t forget them. In addition, decontextualized word lists take all the reading crutches away that instill bad habits, including looking at pictures, guessing based on context, and using repetitive language to guess. Thus, decontextualized word lists build a solid decoding foundation.

Phonics lessons for kindergarten should include spelling. Have your student spell about 5 phonetic words, 2 sight words and a sentence. Make sure your student doesn’t memorize how to spell the phonetic words. She should write sound-by-sound. Here’s a good sample spelling list for kindergarten: 1. Mat 2. Hen 3. Bag 4. Him 5. Cup. 5. They 6. The 7. They ran to the red mat. ReadingElephant.com offers 120+ step-by-step printable learn to read books.

Enter our shop at ReadingElephant.com for our 120+ printable decodable books .

Sample phonics lessons for kindergarten

Introduce a new phonics sound if your student is ready. For example, if your student needs to learn short e, write a short e sentence down like: The hen set an egg in the nest . Say “e” says “eeeee” as in heeeen hen.” Make an “e” phonics flashcard to review daily.

Review all phonics sounds your student is working on, including the new phonics sound. If your student is strong in certain kindergarten phonics sounds, take them out of the pile. However, never take short vowels a, e, i, o , u out of the pile. Here’s a sample phonics flashcard list for kindergarten:

a, b, m, i, o, n, s, u, f, I, e, x, y, z.

Create the following flashcards. Ask the student to sound them out and make a sound tweak. Then, cover the word and have your student spell the sight word out loud (no writing).

are, said, you, have, there, again, some

Tell me the first sound in: cat, hen, jump, yell, rut, pup, dent, limp, pen, tip

I say the word. You say the sounds slowly and in order: nip, wed, Rob, log, tub, hut, yet

Read the following words sound-by-sound: mat, sat, sap, tap, tip, top

Read the following 20 words sound-by-sound. Then, blend the sounds to say the word.

1. job  2. fell  3. gap  4. Ben  5. bin  6. sum  7. nab  8. vet  9. cub  10. bid  11. set  12. tad  13. puff  14. mat  15. nod  16. loss  17. kiss  18. kid  19. off  20. ten

Spell the following words sound-by-sound. “The” “into” and “some” are sight words: spell the sight words from memory.

1. buzz 2. rug  3. fed  4. map  5. hop  6. could 7. The dog ran into some mud.

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Phonics Books With a Proven Approach

Reading Elephant phonics books are based on proven approaches and sound research. Furthermore, their sequential, progressive nature eases kids from easy to more challenging reading territory. Kids can have fun with phonics by starting simple and moving methodically toward complex. The gradual progression of the stories allows students to gain confidence. In addition, they build fluency and become more precise readers.

Reading Elephant printable books are easy to use. Simply move through the sets and watch your student master each new phonics sound. In each set, there are numerous stories that allow kids to gain fluency.

Each printable book includes the set number and focus sound, allowing the teacher to easily navigate the product.

Our books are appropriate for kindergarten through second grade, but preschoolers can also learn from the simpler ones. The phonics stories are meant to engage and entertain, all while establishing fundamental building blocks for a bright reading future.

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Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Phonics Worksheets | Phonetics

Phonics teaches a student to read by using the sounds of the letters in a word. These free phonics worksheets explore the different ways that letters may sound. To view the worksheet activity or to download the PDF, click on the individual title. All activities are free to duplicate for home or classroom use. Don't forget to check out all of our vocabulary worksheets !

Consonant Blends

Here you’ll find a collection of consonant blend worksheets for use at home or in the classroom. The activities can be used in Kindergarten or 1st grade or for remedial work in other grades.

Consonant Digraphs

Consonant worksheets.

Vowel Worksheets

Word Ladder Worksheets

Help your students learn about word relationships with word ladder activities! Your students will explore word families, phonics and rhyming words.

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A Yearlong Guide to Teaching Phonics in Kindergarten

• February 9, 2019

Teaching phonics in Kindergarten is unique because our students grow and change so much during the school year!

As a result, the way I deliver my phonics instruction changes throughout the year too.

So I wanted to share with you a “ big picture” guide that takes you through the entire Kindergarten year, showing you how my instruction shifts to meet students’ changing needs.

This post has a lot of info in it, so I also want to give you something you can take, print, and keep! Before you start reading the post, go ahead and grab the freebie by clicking the image below. It’ll be a great companion to the post and give you something to refer back to later!

One important thing to keep in mind is that, while students tend to learn phonics skills in a predictable order (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2015), they don’t all learn these skills at the same pace.

So although this is generally how I teach phonics throughout the year, I tweak this plan every single year, based upon my students’ needs.

Schedule for Teaching Phonics Throughout the School Year

Below is a general timetable of how things work in my Kindergarten classroom:

Weeks 1-9: Initial Alphabet Instruction + CVC Word Introduction: whole group; can begin small group toward the end of this phase

Weeks 10-15: Alphabet Review + Digraphs: brief whole group review / instruction + differentiated instruction in small groups (topics will vary by group)

Weeks 16-31: Word Families / CVC Words: brief whole group review / instruction + differentiated instruction in small groups (can begin word sorts toward the middle/end of this phase, for those who are ready)

Weeks 32-36: Long Vowel Sounds (if required to teach) + Review CVC Words, Digraphs, Word Families : brief whole group review / instruction + differentiated instruction in small groups

Again, this timetable will vary—and the content of what you teach may vary too! Every Kindergarten class is different; always do what’s developmentally appropriate for your kids.

Next, I’ll go over each phase in more detail. I’ll explain what it looks like and what we’re working on.

Weeks 1-9: Initial Alphabet Instruction + CVC Word Introduction

For the first 8-9 weeks of school, I teach several letters each week.

We go through the letter name, letter sound, and how to properly form the letter . We also brainstorm words the begin with the target letter.

We have a whole class minilesson each day, and then the kids have some type of follow-up practice .

The follow-up practice might be a picture sort, a letter tracing/writing activity, or something along those lines.

I do a couple of letters each week so that students who are ready can begin using those letters and sounds in their reading and writing as soon as possible. On the other hand, if I were to do one letter per week, it’d take 3/4 of the school year to get through them all.

During this introduction phase, my goal is not 100% mastery of all letters and sounds by all students. I mean…that would be nice. 😉 But the point is to familiarize them with the letters, and then I follow up with differentiation during the next phase.

If you have a Kindergarten class with a big range of needs (i.e., some strong readers and some kids who can’t yet identify the letters in their name), you might be wondering, “Is this whole group instruction a good idea?” And you might know that research has shown that it’s important to differentiate when teaching letters and letter sounds (Stahl, 2014).

However, at the beginning of the year, unless you happen to have a class of all advanced readers, I think it’s important to make time for this whole group baseline instruction.

Here’s why I do this whole group:

• Whole group activities at the beginning of the year build community and lay out a common foundation for the entire class.
• My students just aren’t ready to work independently, at least not for an extended period of time! If I put them in centers the second week of school so that I can pull small groups to differentiate my alphabet instruction, it’s probably not going to go very well.
• All students benefit from this “baseline instruction.” Even Kinders who are already reading might need to learn proper letter formation. Or they could use a review of the basic letter sounds before they move onto more complex sound patterns.

(If you do have a class of strong readers, you can always speed up the pace at which you introduce the letters.)

Of course, even though we do these letter activities in a whole group setting, there’s still some built-in differentiation.

For example, with the picture sorts that we do frequently, students can stretch out and write the word under each picture. Some kids may only get the first letter (if that). Others may be able to write the entire word correctly.

Oh! I also want to mention that I actually start working with my students on CVC words during this first block of time. After 5 or so weeks of school, they’re going to know about 10 letters, including two vowels (a and i, if you use my scope and sequence, which is included in the freebie).

That means that we can start blending! I display three letters and model how I say each sound aloud. Then, I blend the sounds together. After this, we blend as a class, and then I’ll have them try on their own. (I do – we do – you do).

And since they know a few letters by now, we can start manipulating the cards to make different words!

At this point, I’m not asking all of my students to read CVC words on their own. This drill simply familiarizes them with the blending process, and students who are ready for it will take off.

Separately, we’re also doing a lot of phonological awareness work, because kids need to be able to blend 3 sounds you say aloud before they can read CVC words with much success.

And although we do a little blending, the focus is still on learning the letter names and sounds (and other phonological awareness skills).

So that’s the first chunk of the year! In the free download that goes with this post (see below), I included a suggested order for teaching the letters.

At the end of this time period, I make sure to assess students’ letter knowledge so that I know how to differentiate my instruction as we move more into small groups.

Weeks 10-15: Alphabet Review + Digraphs

By now you’ve covered all of the letter names and sounds! At this point in the year, I shift to a little bit less whole group phonics instruction and a little more small group phonics instruction.

I still think it’s very helpful to have some type of whole group review or teaching activity…but I keep it brief.

During this time period, we typically review some of the letters that have been tricky for students. And eventually we add on digraphs (ch, sh, th, wh, ck)—although I wait until most students know most of the letters before throwing in digraphs in a whole group setting. We definitely work on digraphs in small groups—for those students who are ready, if any are ready at all!

Speaking of small groups, I mentioned that my instructional mode for teaching phonics shifts at this point in the year. We start doing more small group work, and I differentiate as much as possible to meet students’ individual needs. The assessment data I gathered at the end of Week 9 helps me decide what letters students still need to work on.

However, I don’t usually have dedicated phonics small groups. I usually integrate phonics instruction into guided reading/small groups.

You can read more about what small group looks like for pre-readers in THIS POST .

Weeks 16-31: Word Families / CVC Words

This next “block” of time is somewhat similar to the previous one, in that we continue to work on phonics mostly in a small group setting. Kids who are ready can begin doing some simple word sorts (in addition to picture sorts).

When we do quick phonics lessons in a whole group setting, I tend to focus on CVC words and word families, as long as most students in the class are ready for that.

At the same time, some students are still working on letters and letter sounds, and that’s okay! (And on the other hand, some students may be far ahead, even working on long vowels.) That’s why I do most of my instruction in that differentiated, small group setting.

Sometimes, depending on my schedule and the students, I start dedicated phonics small groups. These are separate from guided reading. It makes sense to do this if your students’ reading skills are really taking off and you need that guided reading time mostly for reading. Otherwise, you can just incorporate your differentiated phonics instruction into the small groups you’re already seeing.

In my Kindergarten No-Prep Phonics Games, I have a specific set that’s geared towards Word Families. These are games that students can play independently or in groups of 2-3 people. Check out the set here !

Weeks 32-36: L ong  Vowel Sounds (if required to teach) + Review CVC Words, Digraphs, Word Families

These last few weeks of school are kind of a medley of things!

If I’m required to teach long vowel sounds to the whole group, I usually do this then.

If your students are ready for CVCe words, I also have a set of the No-Prep Phonics Games for Kindergarteners for that specific skill. There are 19 activities included in the set! Click here for more info on that.

We also do a lot of review of CVC words, digraphs, and word families. Again, most instruction happens in a small group setting.

The thing about teaching phonics in Kindergarten—in any grade level, really—is that it’s going to vary from year to year. Although students’ learning usually follows that predictable trajectory, kids just develop at different rates.

All the same, I hope this post was helpful in giving you a “big picture” look at teaching phonics throughout the year in Kindergarten!

Don’t forget to download the freebie so you have this information for the future!

Happy teaching!

Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2015). Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (6th ed.). Pearson.

Stahl, K. K. (2014). New insights about letter learning. Reading Teacher, 68(4), 261-265.

Related Posts:

Excelente! Thank you for sharing this with us!!

You’re so welcome! 🙂

What are thoughts on Words their way?

Hi Michelle! I like and use many aspects of Words Their Way. But with Kindergarten, we do mostly picture sorts for the first half of the year. For those Kinders who are ready for word sorts, we transition to them during the second half of the year. With this age group, though, Words This Way by itself doesn’t seem like enough. We do multisensory activities and I supplement with additional direct instruction. Do you use WTW?

It appears to be one of the easiest ways to teach phonics that i have found so far. Now if i can just find some ideas on how to get the student interested, and focused. LOL

That’s always the struggle, right?

Such a fantastic resource. Thank you!! 😁

Do you have anything for year 2 students? My son has ASD and struggles with writing sentences, phonics and reading. I heed help

Hi Sonja! I have a number of blog posts and freebies on these topics – if you look for the categories on the sidebar (or they may be at the bottom if you’re on mobile), you can click on them and browse by topic. Let me know if you have questions about anything you find!

Is there a pdf to save? I have limited resources at my school.

Hi Tammy! Did you receive the PDF via email?

So you have a guide for Spanish phonics in kindergarten?

Hi Alma! You can check out this post: https://learningattheprimarypond.com/blog/how-i-teach-beginning-spanish-phonics/

Hi, I would love to have a peek at this guide. I teach Gr 1 at a Specialized school. Would it be possible or how could I get hold of you. Greetings Michelle

Hi Michelle, of course! There’s a sign-up to receive the guide within the post, or you can use the contact form to email me. 🙂

I love that you have a guide for English phonics but wold you have something equivalent in Spanish for K/1? We don’t have a set phonics program for Spanish and would like to find something that can guide me! Please help.

Hi Anna! This post might help: https://learningattheprimarypond.com/blog/how-i-teach-beginning-spanish-phonics/

Join the discussion…can I get via PDF

Hi! There is a link in the post to get the freebie. If you’d like a PDF of the post itself, there’s a “Printer Friendly Version” icon at the bottom of this post. 🙂

Hi there! I am curious if this timeline/suggestions would work for a 30 minute dedicated phonics time in our classroom. I’m struggling with what to do now that I have a dedicated slot in my schedule outside of an hour of guided reading.

Hey Samantha! That’s great that you’re able to have a 30 minute dedicated time for phonics. I think the pacing should work just fine, and you’ll have plenty of time for both decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) activities each day. You may even be able to go more quickly, depending on how your students do! 🙂

Thank you alison for the great insight! However, I was not able to download the freebie, do you mind sending me a copy to my email? Thank you very much!

I keep coming back to you as a reading resource time after time. I am teaching older learners to read so I don’t have a well rounded curriculum that I can refer to. When I look at my regular ed colleagues they have a point of reference and can seek each other out to figure out where they are, you fill that purpose for me and my learners!

I am so glad to be able to help, Ann! Thank you for sharing this with me!!

this is nice and inclusive.

Hi! I am a reading specialist and I am teaching a program that actually does not have phonics. This is just what I needed. Thanks!

You’re so welcome!

I feel so out of the loop. I am working with my great granddaughter to learn to read since this coronavirus has shut down our schools. But I am not sure what the “CVC words” are that you keep referring to. Can you please fill me in? And prayer would be nice I feel so out of date on teaching. Thanks Bobbie

Hey, Bobbie! So CVC words are 3 letter words that are consonant/vowel/consonant (think ‘cat,’ ‘dad,’ etc). Does that help?

I didn’t get the pictures with the alphabet chart in the pdf.

Hello! Did you try downloading the file again? Often I find that redownloading a file can help fix issues with things not appearing in a file.

Hi, I’m a full time student, part time tutor. My first student I’m tutoring has a double A reading level and I didn’t know how to start from the beginning. This website is a great resource. Thanks.

I’m so glad that this post was able to help you, David! 🙂

i am going to use this approach to my pupils since i got pupils quite hard to read

thank you for sharing this knowledge

That is great to hear! Let me know how it goes with your students! 🙂

Such a great resource, Thank you! I am looking into a phonics program that would be well suited for homeschool kindergarten. Do you feel your phonics program would meet that need or better suited for a classroom setting. I would love your input/recommendation for a Phonics K curriculum. Thanks so much!

You’re so welcome, Kimberly! Yes, I do think that From Sounds to Spelling would also be successful in a homeschool setting. The program includes a placement test so you know where to start within the program, explicit lesson plans, professional development videos to help you better understand the program, lots of visual aids, and leveled materials. Everything you would need is included! You can learn more here: https://www.fromsoundstospelling.com/ . But if you have any more questions, feel free to ask! 🙂

Hi Alison, is this document still free to download?

Hi there! It is! Here’s the link: FREE Yearlong Guide to Teaching Phonics in Kindergarten

This looks like a great resource! Thank you very much!

Of course!!

Do you have recommendations for book sets for the alphabet sounds?

Hey Erin! I don’t usually include books about alphabet sounds when teaching, but I love this idea! If I come across anything, I’ll let you know 🙂

When you say that it is good for all students to learn this whole group, even my readers, does this include my well advanced high readers? How can I convince their adults to trust the process of having their reader be a part of this developmentally appropriate learning? It’s hard for some of my parents to understand that this sound, letter, blending stage is just as important for their above level reader as it is for my children who don’t even know their letter names yet? Thank you in advance. <3

Great question! My recommendation is to do only the first few minutes whole group. Even within the whole group time, you can easily differentiate. For instance, if the skill learning about vowel teams, you could have some students practicing with just basic words (“boat”) whereas your higher students could be learning about multisyllabic words with the “oa” vowel team (truckload). Blending solidifies the practice of decoding ALL types of words – the process stays the same even as the skills become more difficult (like with digraphs, blends, r-controlled vowels, etc.)

I’m Alison, a literacy specialist. I love getting kids excited about reading and writing – and sharing teaching ideas with other teachers!

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33 Fun Phonics Activities and Games for Early Readers

Phonics is the foundation for reading success.

Phonics is one of the five essential components of the science of reading , along with phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Phonics activities help young learners break words into their constituent sounds so they build their literacy skills, bit by bit. Here are some of our favorite ways to teach these key skills.

1. Sing a phonics song

Singing songs is such a fun and effective way to learn! Kids will love to watch and sing along, and might not even realize they’re learning along the way.

Learn more: 15 Phonics Songs for Kids at We Are Teachers

2. Color in the beginning sounds

Most kids start learning phonics by mastering the beginning sounds of words. Have kids color in the words that start with the matching sound on these cute and free worksheets.

Learn more: Beginning Sounds Coloring Pages at The Measured Mom

3. Use Google Slides

Google Slides has tons of fun phonics activities kids can use in the classroom or at home.

Learn more: 18 Interactive Google Slides for Teaching Phonics and Sight Words at We Are Teachers

4. Hang phonics anchor charts

When it comes to phonics, there’s a lot to learn. Post anchor charts around the room to help kids remember important rules like silent E , vowel blends, and hard and soft C and G . 

Learn more: 20 Perfect Anchor Charts for Teaching Phonics and Blends at We Are Teachers

5. Build words with a chart of beginning sounds

Grab this free printable chart and print out copies for your students to use with their phonics activities. There’s a version for rimes too.

Learn more: Beginning Sounds Chart at This Reading Mama

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6. Learn digraphs with clip wheels

Combine fine motor skills practice with phonics work with these free beginning digraph wheels. Tip: Add small dots on the back to mark the right answers so kids can self-correct their work.

Learn more: Digraph Wheels at Playdough to Plato

7. Slap the letter sounds

Sounding out words letter by letter is a lot more fun when you slap each letter with a flyswatter! This is a great idea for active learners.

Learn more: Letter Sound Slap at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

8. Walk the word

This one will also keep active learners moving and happy! Write words in sidewalk chalk, then walk (or hop or skip) along them, sounding the word out along the way. Simple but fun!

Learn more: Gross Motor Phonics Game: Walk the Word at Coffee Cups and Crayons

9. Fill in the missing letters

This active game combines a scavenger hunt with phonics! Hide sticky notes around the room with various vowels. Then, write CVC words with the vowels missing. Have kids hunt for the missing sounds and fill them in. Fun!

Learn more: Missing Sounds Reading Activity at Busy Toddler

10. Just swap one letter

As students move from box to box, they change one letter to make the new word represented by the picture. They might need to change the first, middle, or last letter, so it’s a real challenge!

Learn more: Just Swap One at This Reading Mama

11. Make magic spoons

Pick up a pack of plastic spoons at the dollar store, then use them to practice building words by combining beginning sounds with word endings.

Learn more: Activities To Teach Phonics and Math at Education to the Core

12. Toss and blend with plastic cups

Grab a stack of plastic cups and some Ping-Pong balls for this fun phonics game. Label the cups with different letter blends and set them out (tape them down if they tend to fall over). Kids toss a ball into a cup, then come up with a word that uses that letter blend to earn a point.

Learn more: Toss and Blend at Education.com

13. Flip the pages

Divide the pages of a small notebook into thirds, then write letters on each page. Flip them to form new words.

Learn more: Phoneme Substitution Activities at Tickled Pink in Primary

14. Mix and match cups to make words

If you’ve still got some cups left over, label them with more letters or letter blends, then use them to mix and match words. This is an especially fun way to work on CVC and sight words.

Learn more: CVC Cups at Inspired Elementary

15. Hack pool noodles into phonics tools

This has got to be one of our favorite phonics activities. Cut a pool noodle into pieces and label it with letters. Then stack and spin for learning fun!

Learn more: Pool Noodle Phonics at We Are Teachers

16. Spin and rhyme

Here’s a different spin (pun intended!) on Pool Noodle Phonics. All you need is a cardboard tube, a wire pants hanger, scissors, and a marker to make this fun DIY rhyming activity.

Learn more: Spin and Rhyme at No Time for Flash Cards

17. Make some phonics cubes

Slide the free printable inserts into a set of photo cubes, then roll until you get the correct combination of letter and word ending.

Learn more: Phonics Cubes at This Reading Mama

18. Use paint stirrers to make word pull-outs

These clever phonics tools are easy to make using paint stirrer sticks and paper towel tubes. Simply slide the stick in and out to make new words!

Learn more: Word Family Pull-Out Activity at I Can Teach My Child

19. Play a flip-top phonics game

If you go through packages of wipes like most parents do, you’ll appreciate this idea. Save the flip tops and use them for DIY phonics activities.

Learn more: Flip Top Phonics Games for Kids at No Time for Flash Cards

20. Use a pocket chart for phonics activities

Here’s another reason teachers love pocket charts: They’re great for phonics centers. Sort and match cards to practice beginning sounds, blends, short and long vowels, and so much more.

Learn more: Short A Activities and Resources at Miss Giraffe’s Class

21. Compete at Blends and Digraphs Bingo

Every kid loves a good game of bingo! Snag these free printable bingo cards and use them to practice blends and digraphs.

Learn more: Blends and Digraph Bingo at The Measured Mom

22. Toss some phonics water balloons

This one almost seems too fun to count as learning! Tape up beginning sounds, then toss water balloons to complete the words.

Learn more: Water Balloon Phonics at Mess for Less

23. Race to the Top with blends and digraphs

Play this free printable game to practice consonant blends. Toss a chip onto the board and say that word out loud. Then move the counter for the correct blend up one space. First to the top wins!

Learn more: Blends and Digraphs Games at This Reading Mama

24. Try locks and keys to learn phonics

This self-correcting phonics activity is also a good way to practice fine motor skills … and a lot of fun to boot! Label keys with beginning sounds and locks with word endings, then match them up and try the key to see if you’re right.

Learn more: Unlock and Learn Game at We Are Teachers

25. Play Phonogram Connect 4

Draw a word card and find an open phonogram slot on the board. Your goal is to get four in a row!

Learn more: Phonogram Connect Four at Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

26. Teach them the Soft C & G Chant

Simple little chants like this will help kids remember some of those confusing language rules. Pair it with other favorites like “ I before E , except after C .”

Learn more: Soft C and G at This Reading Mama

27. Mix, color, and spell

We can’t get enough of games that reinforce CVC words with short vowels—it’s such an important early literacy skill! Practice identifying and distinguishing between vowels by coloring in the middle sound from pictures of CVC words.

Learn more: Teaching CVC Words at Susan Jones Teaching

28. Write the Room: Digraphs

Use this fun little letter scavenger hunt to move around the room to search for pictures with digraphs. First, mark the ones you find with a dot marker and then use another sheet to write the digraphs.

Learn more: Beginning Digraphs Write the Room at ABC’s of Literacy

29. Use disappearing ink for letter formation

One of the first keys to early reading success is letter identification and formation. Keep it fresh by using “disappearing ink” (aka water) so students have to trace letters multiple times to prevent them from disappearing too fast. With so few materials and such high engagement, what’s not to love?

Learn more: 3 Simple Play-Based Phonics Activities at Research and Play

30. Do word sorts

Word sorts are great for comparing word patterns that make the same sound, like vowel teams. They can also help reinforce so many different phonics skills, making them the perfect activity that can be easy differentiated for learners of all stages.

Learn more: Using Word Sorts for Phonics Instruction at Mrs. Winter’s Bliss

31. Roll and Read

Roll a die and read the word from the corresponding column. Play with a partner or do it solo by coloring in the words as you read them.

Learn more: Lesson 79 Roll and Read at UFLI. While you’re there, check out the UFLI free lesson resources , which include decodable passages and games for almost every phonics skill!

32. Roll letter dice

A perfect DIY idea for old blocks! Use three blocks and write consonants on two of them and vowels on the other. Have some fun rolling and blending CVC words.

Learn more: DIY Phonics Games at Early Impact Learning

33. Sort syllable types

If you are teaching the different syllable types, this word sort helps students practice their knowledge of the six types and shows you what they know.

Learn more: Six-Way Syllable Sort at Florida Center for Reading Research. Also, check out the many other phonics resources available by grade level: Kindergarten and First Grade or Second and Third Grades .

Looking for more phonics activities? Learn What Makes a Good Decodable Text here.

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Phonics Games for Kids

Kiz Phonics provides interactive online phonics games to help teach children the connection between letters and sounds. These games develop the skills needed to read and write. All our games activities are designed based on years of teaching.

Phonics Games & Online Activities by Grade

This page was set up so that you can easily find our phonics games online by type and level.

Preschool Phonics Games

You will find our phonics games for teaching preschoolers and kindergartners. These games will practice skills in the following areas:

• Phonemic Awareness
• 26 Letters of the Alphabet 
• Capital and Small Letters
• Beginning Phonemes (sounds)
• Letter recognition
• CLICK HERE TO PLAY GAMES

 Kindergarten Phonics Games, Level 1

You will find our phonics games for teaching kindergarten level 1. These worksheets will practice skills in the following areas:

• 5 Short Vowels
• Beginning Consonants 
• Ending Consonants 
• Short a, Word Families
• Short e, Word Families

Kindergarten Phonics Games, Level 2

You will find our phonics games for teaching kindergarten level 2. These games will develop skills in the following areas:

• Ending Consonants
• Short i, Word Families
• Short o, Word Families
• Short u, Digraphs, Blends

First Grade Phonics Games, Level 1

You will find our phonics games for teaching first grade level 1. These games will develop skills in the following areas:

• Reviewing short vowels
• Reviewing Consonants 
• S Blends, SW, SP, SN, ST
• Digraphs ch, sh, wh, th, ph
• Soft C & G

First Grade Phonics Games, Level 2

You will find our phonics games for teaching first grade level 2. These games will develop skills in the following areas:

• L Consonant Blends
• R Consonant Blends
• Long vs. Short a, Silent E
• Vowel Digraphs ay, ai, ee, ea
• Long vs. Short i, Silent E

Second Grade Phonics Games, Level 1

You will find our phonics games for teaching second grade level 1. These games will develop skills in the following areas:

• Long vs. Short O, Silent E
• Vowel Digraphs oa, ow, ou, ui, ue
• Long vs. Short U, Silent E
• R-Controlled Vowels ar, or, ir, er, ur
• Special Vowels & Diphthongs, aw, ew, oi, oy

Phonics Vowel Games

The games provide an exercise to help review vowel combinations without the boredom. Kids will learn and review word families or word patterns, spelling and listening for exact phonemes. Each game focuses on one aspect of phonemic awareness. The word families in each game are carefully arranged around the vowel sounds.

Phonics Word Family Games

Practice word families and different phonemes with these interactive phonics games. These games can be used with phonics learners of kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grades. The help kids practice long and short vowel sounds, as well as digraphs and blends.

Sentence Games

These are interactive sentence monkey games to practice different sentences. Fun games to learn English while helping the monkey get the banana by filling in the blank spaces in the game.

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Why Play Phonics Games

Phonics is a method of teaching children to read by combining letter sounds to read words. This system of sounds and word building, is by its very nature, challenging for children who are only just learning how to read. Therefore, phonics games are a must in making learning fun. Games help children learn without thinking about the learning. Games for phonics can be online or in-class. Often, in-class phonics games involve the use of phonics flashcards, visual crafts and tactile resources to both introduce and reinforce learning of letter sounds - called phonemes. Letter sound games typically involve students listening and recognizing sounds by their letter or combination of letters with flashcards as teaching aids.

Phonics games online complement in-class games by providing interactive activities which allow children to drive their own learning. To practice phonics, teachers and parents select a game that focuses on a particular sound or phoneme and let children practice for the session. Yes, the teacher or parent’s input is necessary to provide structure and guidance!

It is always a good idea to focus on one or two phonemes in each phonics practice or lesson session. Unless it is a review lesson, playing too many online games to review multiple phonemes in one session is a sure way to get children to either become bored or lose the meaning of the activity.

At Kiz Phonics , we offer a variety of games and interactive phonics activities to help kids practice the sounds at preschool, kindergarten or nursery, first grade and second-grade levels.  

• Preschool Phonics Games : Our preschool phonics games are activities to help learners recognize letters and sounds from A to Z.   Focusing on the first 26 letters of the alphabet, and the essential sounds they make is a useful departure point for early literacy. Explore our full range of preschool games.
• Kindergarten Phonics Games Level 1 : Our Level 1 kindergarten phonics games help develop skills in recognizing and sounding out beginning and ending consonants. These gaming exercises also emphasize practice on short vowels ‘a’ and ‘e’, which are later combined with consonants to form word families such as ‘at’, and ‘et’ in words like bat and bet.
• Kindergarten Phonics Games Level 2 : Our Level 2 kindergarten phonics games contain activities centered around all the short vowels, word families and several ending consonant sounds.
• First Grade Phonics Games Level 1 : Moving up to our 1 st grade phonics games for level 1, students practice sounds such as consonant digraphs and S blends. We offer games to practice digraphs ch, sh, th, ph and more. Others games review S and L blends as well as the soft c and g.  
• First Grade Phonics Games Level 2 : Under 1 st grade phonics games level 2, you will find activities to practice vowel digraphs and long vowels. Children in grade 1 will also develop skills in reading R blends and L blends. Mastery of vowel digraphs such as ‘ai’, ‘ee’ and ‘ay’, which recur in several English words, will help supercharge children’s literacy skills. At this stage, you will find your child confidently reading short stories and reading road signs. They will also begin to ask you how to pronounce unfamiliar words which they notice around them. Pay particular attention to the child at this stage and respond to their requests promptly. That way, you continue to build their literacy confidence.
• Second Grade Phonics Games : Our phonics games in the second grade level, help children practice those sounds that tend to be a little trickier to teach. We offer activities to practice sounds such as r-controlled vowels – ir, ar, er, ur – which are not the most straightforward phonemic sounds to teach. Then there are various sounds of y and double vowel sounds.   There is a reason these sounds are introduced later when children have developed confidence in reading words and sentences.

Kiz Phonics also offers a number of games and activities to practice specific phonics skills. You will find games on word families, sentence reading practice and  

• Word Families Phonics Games for Kindergarten : Kindergarteners can practice a range of word families games from here. These activities mainly use short vowel and consonant combinations to develop word families.  
• Word Families Phonics Games for 1 st Grade : Activities to practice word families for grade one learners can also be found here. These activities mainly review word families with and vowel digraphs.  
• Word Families Phonics Games for 2 nd Grade : Grade two phonics learners can also develop competence in reading by practicing with word families that use long vowel sounds and vowel digraphs.
• Sentence Games for Phonics : Looking for games to practice reading short sentences? Then you are hereby covered.

So now you know how and why games are important to the teaching of phonics. But remember, it is not the only tool you need. The beauty of Kiz Phonics is that we provide a variety of teaching tools that adapt to various contexts as well as learning styles. We remain the one-stop-shop for your phonics needs. Bookmark this page so you never lose it.  

Unlock the Magic of Reading with Phonics Games

Understanding the world of words and sounds can be a thrilling journey for young learners. At its core, this journey involves a technique that educators and parents have trusted for decades: phonics. In the realm of phonics, a variety of interactive and enjoyable tools have emerged—phonics games. So, what are these games, and how do they differ from phonetics games? Let's dive in!

Why Choose Phonics Games for Your Child?

Games for Phonics: More Than Just Fun

Games on phonics are not merely about entertainment. They are structured tools designed to make the learning process engaging. These games utilize sounds, letters, and word recognition techniques to build a solid foundation for reading.

The Power of Interaction with Phonics Game

A regular phonics game often involves interaction. Whether it's on a computer, a tablet, or a board game, children have the chance to actively participate, make choices, and receive immediate feedback, making game phonics an effective learning method.

The Difference between Phonics Games and Phonetics Games

At first glance, the terms phonics and phonetics might seem interchangeable. However, there's a distinct difference:

Phonics: This is a method of teaching reading and writing by developing learners' phonemic awareness. Phonics games specifically aim to teach kids the sounds associated with letters and letter combinations.

Phonetics: Phonetics deals with the study of sounds in human speech. Games associated with phonetics are more concerned with understanding and recognizing all speech sounds. So, when we speak of phonics games not phonetic games, we are emphasizing the focus on teaching reading.

The distinction is essential. For children just stepping into the world of reading and writing, phonics games are the more suitable choice.

Features of Effective Phonics Games

Variety in Phonic Games

A wide array of phonic games exists, catering to different learning styles. From digital games to physical board games, the choices are vast. Some games might focus on letter-sound associations, while others may emphasize blending sounds to form words.

Engaging and Rewarding

A successful phonics game captures a child's attention. It provides challenges and rewards that motivate the child to keep playing and, by extension, keep learning.

Progressive Learning

Top-quality games for phonics should offer progressive levels, ensuring that as the child masters one level, they can move on to more challenging tasks.

Relevance to Age

It's crucial for phonic games to be age-appropriate. What captivates a preschooler might not necessarily hold the attention of a second-grader.

Exploring Phonics Games on Kizphonics

For a curated selection of phonics games, visit Kizphonics. They offer a diverse range of games tailored to various age groups, ensuring that your child gets the best tools for their reading journey.

FAQs: All About Phonics Games

1. What are phonics games?

Phonics games are interactive tools designed to teach children the sounds associated with letters and combinations of letters. They help kids build a foundation for reading.

2. How do phonics games differ from phonetics games?

While phonics focuses on teaching reading by developing learners' phonemic awareness, phonetics is about the study of sounds in human speech. Phonetics games are more concerned with understanding all speech sounds.

3. Are digital phonics games better than traditional board games?

Both digital games and traditional board games have their merits. Digital games can offer more interactive features and immediate feedback, while board games can promote social interaction. It's about finding what best suits your child's needs.

4. How often should my child play phonics games?

Regular exposure is beneficial. You could incorporate phonics games into daily or weekly routines, ensuring your child has a mix of playtime and structured learning.

5. Where can I find quality phonics games?

You can explore a vast collection of games tailored for different age groups on Kizphonics.

Conclusion: Games with Phonics – A Launchpad to Literacy

In the end, it's all about nurturing a love for reading in children. Phonics games, with their engaging and interactive nature, serve as a bridge, making the journey of learning to read not just essential but enjoyable. So, as you embark on this adventure with your young one, remember, it's not just about the destination but the joy of the journey. Embrace the world of phonics games and watch your child's literacy skills soar.

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Want hard copies of our products? No problem. You may order our  phonics activity books  and more from our store - For 1st Grade & 2nd Grade. Each set comes with CDs and the playing card sets and board game.

Board Games & Playing Card Sets

The teaching set is complete with board games and phonemic cards. we have grapheme cards, phoneme cards, alphabet cards which can all be used with the board game for fun phonics learning.

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Making English Fun

15 of the BEST Phonics Activities For Kindergarten and Preschool

What is phonics and why is it important.

Phonics is a reading skill that teaches learners to match the sounds of a language, this enables students to use decoding strategies to read the written form of words. This skill then enables them to be able to decode unfamiliar words by decoding or deconstructing them to their individual sounds. As this progresses more emphasis can go onto reading comprehension skills which is how we instill a love of reading into children and when they start to progress from learning to read, not reading to learn.

We have chosen some of the best activities that are suitable to get this reading skills process started both at home and in classrooms and highlighted them below.

Enjoy your reading journey!

Below we have added 15 phonics activities includes connect four, flip phonics, mystery phonics and more from our and others websites that we as teachers use for both our students and our own kids as well. We will keep updating this pages as we make and find more 🙂

1. Phonics Connect Four .

I have been using these phonics activities for quite a few years now. The idea came to me after I found an old original connect four game in my school and wrote the sounds of the alphabet, and then as there were more than 26 red and yellow counters, some of the other phonic sounds in English on them. Then the students have to say the sound before they can drop the counter into the game.

This is a ‘’take’’ on that game, my school wasn’t going to pay for 15 or so connect four games so I sat down and tried to put it on paper. The game is very similar. Except with the paper version they have to roll a dice and say the sound on the number the dice shows them. They then cover it up. I play one of two ways, either try to get four in a row or the one with the most sounds covered at the end of the game is the winner.

These have also been designed to fit whatever phonics topic you are covering at that moment. So I have single sounds onset and rime, CVC words, digraphs and blending words and Magic E. They are perhaps a little dated at the moment ( It was one of the first resources I put on the site, but its on an ever increasing list of things to update) one additional bonus… they are totally free to download 😊

2. I Have! Who Has?

I can not claim the idea for this phonics activity at all, a teacher friend of mine pointed it out to me, and another teacher to him and down the lone the idea goes. It is a simple concept that aims to practice speaking, reading and listening in one whole class activity . For that it is awesome. On each paper there are two sentences, and maybe a picture if needed, mine have pictures where appropriate.

• The Students take a card and the teacher chooses one to go first.
• That students stands up and says I have cat (what ever it is) who has bat whatever it is
• Then the student with that word or sound has to listen and stand up and say I have bat who has hat
• The activity continues till all have tried their cards and had a turn. On these cards can be anything you like.

I have some sets that cover sounds digraphs, CVC words and Magic E to get you started. It is a really great activitiy that involves the whole class, takes about 10 minutes and covers three of the language skills they all need practice on

3. Phonics Bingo

I don’t think this needs much explanation as I am sure that 99.9% of teachers will have used this at some point in their classrooms. However, I have a few sets on the site, that include vowels CVC and sounds, and even magic E. These are due an update soon as well. (its on my list to improve them in the next month – as I said its quite a long list now though!) There are 16 different versions of each topic so enough for half a class though I prefer to share a card between two students.

There are more professional sets here

4. Soundopoly Phonics Game.

I though of this when I saw my students trying to play some version or other of monopoly a parent had brought in for some games day. They were struggling with a word and I thought how about making it a phonics one. So I have. You will need to make or use something for the pieces and I have changed the cards from chance to phonics questions. However, the basic premise of getting round the board, once or twice is still there, they have to try to get to 100 points as well. With out the need for piles of money or houses and hotels!

This one looks better if you can print and laminate it on to A3. And we have a video to help with instructions.

5. Fishing for Phonics

In the age-old teaching tradition of beg, borrow and well not steal, I saw this online an thought what a great idea as a station learning activity for kindergarten and grade one. You can pic up magnets and plastic fishing rods pretty cheaply and discount shops and pound shops and attach paper clips to the sounds. Students then have to fish sounds out of the bucket / bin or what ever container you wish to either say or put together to make a word.

I have linked in below the sight word version to give an idea.

6. Swap it! Say it:

I love doing this, it is better with cards and either a table or on a board with a magnet. You can put up a CVC word ( or longer but not so easy –  I would stick to three sound words as a maximum) with the cards and invite one team ( if you split the class) to come and pick one letter to swap out, then the other team has to say the word.

For the purpose of this activity I would suggest having three separate piles of letters, one for the beginning, middle and end. With the middle one being just vowels. This way each time they change the letter it will make a new CVC word. For the beginning and ending sounds it would be worth leaving some letters out like q,  (H, q, y, w at the end) and of course the vowels at beginning and end as well . You can make the sound son paper or you can pick up a sent of either alphabet cards or phonics cards for about 2-3 USD.

7. Phonics Rainbow Hop

I found this on fun learning for kids , it’s a nice simple and active activity. It is also easy to prepare. You just have to draw 26 (or 46 if you are going for the full range of phonetic sounds) circles. You can use a plate to draw these, and use coloured paper if you have. If you wanted to you could also get your students or children involved in making it by writing the letters and sounds. You can then put them in the shape of an arch or rainbow on the floor. Students can then try to get to the pot of gold / book/ candy at the end. They roll a dice and have to hop to the number / letter. You can do this in order of the alphabet or if you want to make it more challenging you can mix the letter / sounds order up. Even better if played with teams or pairs.

8. Countdown game online (and Board game)

I am not sure if we can call this a phonics game as its clearly a spelling game, but the way it is presented is really useful for checking sound comprehension and to teach vowels and consonants. It is based in an old English TV show and can be made for table top use as well.

Players have to pick a selection of vowels and consonants up to 9 letters. These are placed in a row and then they have 30 seconds ( or longer if needed) to come up with a word from those letters. I focus on CVC or even 2 letter words with my students.  

Variations include finding as many words as they can, using an S to make plurals. I will try to find the better version as there are some very basic sites hosting this game but I did fine one good one! online and below is the board game version.

9. Happy Slappy Flappy Phonics.

An old classic from the days of ESL and Kindergarten. You need a couple (they break pretty easy so maybe some spares) of flay swats and either some cards or a board to write the sounds on. One or two players can play this and you just call out a sound and the first one to hit the correct one. In a classroom setting you can play to five or ten and keep score on the board. A great cheap and easy repeatable game. We have a link to the sight word option in the picture, although you can make your own to fit what ever topic works for you.

10. Flip Phonics (coming soon)

This is our phonics card game, and we are quite proud of it. There are 52 cards with 3 levelled phonics tasks on each one, with 10 cards of forfeits for the game. We are in the process of producing this and will put it up once it finishes production. It is for up to 4 players and can be levelled depending on your students.

11. Roll and Read

This is a printable phonics activity that can be played by just one player (or more). It covers single sounds all the way up to sentences ( simple CVC sentences) Players just have to roll a dice and say the word that matches the number. They can keep score of how many they manage to get, but the winner is the one who gets to ten of the same sound or word first. A simple gap filler for students that finish early if you are in a classroom setting.

12. Color and Say – coloring worksheets

Not really a game, but this phonics activity uses coloring. As we know coloring and kindergarten go hand in hand. We have made a few versions of this activity, the one highlighted here is the Short vowel coloring sheet. Students simply have to spot the short vowel words (all CVC) and color them according to the color key on the paper. We have added an animal aspect to make it easier and so it can be used as a teaching aid in classes rather than just a consolidation task (though it can be used as that as well) These are insanely popular (and take ages to make!!) they are in our short and long vowel  vowel workbook as well. Check that out here.

13. Magnetic Phonics

Most Kindergartens and schools are likely to have magnetic letters somewhere in their supplies. If you are homeschooling they can be picked up pretty cheaply from Amazon or discount or toy shops. Where ever you get them they are very useful both in the home and classroom. For this phonics activity you may need a little space. If you have a shed or garage in the garden, or a black board in the classroom that is magnetic, or even the kitchen fridge you place the letters on the side of the surface and spread them out. You have your students or children stand a little way back and then say a sound , they have to run to the board and try to find the sound and then run back and put it in the bowl or container. If you have more than one child or student it is worth having more than one set (to stop the tussles if they both go for the same sound at the same time.) The winner can be the first to 10 or until they are tired out! It is also a good way to teach capital and small letters if you need to for preschoolers.

14. Mystery Phonics

This mystery phonics activity is great for preschoolers and kindergarten ages, and even up to primary. you just have to fill a large bottle with same or small pebbles and put small items in that begin with different sounds. then you can use your alphabet cards or phonics cards and flip one over. Then your child has to shake and wobble the bottle to try to find the item that starts with that sound. Will keep them entertained for ages! Full instructions can be found on Imagination Tree  .

15. Spin and Say Phonics

There is a great site called no time for flash cards that has all sorts of crafty activities for kindergarten and preschool. This activity needs a coat hanger and some kitchen or toilet roll inserts (the card board tube) you simply cut the toilet roll into sections and write four initial sounds on one section, and then have some other changeable sections where you write the minimal pairs, at , an, et, in etc. then the students can pin the beginning sound and the ”rime” and try to say the word it forms. We actually made an online and mobile version of this as well for free, but this is way more cute! You could also get your students to make it themselves which gives them ownership of it.

About the Author

Hi I’m Marc. A teacher of over 15 years, mostly English but dabbled in outdoor pursuits and media. Thought is was about time to sharing both what I have learnt during that time and the resources I have put together. On this site we aim to teach the theory and share our thoughts, but also go that one step further and give you access to the hard resources you need for your class or for you children. Feel free to take a look at  our resources , email us on [email protected], or jump on the  Facebook group  to ask questions. Happy learning, teaching or playing!

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Step 1: Introduce the Alphabet

Step 2: begin with letter sounds, step 3: short vowels, step 4: simple blends and digraphs, step 5: long vowels and complex sounds, step 6: encourage independent reading.

Are you wondering how to teach letter sounds to your little ones? Mastering phonics is crucial in early childhood education, setting the foundation for reading and writing success. In this blog, we’ll walk you through a simple, step-by-step guide to effectively introduce and reinforce letter sounds. These strategies will help you turn learning into a fun and engaging experience for children.

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6 Easy Steps to Teach Letter Sounds

The journey of teaching sounds of letters begins with introducing the alphabet . This foundational step is crucial as it helps children recognize and differentiate between the shapes and names of each letter.

When to Start: It’s ideal to start this step when children show interest in books and singing, typically around 2 to 3 years old. 

How to Teach:

• Online Alphabet Games: Integrate technology into learning by using online letter games. These interactive ela games include animations and sounds that make learning engaging and fun, helping children visualize and remember the letters more effectively.

Begin here:

• Sing the Alphabet Song

Make learning playful and musical. Singing the alphabet song regularly helps children memorize the order of the letters and build their familiarity with their shapes and sounds.

• Read Alphabet Books: Incorporate books with large, colorful letters and images that start with each letter. Point to and name the letters as you read, encouraging the child to repeat after you.
• Show Alphabet Cards: Use alphabet cards for a more interactive experience. Hold up each card, point to the letter, and say its name clearly. Ask the child to try saying the letter names with you.

Key Milestones:

• Recognition of all the alphabet letters visually.
• Ability to sing the alphabet song along with you.
• Beginning to point out and name letters in everyday settings, like on signs or in books.

Once children are familiar with the visual aspect of the alphabet, the next step is to learn letter sounds. This phase focuses on associating each letter with its most common phonetic sound, which is essential for building reading skills.

When to Start: Begin this step after children can confidently recognize and name the letters of the alphabet. This typically follows the mastery of the visual recognition of letters, usually around ages 3 to 4.

• Start with Easy-to-Pronounce Consonants: Choose consonants that have only one sound and are simpler to articulate, such as ‘m’, ‘s’, ‘f’, ‘p’, ‘t’. These sounds are distinct and less likely to be confused with others, making them ideal starting points.

Start teaching easy to pronounce consonants with these letter sound activities :

• Use Objects or Pictures: Incorporate everyday objects or pictures that start with these sounds. For example, show a picture of a monkey when teaching the sound ‘m’ or a snake for ‘s’. This visual association helps solidify the connection between the letter and its sound.
• Ability to correctly make the sound of each letter when shown.
• Recognition of objects or pictures that start with specific letter sounds.
• Beginning to understand how to teach the alphabet sounds through practical, engaging methods.

After mastering the basic consonant sounds, the next essential step in teaching alphabet sounds involves introducing the short sounds of the vowels. These are pivotal in forming syllables and simple words, which are fundamental for reading.

When to Start: This step should follow once children are comfortable with consonant sounds, typically around the age of 4 to 5 years.

• Teach Each Vowel with Simple Words: Start with easy, short vowel words such as ‘at’ for ‘a’, ‘pet’ for ‘e’, ‘sit’ for ‘i’, ‘pot’ for ‘o’, and ‘cut’ for ‘u’. This helps children grasp the sound each vowel makes in a word.

Begin with these short vowel sound activities :

• Engage in Phonemic Activities : Conduct activities where children find objects around them that start with each vowel sound. This practical application reinforces their understanding and helps solidify their grasp of each sound.
• Recognition and correct pronunciation of each short vowel sound.
• Ability to identify and articulate simple words associated with each vowel.
• Active participation in games and activities that reinforce their knowledge of vowels.

Blends and digraphs are combinations of two or more letters that produce a single sound. Mastering these is crucial for advancing reading skills, especially in how to teach letter sounds to kindergarten students.

When to Start: This step is appropriate once children are comfortable with individual letter sounds, typically in kindergarten or first grade.

• Introduce Each Blend or Digraph with Examples: Start with simple blends like ‘bl’, ‘st’, ‘br’ and digraphs like ‘ch’, ‘sh’, ‘th’. Explain that these letters together make a unique sound. Use words like “blow”, “stop”, “brush” for blends and “chop”, “ship”, “bath” for digraphs.

Begin with activities:

• Use Blending Games: Engage children in blending games where they combine initial blends with vowels to form words. For example, matching ‘bl’ with ‘ock’ to make ‘block’ or ‘st’ with ‘ar’ to form ‘star’. These activities help reinforce the sounds and improve blending skills.

Start with these blending activities :

• Ability to recognize and pronounce common blends and digraphs.
• Successful combination of blends and vowels to form simple words.
• Increased fluency in reading words with blends and digraphs.

Long vowels and complex phonetic patterns are essential for reading proficiency and are a key focus when you teach letter sounds to beginners. These elements introduce variety and complexity into a child’s phonetic repertoire.

When to Start: Begin this step after children have a solid understanding of short vowels, blends, and digraphs, typically in late kindergarten or early first grade.

• Teach Long Vowels Through Silent ‘e’ and Vowel Pairs: Explain that an ‘e’ at the end of words like ‘make’ or ‘ride’ changes the vowel sound to a long sound. 
• Similarly, teach vowel pairs like ‘ea’ in ‘seat’ and ‘oa’ in ‘boat’ that also make long vowel sounds.

Here are fun activities to teach vowel teams :

• Introduce Complex Sounds Gradually: Start with simpler vowel digraphs and move to more complex phonetic patterns like r-controlled vowels (‘car’, ‘bird’). Use plenty of examples and visual aids to help children grasp these concepts.

Begin with these activities:

• Recognition and correct pronunciation of long vowel sounds and complex phonetic patterns.
• Ability to read and understand words with long vowels and complex sounds.
• Improved ability to decode unfamiliar words using phonetic skills.

Encouraging independent reading is a pivotal step in reinforcing how to teach letter sounds, transforming theoretical knowledge into practical application and enjoyment.

SplashLearn skillfully combines fun with learning through a diverse collection of books tailored to children’s varying reading levels and needs. Here’s what makes SplashLearn an excellent choice for young readers:

• Leveled Readers: These books are meticulously crafted to align with children’s reading abilities, enabling them to progress to more challenging texts as their skills develop.
• Decodable Books: Ideal for beginners, these books support children in practicing phonics rules and sounding out words on their own, fostering confidence and laying a solid foundation in reading.
• Bedtime Stories: With a collection of bedtime stories that are perfect for end-of-day reading, SplashLearn offers tales rich in morals and adventures, ideal for parents and children to enjoy together, enhancing their bond.

Additionally, SplashLearn allows you to track reading progress, offering insights into the child’s development and areas for improvement. This feature ensures that every step in their reading journey is monitored, celebrated, and optimized for the best learning outcome.

7 Fun Ways to Teach Letter Sounds

1. circle everything with the letter it begins from.

Engage kindergarteners in a fun activity by providing them with worksheets and asking them to circle everything that begins with a specific letter. This activity not only aids in teaching letter sounds and recognition but also enhances their ability to associate letters with words, reinforcing both phonetic sounds and visual recognition.

Begin with these worksheets:

2. Match Letter to Sounds

Encourage children to match the letter to the correct picture. This hands-on activity is a fantastic way to solidify the connection between letters and their sounds, making the process of teaching letter sounds both interactive and enjoyable.

3. Word Search

Word search puzzles tailored to the letter sounds the children are learning can be a great tool. These puzzles challenge kindergarteners to find words that start with a specific letter, blending the fun of a game with educational value. It’s an excellent method for reinforcing letter sounds as it requires children to focus on both the appearance and sound of letters within a context.

Begin with these word search worksheets :

4. Flashcard Flip

Create flashcards with letters and corresponding images of objects starting with those letters. Then, engage your little learners in a game of flashcard flip! Show them a flashcard and ask them to identify the letter and the object. You can even turn it into a memory game by placing the cards face down and challenging them to find matching pairs.

5. Letter Sound Bingo

Bingo is a classic game that can be easily adapted to reinforce letter sounds. Create bingo cards with different letters or images representing words starting with various letters. Call out the letter sounds, and children can mark the corresponding letter or image on their bingo cards. It’s a fun way to practice listening skills while reinforcing letter sound recognition.

6. Interactive Letter Sound Books

Explore interactive books that focus on letter sounds. These books often feature buttons or interactive elements that produce sounds when pressed, allowing children to actively engage with the material. As you read together, encourage children to identify the letter sounds and associate them with the corresponding images or words in the book. 

This guide on how to teach letter sounds offers a comprehensive approach to ensure young learners build a strong foundation. By integrating interactive games, singing, and practical activities, teaching becomes not just effective but also an enjoyable journey for both educators and children. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you teach letter sounds to beginners.

To teach letter sounds to beginners, start with introducing the alphabet visually and audibly, using engaging methods like alphabet songs, interactive games, and flashcards . Focus on one sound at a time, associating each letter with objects or words that begin with that sound.

How do you teach letters and sounds correctly?

Teaching letters and sounds correctly involves clear articulation of each letter’s sound, reinforcing the connection between the letter and its sound through repetition, and using visual aids and phonics games . It’s important to ensure learners can both recognize the letter and reproduce its sound accurately.

What is the best order to teach letter sounds?

The best order to teach letter sounds often starts with the most common and simplest sounds, such as the short vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) and easily pronounced consonants (m, s, t, p, f). This allows for early formation of simple words, motivating learners with quick progress.

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14 Apps That Actually Help Kids Learn to Read

T hese days, practically as soon as kids enter traditional kindergarten, they’re expected to be reading. Reading levels in school are deemed extremely important from the get-go, and the push for more academic early education has led to more kids underperforming in the earliest years of school. Because some kids may not be developmentally ready to read, have shorter attention spans or, in some cases, have learning differences that prevent them from reading, it can be a stressful experience.

As a mom who was told her daughter was falling behind in reading at the young age of five, I know the feeling well. While I didn’t exactly agree that my daughter needed to be a seasoned reader at five or even six, I worried most about how her confidence would be affected if she was falling behind her peers.

I tried to support her the best I could and found that a low-pressure approach worked best. We spent time reading together and practicing sounding out words, but playing reading games on an iPhone and tablet felt more like fun and less like work. I realized that when my kid was relaxed and playing games, rather than stressed or frustrated, she could absorb the information easier. Here are some of the best reading apps for kids that she still enjoys learning from and playing.

It’s all in the name. This app , which give access to 25,000 books with read-along technology, games and more, is truly epic.

Kids will have so much to do, they’ll never get bored reading stories of all kinds, learning phonics and just playing, as kids should.

Want to help kids reduce screen time and develop their imagination and creativity? Download Animopus from the App Store . Animopus is a drawing app for kids (ages 2 and up) that turns cartoon consumers into cartoon creators.

Another absolute favorite app is ABCmouse . The step-by-step learning path lets kids track their progress and earn rewards for their work.

While there’s tons of reading work to be done at various skill levels, there are more than 850 lessons overall. Those include digital books, puzzles, games, songs and animations that create a very interactive reading experience.

VocabularySpellingCity

Popular among homeschool families for its planning and tracking features, VocabularySpellingCity is not only filled with fun games, but is a quality reading tool to help kids learn to read.

Parents can set up year-long word study playlists and activities to keep kids busy, focused and constantly learning to read.

The creators of this app truly understood that fun makes learning easy, which is why it's filled with fun games that kids can choose based on their interests.

It’s designed for kids ages two to eight with age appropriate tasks for each level and grows with your child so they can start early as toddlers and keep the learning going into elementary school (and beyond).

The Starfall app offers multiple levels to encourage even the earliest readers to play along.

Beginning with ABCs to “I’m reading,” it lets kids practice with fun read-alongs, letter matching games and much more.

While not just for kids, this app is great for them. It allows you to download audiobooks from the local library instantly and listen on demand. Studies have shown that audiobooks are great for important reading skills, such as listening to sounds, as well as comprehension.

Even more, listening to stories is fun for timid readers, and with a world of books at their fingertips, Hoopla makes it easy.

Endless Reader

Kids love monsters, and with Endless Reader , they get to play with them.

The adorable creators will help them learn to recognize important sight words that are crucial to early reading with puzzles and letters that come alive and show them exactly what word they spelled. It's a good way to make the reading lessons memorable.

Hooked on Phonics

While Hooked on Phonics may be an oldie, the technology of the app is definitely a goodie. With more than 275 phonics activities, kids have tons to choose from, and it’s easy to find something that’s right for everyone.

The interactive games let kids practice essential reading skills while earning fun incentives at the same time. Plus, the app correlates to federal and state reading proficiency standards through first grade.

The best part about this app is the colorful and beautiful world of stories kids can choose from when playing. The narration brings each story to life and keeps kids engaged.

It’s been shown that kids read for longer periods of time when using it, and the read-along features make it easy to follow.

Amazon FreeTime

With access to tons of awesome and unique kids books, there is no shortage of reading time on this app .

And the best part? The parent dashboard feature makes it a unique experience, allowing you to set up educational goals and track your child’s reading from your own device.

Kids Academy

This app strikes the right note with kids because the experience is so personalized — something missing from most educational opportunities.

With Kids Academy’s engaging and adaptive experience, kids will get just what they need and find the learning course that engages them the most. With more than 5,000 activities, that could include educational games, interactive and printable worksheets, songs, puzzles and flashcards.

Dr. Seuss Treasury

Nobody does reading quite like Dr. Seuss, and the app is no exception.

With 55 Dr. Seuss books all in one place, kids can sort and search books, finding all their favorite characters, including the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch and the Lorax. It also allows them to record their own voice reading and learn new vocabulary with tappable words.

Reading Raven

This popular app for four- to eight-year-olds helps kids to read with its learning adventure guide.

It’s multi-sensory, has step-by-step lessons and hundreds of activities for kids to enjoy. The highly engaging content helps build confidence and reading skills at the same time.

Monkey Word School Adventure

This creative and intuitive app takes kids through phonics exercises to help their early reading skills begin to develop. They can trace letters, practice rhyming with a fun maze, practice spelling and more.

After every round, the game gives a reward — a plant or animal to add to a terrarium — making it even more fun to play, learn and earn!

Morris Goss learnt to read in his 40s. Advocates hope a 'structured literacy' teaching approach will help others

On a quiet weeknight, Morris Goss is curled up on the couch with his daughter, reading a book. 

The pair take turns reading pages aloud.

It's a treasured ritual for this family in Launceston, Tasmania, and one that Mr Goss doesn't take for granted; as he couldn't read until he was in his 40s.

"I couldn't do it. I couldn't break down the word to understand the word," he said.

Growing up on Tasmania's east coast, Mr Goss struggled in the classroom.

"Especially at exam time, everyone is sitting down and reading and writing and doing a test and you're looking at a page and you're thinking, 'I can't do this'.

Mr Goss worked as a trade assistant, doing jobs he could perform without having to read much.

"I'd empty bins and do all practical things. I used to … prep cars so painters could paint them, so I was more or less just a prep person."

While he was getting by with his practical skills, there were plenty of instances where words were a huge barrier for Mr Goss.

"Like the hospitals, you get forms and they've got really large words in them. It was hard," he said.

"Street names and stuff, that was a hassle."

When his daughter was born, Mr Goss was determined to read.

"So I could help her with schoolwork or just little things. I thought it was important to do that."

He found help at his local library through a free program called 26Ten.

With the help of tutors blocking out text in simple books and breaking down letter combinations into sounds, Mr Goss's world expanded.

"We'd go over it, then leave it alone for a little while and then go back over it and build on it, like building blocks."

Morris now uses his 'life-changing' skills with his daughter

Mr Goss' road to literacy was slow and steady as things started to click little by little.

But there's one moment that sticks out.

He was driving along a Launceston road he'd driven hundreds of times, staring at a word on a sign:

"I was looking at that sign for so long thinking, 'What's that word?'"

"And then it just clicked: Oh yeah, I know what that word is — it's a karate place where people can go and learn karate."

With regular classes over several years, Mr Goss learned to read enough to complete a TAFE course and an apprenticeship.

These days, he's a painter.

And he reads with his daughter every night.

"Sometimes she skips over words and I can say: 'No, you've got to do that one.'"

"It's been life-changing, with my employment and with my daughter."

We no longer know how many Australians are illiterate

Mr Goss is far from alone in his struggle to read.

In 2012, an international study from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found about 50 per cent of Tasmanians aged 15 to 74 were "functionally illiterate".

That statistic doesn't mean half of Tasmanians can't read a word, but it means their literacy levels are not high enough to do what modern life demands of them, such as filling out forms or reading instructions on medical prescriptions.

More than 10 years on, there's no comparable data to show where the literacy rate is now.

The previous federal Coalition government removed Australia from the following OECD study, so no updated statistic exists to demonstrate progress or lack thereof.

Literacy advocate Rosalie Martin is hopeful the rate has improved since 2012, even if there is no way to quantify the statistics.

"Since that data came out, there's been a tremendous amount of awareness building about the need to change the literacy rate not only in Tasmania, but right across the entire country," she said.

The Albanese government has begun its own survey to assess literacy levels, with results expected in 2026.

Structured approach to learning is key

Recent years have seen a nationwide push towards a "structured literacy" approach in schools across the country.

The structured literacy system teaches sounds from the "bottom up," as opposed to the "whole language" approach which relies on immersing children in language and counting on them to absorb it. Structured language includes phonics: the matching sounds with letters or groups of letters.

Last year, the Tasmanian government committed to implementing the structured approach in all schools by 2026.

A Department of Education spokesperson said "Qualiteach", a training program in structured literacy called was being rolled out, with nearly 5,000 teachers to start the program this year.

"All DECYP teaching and educational support staff are required to complete the first four foundational modules of Qualiteach by the end of 2024 and all 10 modules by the end of 2026," they said. 

Ms Martin is confident this will be a game changer for the literacy rate.

"When we implement these changes, and measure again, in another 10 or 12 years, I am extremely hopeful that we will have changed very significantly," she said.

That sentiment is shared by Morris Goss' tutor and 26ten coordinator Jess Panday.

Ms Panday said structured language — especially phonics — was the key to Mr Goss' success.

She said implementing this approach in schools would in future help people such as Mr Goss from reaching adulthood without the reading skills they needed.

"[Mr Goss], unfortunately, I think was caught in that 'whole language' approach … that's how you slip through the net if you can't just naturally absorb it," Ms Panday said.

"That's why it's so good that we've shifted now, in Tassie, and in many other states. I'm very excited as a literacy practitioner to see this is finally happening."

Program 'a community' for adult learners

Since 2012, nearly 5,000 people such as Morris Goss have joined 26Ten programs at local libraries.

"They say it takes a community to raise a child. It also takes a community to lift the literacy rate," Ms Panday said.

"So with Morris, we've had a number of tutors coming in working with him, we've been able to make sure that he gets the repetition that he needs.

"I think it's everybody's responsibility."

To Mr Goss, the structured language approach and supportive tutors were essential. But he needed something else too, which he had to find within himself.

"At the end of the day, it's up to me, it's up to the individual," he said.

"It's motivation and persistence."

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