Phonics Games

Support your aspiring reader!

Phonics games are a fun way to support early reading skills! These games can be done at home, in the car, while waiting at an appointment, or anywhere you desire! Remember to make it fun and refer to the suggested time durations to maximize engagement. Be mindful that forcing word games upon kids or extending them for too long can turn kids away from them altogether. As always, KEEP IT FUN :)

Search for the Sound

Children walk around the house and look for items that begin with a specific letter sound (i.e. /s/) and put the items into a bag or basket. At the end, discuss each item and sound out the initial sound together. Check out my video for more tips!

This 'Phonics Game' is perfect for kids in preschool and kindergarten! This is an easy activity to do anytime/anywhere with no prep work required!

Game Duration: Allow 15- 20 minutes (with some parent support)

Game Directions:

  1. Select a letter for your child to focus on.

  2. Review the sound(s) that letter makes and give them an example of something that begins with that letter sound.

  3. Give your child a bag or basket and ask them to collect things around the house that begin with that sound.

  4. After 10- 15 minutes, ask your child to tell you about the items they picked.

  5. Help them sound out each item to double check if it begins with the selected letter.

Tips from an Educator's Perspective:

  • Start with a letter that has one sound (b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v)

  • Vowels (a, e, i, o, u) may be too challenging for preschoolers, unless your child has been practicing these through a phonics program at school.

  • Letters that can make two different sounds may be too challenging for preschoolers, as well. These include letters that can make a hard or soft sound, such as C and G.

  • This activity can be made more challenging by selecting a vowel or tougher letter sound (reviewed above).

Word Family Fun

Word families are groups of words that have the same combination of letters in them (i.e. -at; -ing; -unk)

Support your child's understanding of word families by brainstorming words within the same family. Check out my video for tips to make this fun!


Stay Tuned for the Video Coming Soon!