In this popcorn blends activity, K-2nd Grade children spin a blend, sort 12 picture cards into popcorn boxes and fill in a practice page, with an answer key included for quick checking.
Using the Blends, Digraphs, and Trigraphs Activity, students create lists of words that have beginning and ending blends, digraphs, or trigraphs.
Using the Consonant Sounds Activity, students use the ice cream cone letters and scoop picture cards to identify beginning consonant sounds of words.
Using the Word Work Activity, students practice writing words by color coding consonants and vowels to build their spelling skills.
This beginning and ending sounds activity uses 12 picture clip cards and a recording sheet so preschool to 1st grade students find first and last letters. Answer key included.
Using the Feeling Bright Great and Proud R Consonant Blends Activity, students sort the words into the correct blend headings to build their reading fluency skills.
This l blend activity has 1st and 2nd grade students match picture cards to word cards and sort words by bl, cl, fl, pl and sl. Answer key included.
Using the Final Consonants Activity, students use the gumball machines to sort picture sounds based on final consonant sounds.
This short and long vowel a CVCe activity gives 1st and 2nd grade readers 24 word cards for a silent e matching game, a sort mat and a practice page. Answer key included.
Using the Beginning Sounds B, P Activity, students sort the pictures cards into two beginning sounds categories, B and P.
This CVC short vowel sounds activity has kindergarten and 1st grade students read CVC word cards and sort them under five snowmen by vowel. Answer key included.
This CVC word mats activity helps preschool to 2nd grade students build and spell short vowel words with letter tiles, with a practice page and an answer key included.
consonants activity, consonant sounds activity, phonics activity
Using the Blending S Blends Activity, students sort the pictures cards into s blend categories, sn-, sk-, sl-, sm- and sp-.
Using the Brick Breaker Consonant Blends Activity, students identify the beginning consonants blends in common words using picture cards.
In this consonant digraphs ch sh th wh activity, Kindergarten to 3rd Grade students sort 16 picture-word cards by their first sound, with an answer key included for easy checking.
This hard and soft c g sounds activity lets 1st to 3rd grade students sort picture cards by the sound c or g makes, with a practice page and answer key included.
A CVC vowel activity for preschool to 2nd grade with 15 picture clip cards, a write-the-word sheet and a practice page. Answer key included to check every short vowel.
Using the Beginning Consonants Baseball Activity, students play Baseball to practice identifying the beginning consonants of words.
Using the Blends Mini Book Activity, students create mini books about blends to practice using words with beginning blends in sentences.
B, C, D and all their friends
Consonants are the 21 letters that are not vowels, and they do most of the work at the start and end of words. Kids begin by matching each consonant to its sound and hearing it at the beginning of a word: b, b, ball. Next come blends, where two sounds stay separate but slide together (st, fl, gr), and digraphs, where two letters make one new sound (sh, ch, th, wh, ph). Later they meet the tricky ones, like hard and soft c and g in cat and city. Once consonants are automatic, kids can sound out almost any short word.
Consonant sounds should be quick and crisp. These moves keep them clear and keep kids practicing.
Model each sound without an extra "uh" on the end: say /b/, not "buh". That tiny habit makes blending so much easier later, because b-a-t blends into "bat" instead of "buh-a-tuh". Have kids hold a hand under their chin and feel the sound stop fast.
Why it works: the National Reading Panel found that systematic, explicit phonics teaching clearly improves how children learn to read.
Try it withBeginning Sounds B C D Pictures WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Start the day with an alphabet song or lesson that says the letter name, the sound and a picture word. Kids join in on the sounds after a few days. Music gives shy readers a safe way to practice out loud.
Why it works: a catchy, repeating tune gives the brain a hook to hang words on, so sung text is remembered better (Wallace, 1994).
Try it withAlphabet Micro LessonVideosOpen it →When you reach digraphs, write sh on one hand and ch on the other. Call a word and kids point to the hand that matches the first sound. Quick, silly and moving, which is exactly how digraphs stop getting mixed up.
Why it works: in a well-known study, a few short sessions of a simple number board game measurably boosted young children's number skills (Ramani and Siegler, 2008).
Try it withConsonant Digraphs WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Letter sounds are more fun with a little competition and a lot of noise.
GamesPlay a quick letter game for the sound of the day, then hunt the room for things that start with it.
Open Letter B Game →
WorksheetsPut s on a card and t, p, n and l on others. Kids pair them up and say the blend fast: st, sp, sn, sl!
Open S Blends Worksheet →
WorksheetsSort words like goat, giant, cake and city into hard and soft piles. Kids discover the e, i, y pattern on their own.
Open Hard G and Soft G Worksheet →Teacher favorites right now: Popcorn Blends Activity, Blends, Digraphs, and Trigraphs Activity and Consonant Sounds Activity.
There are 21 consonants in English: every letter except a, e, i, o and u. The letter y can act as a consonant (yes) or a vowel (gym, my).
In a blend, you still hear both sounds, as in st or fl. In a digraph, two letters make one brand new sound, as in sh, ch or th.
Many teachers start with high-use letters like s, m, t, p, n and c so kids can build real words right away. Blends and digraphs usually come after kids can read short vowel words like cat and sit.
Usually in 1st or 2nd grade. When c or g comes before e, i or y, it usually makes its soft sound, like in city and giant.
Loved by 2 million teachers & families
Printables, songs and games for every subject, Preschool through 6th. Ready to teach today, and kids beg for more.
