A toy-brick peek-a-boo game where preschool kids tap the moles holding a big B, a little b and pictures that start with B. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A carnival water-squirter letter A sound game where kindergarten kids squirt the targets with the short a and long a sounds, from apple and acorn to cat and cake. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A starry dot-to-dot game where preschool kids tap the stars with a big C, a little c and pictures that start with C. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A balloon-popping party game where preschool kids pop a big D, a little d and pictures that start with D. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
This CVC Word Sounds Worksheet has Kindergarten readers say six pictures and fill in the bubble beside the CVC word with the matching sounds. Answer key included for quick, no-prep phonics practice.
This free Alphabet Stories Letter A Reading Comprehension Worksheet pairs a short letter A story with fill-in-the-bubble questions for kindergarten readers. Includes an answer key — a fun, no-prep way to practice phonics and comprehension.
A gem-cracking game where preschool kids tap the gems with a big G, a little g and pictures that start with G. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A fishing game where preschool kids reel in a big F, a little f and pictures that start with F. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A retro 8-bit space jet game where preschool kids blast a big J, a little j and pictures that start with J, then beat Bomzy. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A helicopter rescue game where preschool kids tap a big H, a little h and pictures that start with H. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A flashlight hunt game where preschool kids find a big L, a little l and pictures that start with L. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A jungle monkey game where preschool kids tap the monkeys to find a big M, a little m and pictures that start with M. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
An outback adventure game where preschool kids find a big K, a little k and pictures that start with K. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A picture-clue Spelling CVC Words Worksheet that helps kindergarten students hear and write the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in simple three-letter words. Answer key included for quick, no-prep phonics practice.
A kawaii kitten game where preschool kids tap the yarn ball with the big Y so the kitten can play with it, help a kitten pounce on the little y, and find the pictures that start with Y. Every right answer feeds a kitten a yum-yum treat. Play online on…
A zipline zoo game where preschool kids catch a big Z, a little z and pictures that start with Z, then tuck the wound-up Bomzies in for a nap in a bonus round. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A castle fair archery game where preschool kids tap a target or pull back a bow to shoot a big Q, a little q and pictures that start with Q. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A star-catching game where preschool kids catch a big N, a little n and pictures that start with N. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A taco truck game where preschool kids find the shell with a big T, a little t and pictures that start with T. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
An ice cream shop adventure game where preschool kids find a big S, a little s and pictures that start with S. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
Ball starts with /b/!
Hearing the first sound in a word is one of the very first reading skills. Kindergartners learn to listen to a word like "ball," pull off that first sound, /b/, and match it to the letter b. They sort pictures by their starting sound, find words that start the same, and use the first letter as a clue when they read. This skill comes before blending and spelling whole words. The click moment is when a child points at a picture of a sun and says "That's /s/, like my name, Sam!"
Kindergartners learn beginning sounds by listening, sorting and playing. Here's how we do it.
Give kids a pile of picture cards and three letter headers like B, C and D. They say each picture name slowly, listen for the first sound and place it under the right letter. Saying the word out loud is the key step, so encourage big, slow voices.
Why it works: teaching letter sounds directly and in order is one of the best-supported findings in reading research (National Reading Panel, 2000).
Try it withBeginning Sounds B C D Pictures WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Play a quick sound game where kids tap pictures that start with /a/. Then switch to a new letter. Short rounds keep five-year-olds focused and give lots of practice in a few minutes.
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 withLetter A Sound GameGamesOpen it →Read a short story packed with T words and stop at each one: "Tiger. /t/ /t/ tiger!" Kids join in on the first sound. Then they circle every T word they can find.
Why it works: showing first, practicing together, then letting kids try alone is the "gradual release" model teachers have relied on for decades (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it withAlphabet Stories Letter T Reading Comprehension WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →These quick games make listening for sounds feel like play.
WorksheetsPull an object from a bag and say its first sound. Kids guess the letter, then check the picture page.
Open Beginning Sounds M N P Pictures Worksheet →
WorksheetsLay pictures on the floor. Kids hop to the one that starts with the sound you call out.
Open Beginning Sounds J K L Worksheet - Pictures →
Worksheets"I spy something that starts with /f/." Kids look around the room, then circle F pictures on their page.
Open Beginning Sounds F, G, H, J Worksheet →Teacher favorites right now: Letter B Game, Letter A Sound Game and Letter C Game.
A beginning sound is the first sound you hear in a word, like /d/ in dog. Matching that sound to its letter is an early reading skill taught in preschool and kindergarten.
Play "I Spy" with sounds, sort toys by their first sound, and read alphabet books. Say words slowly and stretch out the first sound.
That's common. Practice the difference: the letter name is "bee," but the sound is /b/. Songs and games that focus on sounds help.
Ending sounds, then middle sounds, then blending all the sounds to read simple words like cat.
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