# data[].attributes.body
SPLASH Learn is an app that uses both math and reading centered activities to help kids learn in a fun reliable way. Similar to Clever apps such as Lexia and Reflex, SPlash offers reading CVC activities, phonics sound exercises and other recourses that can give students practice in phonics ideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SplashLearn: Fun Math & ELA Program for PreK-Grade 5

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SplashLearn is an award-winning learning program loved by over 40 million kids for engaging Math and ELA practice. Aligned with Common Core and various state standards.

# data[].attributes.body
Learn With Homer is another digital site recourse for families to practice skills at home. Homer has many different apps for ages 4-and up. Some activities are kindergarten focused while others are more challenging. LWH has activities focused on phonics that can give students more practice at home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
HOMER | The Essential Early Learning Program and App for Kids 2-8

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
HOMER is the early learning program for ages 2-8 that is personalized to your child’s interests to help them fall in love with learning. Try it free for 30 days!

# data[].attributes.headline
We are Teachers is a fantastic resource for finding centers and even parent activities for students. This link has a list of 20 phonics focuses activities for teachers to utilize to better give students a chance to practice specific phonics sounds/spelling. 

# data[].attributes.subject
We are Teachers is a fantastic resource for finding centers and even parent activities for students. This link has a list of 20 phonics focuses activities for teachers to utilize to better give students a chance to practice specific phonics sounds/spelling. 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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

[contextly_auto_sidebar]

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.

Get all the latest teaching tips and ideas straight to your inbox when you sign up for our free newsletters!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
33 Fun Phonics Activities and Games for Early Readers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Help kids learn to read with phonics activities that break words into their basic sounds, like phonemes, digraphs, diphthongs, and more.

# data[].attributes.headline
IXL | Learn                             This sight not only has phonics focuses activities but others as well. The site has over 200 phonics focuses activities that a teacher can use during 1:1 groups, or during a lap top rotation where students can work on these apps on their own. Most of the apps are straight forward, click and listen, and challenge students.

# data[].attributes.subject
IXL | Learn                             This sight not only has phonics focuses activities but others as well. The site has over 200 phonics focuses activities that a teacher can use during 1:1 groups, or during a lap top rotation where students can work on these apps on their own. Most of the apps are straight forward, click and listen, and challenge students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
IXL brings learning to life with over 200 different phonics skills. Engaging questions and fun visuals motivate students to master new concepts.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading Rockets is a nice online hub where you can look up different apps geared toward academic topics. Their Phonics page has a list of links to phonics apps that unfortunately would require out of pocket payment unless one's particular school could add it to their Clever que.  While not a great one stop recourse this site is a good stepping stone in learning about other phonics geared apps students can do at school or at home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Phonics instruction helps children learn the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language. Children are taught, for example, that the letter ‘n’ represents the sound /n/, and that it is the first letter in words such as nose, nice, and new. We’ve found grea…

# data[].attributes.body
Pintrist! Sounds simple and not super academic, but Pintrist is a fantastic hub for inspiration and ideas regarding anchor charts. Often when I need to process what an anchor chart can look like, i get stressed because I don't know what would be the most appealing or successful in instruction for my students. Pintrist helps pinpoint me to an idea I like so I can use it as a reference for my own anchor charts. At Rocketship and other schools, Anchor Charts are essential teaching tools that not only help teachers, but students as well especially ELA students who need the extra visionary support.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 Perfect Anchor Charts for Teaching Phonics and Blends | Teaching phonics, Phonics, Kindergarten reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sep 12, 2017 - We love these phonics charts and blends anchor charts from real classrooms. Your readers will master difficult subjects and build confidence!

# data[].attributes.body
Teachers pay teachers has some great interactive anchor chart visuals, print outs, activities. Teachers pay teachers has clear what to dos, cute visual skids can understand and of course you are supporting other educators when you purchase. Teachers Pay teachers also has the ability to choose different grades.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Interactive Anchor Chart Phonics Worksheets & Teaching Resources | TpT

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Browse interactive anchor chart phonics resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a fun site that has phonics anchor charts in print format that teachers can print themselves. This is a great way for other teachers to connect, similar to Teachers Pay teachers, where other educators post material. In addition to anchor charts this site also has reading material alongside class activities that go along with the subject matter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anchor charts are one of my favorite instructional tools. The only problem is that they're a bit time-consuming to make each week. I am a perfectionist, so I would draw the pictures and would hate them. The lettering would not be as perfect as I wanted it to be. And I just don't have time to create them for all subjects. It's a lot! So, when I found out you could print in poster size through Adobe on any printer, I got the idea to make my anchor charts in PPT and then print them through Adobe. They print out on four pieces of paper; you just have to piece them together.

I recently created a set of Interactive Anchor Charts for Phonics. I teach first grade, and phonics is a foundational component of reading. I thought these would be a great visual for my students to refer to throughout a unit. Next week, we are learning all about soft c, g, and -dge. I use the anchor charts to introduce them to the new phonics skill. We discuss the rule, which is included at the top of the poster, first. I then point out the pictures. I model how to stretch out and write the sounds in each word. I am also modeling proper handwriting and letter formation at the same time.

You can also have students think of some words that include that spelling pattern. I have them write their words on a sticky note and add them to the anchor chart. You can also print the posters in black and white and have students color in the pictures. These two things give students ownership over the creation of the poster.

Printing poster size is super easy in Adobe! I provide step-by-step instructions within the resource. The page will print on four pieces of paper. You just have to cut and piece them together. I use tape to connect the pieces.

This is our Long I anchor chart from last week. As an exit ticket, students had to use one of the long i words in a sentence. You could have them do this on their whiteboard or on a sticky note and add it to the anchor chart. There are so many little assessments you can do with these!

If you really want your students to feel a sense of ownership over the creation of anchor charts within your classroom, as well as to keep them more engaged, let them create their own mini anchor chart. I print two posters to one page. They then can glue them into a phonics journal. I print these in black and white so that students can color the pictures, as well as to save ink.

You can find the contents below of the Phonics Anchor Charts for the entire year below. You can click on any of the pics to check them out in my shop if you think they might be beneficial to add to your phonics instruction. I think they will serve as a great tool for you and your students! Thanks for stopping by!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anchor charts are one of my favorite instructional tools. The only problem is that they're a bit time-consuming to make each week. I am a perfectionist, so I would draw the pictures and would hate them. The lettering would not be as perfect as I wanted it to be.

# data[].attributes.body
Phonics Crafts -
I did use TPT for anchor charts as well, but I cannot stress this site enough- it is my go to recourse for many of my class activities.

For centers, I love taking phonics graphic organizers and flash cards from this site. This give students a chance to practice phonics in a more hands on experience that is both educational and fun!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This bundle includes all 21 phonics crafts from the 3 Phonics Crafts kits. These crafts go along with short and long vowels, digraphs, and r-controlled vowels.

Please click on each individual resource listing to read more details about each phonics craft pack!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This bundle includes all 21 phonics crafts from the 3 Phonics Crafts kits. These crafts go along with short and long vowels, digraphs, and r-controlled vowels. Please click on each individual resource listing to read more details about each phonics craft pack!

# data[].attributes.body
This site has some awesome printable games that explore various phonics patterns and diagraphs. This is a fun recourse to use for centers and even a whole class activities with partners. Games are an excellent way to bond as a class and keep students engaged in the subject matter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What I Have Learned © 2021 | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Refund Policy

# data[].attributes.body
Wilson was a normal standard site I found with a list of physical/group activity games for students. I wanted to find more physical games since kinetic activities can help kids (who prefer being active) a chance to better internalize phonics skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Internet TESL Journal Matthew Wilson
educationaladvisor [at] gmail.com
Sendai Board of Education, (Sendai, Japan)

Introduction

Getting students to discover and practice the connections between letters and the sounds they represent should be an important part of any English class routine. The following activities can be adjusted to meet different levels and adapted to fit into any timeframe. Please note that not every activity you do in class has to be extremely challenging. Simple ideas that everybody is able to accomplish can work wonders with student confidence which, in turn, can increase motivation.

The following are ten activities that can assist you in practicing phonics at any point in your lesson:

Letters on the Board

At first, the teacher writes some letters on the board. The teacher reads out a word, one at a time, and asks the students to try and spell each word using only the letters on the board. It is always a good idea to stop after the first word in order to write the correct spelling on the board. This can then be used as a reference point for the students for successive words. After reading out five to ten words, go through the spellings of each word. Also, limit the number of vowel sounds you practice as the variety of sounds they represent can be really challenging for students, especially beginners.

Speed Reading

Write a number of words on the board. If necessary, go over the pronunciation of each word. Then read through a list of the same words at a good speed leaving out only one of the words. The students should be listening to you read the list of words while following along on the board. After you are finished, they tell you which word (words) you didn't read out. This activity can be targeted for a higher level by adjusting the vocabulary used, the speed you read, the number of words you leave off, or by doing additional tasks (e.g., like telling you which word you read wasn't on the board).

Battleship Phonics

This is based on the popular game Battleship. The teacher would draw a grid on the board with initial sounds written across the top, and medial and final sounds written together down the left side of the grid. You would let the students know that you have chosen a few squares as 'special squares' that they should seek out. They find these squares by volunteering to say a whole word made up of a letter at the top and the side of the grid. The intersection of this row and column highlights a particular square. The object is for the students to find all your designated special locations.

Phonics Bingo

Write a good number of sounds on the board, e.g., pha, ma, la, ga. The students would choose a designated number of sounds you wrote and write them on an available space for writing. You would then play this like bingo and read out the sounds one by one. The students can get bingo when they have three of their sounds chosen or all of their sounds chosen. It is a good idea to go over all of the sounds written on the board beforehand to help ease comprehension.

Criss-cross Phonics

All the students stand up. To begin, show a word or a picture. The first student to raise their hand gets called upon and if they can correctly say the first (or last) sound of that word they can sit down and choose if the people in their row, horizontally or vertically, can also sit down. Gradually, there are fewer and fewer students standing. When you no longer have rows to choose from, only individual students would sit. Words and images could also be written/drawn on the blackboard if the teacher had no time to prepare cards.

Missing Sound

Draw or show an image on the blackboard. Beside the image, write all but one of the sounds. For example, there is a picture of a dog on the board, you write 'og' beside it and the students have to provide you with the missing sound, not the letter. This can be made into a group contest or a simple whole-class exercise where you would give the class time to think of the answer and get everyone to say the answer at the same time.

Two Sounds

Good to practice sound distinction. Have two words on the board representing the two different sounds you would like to practice, e.g., MEN, MAN. You would then show the students pictures and get them to put those words under the appropriate column. For example, you show a picture of a pen, the students should write 'pen' under the MEN column. (If you are dealing with beginners, they could just mark their choice with an 'X' under the column instead of asking them to write out the words. You would, however, have to give numbers before every word to help everybody keep track of choices.)

Beginning/Middle/End

Students copy down the chart you provided on the board which is divided into three sections. You can label the three sections, 'beginning', 'middle' and 'end' in English or the native language of your students. You would focus on a specific sound and read out words containing that sound. The students would have to decide if that sound was found in the beginning, middle or end of the word by writing the sound in that appropriate column. This is a good listening activity with some implications for positive phonics reinforcement.

Ball and Cap Game

The students pass around a hat and a ball. When the music stops, the student with the hat must take out a piece of paper with a letter or letters written on it then read out its sound, not the letter name. The student with the ball must guess the letter(s). In lieu of music, the teacher can simply have his back turned and call out "stop".

Pen and Eraser

Students have a pen and an eraser in front of them. You have two sounds you would like to practice, e.g., 'f' and 'v' sounds, and designate one sound for the pen and one sound for the eraser. When you say a word beginning with one of those sounds, the students should pick up the appropriate object (for upper levels, the sound can be in any part of the word not just the beginning). If you say a word not incorporating one of the sounds, the students should make a big X with their arms. This can evolve into a pair contest with one pen and one eraser for every two students. The students would aim to be the quickest to pick up the object after you read out a word.

Concluding Remarks

Matching sounds to letters and letters to sounds can be quite a tricky and daunting task when students are learning English. Activities such as these are simple to initiate, easily adaptable, and are good ways to practice and enforce English phonics.

The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XIV, No. 4, April 2008
http://iteslj.org/ http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Wilson-PhonicsActivities.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ten Simple Phonics Activities Requiring Little Preparation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Internet TESL Journal Matthew Wilsoneducationaladvisor [at] gmail.comSendai Board of Education, (Sendai, Japan) Getting students to discover and practice the connections between letters and the sounds they represent should be an important part of any English class routine. The following activities can be adjusted to meet different levels and adapted to fit into any timeframe.

# data[].attributes.body
Ms. Will's class room is a fun teacher site that has some fun class games for students to play! This site has very clear directions, fun visuals and easy to print out materials.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fun Classroom Phonics Games to Support Kindergarten Literacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Classroom phonics games to support beginning and ending sounds, blends, digraphs, CVC & CVCe words. Your kindergarten students will love racing each other to complete their game card in these fun phonics activities.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.education.com/worksheets/word-patterns/

What a great resource! Many awesome print out activities for centers, HW, or other use- I liked how user friendly this site is and how professional the lay out of the sheets are.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Award winning educational materials like worksheets, games, lesson plans and activities designed to help kids succeed. Start for free now!

# data[].attributes.body
This is also a great online resource for kids- I liked how these recourses were visually different than some of the others I have seen. Their collection isn't huge but I did like their lay out.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Phonics Worksheets for Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free, printable phonics worksheets to develop strong language skills. More than 1,500 ELA activities. Click to learn more!

# data[].attributes.body
A great recourse of fun kinetic activities for kids to get active and learn at the same time!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Physical Phonics Games - Teach Your Monster to Read

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Phonics games to play in the classroom, hall or playground. These are perfect games for covering different phases of phonics throughout the school year.

# data[].attributes.body
This site is more geared towards preschool and kindergarten but still a nice resource site none the less.
This site has a bit more of a better break down of different parts of phonics such as phonemes and consonants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sounds and phonics worksheets for preschool and kindergarten, including beginning sounds, consonants, vowels and rhyming. These worksheets help kids learn to use letters to make sounds and words. Free phonics worksheets from K5 Learning; no login required.