More Beginning Phonics Worksheets
Helping children learn the names of the 26 letters and the sound(s) each letter makes is an integral part of any preschool or kindergarten curriculum. When children begin school with this knowledge, they are poised to jump into more advance pre-reading activities such as learning letter blends (the sounds made when two or more letters combine, such as sh or th), developing an expansive sight word vocabulary and mastering advanced phonics rules.
A few months ago, I created a small group of worksheets that highlight the initial sounds in words. It is extremely important for children to be able to isolate and identify sounds in the beginning position in words since this is a foundation skill for reading or writing. It turns out these worksheets were a huge hit! And now that I have completed the Alphabet Parade and there are worksheets available to introduce children to every letter, I wanted to create a few more letter sounds worksheets.
(If the new worksheets do not appear when you click on the above image that links to the letter sounds worksheets, just refresh your browser and they should appear.)
The most effective way to help your child gain comfort isolating and identifying the initial sound in words is through practice. In addition to completing these letter sounds worksheets and letter sounds memory games, you can try a few simple activities to further develop your child’s comfort identifying the individual sounds letters make and hearing those sounds when they are in the initial position in words.
For example, create a personalized alphabet book with your child using construction paper. Boldly write a letter at the top of a piece of paper and clip all 26 sheets of paper together. Let your child flip through a magazine and cut out different pictures he sees. After many pictures have been cut out, let your child select one picture at a time and paste it on the piece of paper with the letter that matches the beginning sound of the picture. To make this activity easier, you might ask your child to choose one or two letters in his “alphabet book” and look only for pictures that start with the sound of those letters.
As another activity, when you and your child are shopping or driving in the car, ask him to point out words on street signs, advertisements, labels, or displays that begin with a specific letter. When your child spots the correct letter, read aloud the entire word for him and ask him to repeat it aloud. This will provide practice saying words that begin with a specific sound.
If you have any questions about how to use these worksheets or if you’re searching for additional activities to try at home or in the classroom, please comment below and I will respond to you. Even if you do not have a question, consider commenting below just to say hi!
