5 Phonemic Awareness Games to Help Your Child Learn How to Read WITHOUT Actually Reading

Feb 29

Written By Unboxable Learning

Sound I - Spy:
Play “I-Spy” with a focus on initial sounds. For example, you could say, “Find me something that starts with the /s/ sound” as you look at an I-Spy picture or picture book. You could also use our printable version here. This version is included in our September Preschool Box.
Word Squares (as seen on Instagram):
Cut out the three colored squares at the top of the page. The word list is for YOU (the parent or teacher). We did the work and color-coded the words for you, so you can have an easier time completing the activity.
See this in action: check out our Instagram post here.
Download the activity here.
Sound Puzzles
Parents/teachers: Cut out the letter puzzles. Have your little ones match the pictures to the letter sounds they start with. Sound puzzles like this one can be found in either our November or March Preschool Box as part of our phonemic awareness activity for the month.
Sound B-I-N-G-O
This game is best suited for preschoolers closer to 4 years old. The rules of BINGO may be confusing for some of the younger players, but each child is different - so just play along to your child’s abilities. This printable from 123Homeschool4Me is a great FREE resource!
Sound Sorting
Have a few baskets or bowls laying around the house? Great! Grab three of them and label each one with a specific sound. When I first started playing this game with my little one, I used the sounds /a/ /c/ and /m/. As they get older, you can start using harder sounds (like digraphs or blends) such as /sh/ or /ow/. Cut out pictures that start with the sounds on the baskets. (For older kids the digraphs or blends could be in any part of the word - not just the beginning). Have your little one sort the pictures into the corresponding baskets.
See this in action: check out our Instagram post here.