Preschool Phonics Ideas

Try these simple preschool phonics ideas for some learning fun! It's easy to adapt well-known games that kids already know how to play for some letter-learning fun!

Here's a peek at the printable page for our first two games. Keep reading below for the full text, as well as a third fun learning game!

Printable Version of I Spy and Hide and Seek

I Spy

There are lots of ways to put a phonics twist on this fun, familiar game. Here are a few ideas:

1. Say, "I spy something that starts with the same sound as ball.  Name the letter and find the object." 

2. Say, "I spy something that starts with the "b" sound. It is not a ball. It is not a book. What is it?"

3. Say, "I spy something that starts with B. It is under a W word and on top of an SH word. What is it?  (This could be a book that's under a window and on top of a shelf.) This version covers several initial sounds and simple prepositions.

Hide and Seek

Here's a preschool phonics adaptation of another classic game.

1. Divide your class into groups of 4-6 students each.

2. Give each group a different, distinct object that can be hidden. (Ideas: yellow tennis ball, green whistle, a special book, etc.)

3. One student hides the object somewhere in the classroom while the others in the group close their eyes.

4. When he's finished, the students open their eyes. The "hider" gives the other students clues, such as,  "I hid the object next to a T object," or "I hid the object under a C object and on top of a B object."  (That could be under the clock and on top of a book.)

5. The student who finds the object first becomes the hider for the next round.

I'm Going on a Trip

Here's a peek at the printable version of  I'm Going on a Trip. The full text also appears below. It's a great way to reinforce beginning sounds with any group of preschoolers. Parents, you can play this one at home, too!

Here's a preschool phonics adaptation of another classic game.

1. Divide your class into groups of 4-6 students each.

2. Choose one consonant for the first round. For this example, we'll begin with H. Tell students that each of them will choose a different item that begins with H to take on a trip. They will also have to remember which item everyone else in their group is taking.

3. You may wish to start the round as an example. Say, "I am going on a trip, and I am taking a handbag." Instruct the first student to repeat your item, and add another H word. For example, she might say, "I am going on a trip. I am taking a handbag and a hamburger." The next person might say, " I am taking a handbag, a hamburger, and a horse!"  You can easily see how much fun it will be for your students to practice their beginning consonants!

4.  After each student has had one or more turns with the first consonant, begin a new round with a different consonant.

More Preschool Phonics Activities

You may also be interested in these links:

Letter Lane - A phomenic awareness board game that features beginning consonant sounds for the letters b,d,f and m. No reading is necessary.

Interactive Preschool Phonics Game - Kids can check their answers right away as they select the correct initial letter for many easy images.

Memory Matches - Use a familiar format to give kids lots of practice in matching pictures the beginning letters. Our free printable playing cards for the entire alphabet makes it easy!

Phonics Printables - 2 super-simple worksheets for beginners, featuring the letters  b, c, d, f, g, and h as initial consonants. Children will match pictures to consonants and trace both the upper and lower case letters.  On this page, you'll also find links to more printables with lots of fun practice with other consonants.  

Alphabet Phonics Booklet - Students customize their own pages in this fun and engaging A to Z phonics activity. Here are two sample pages from the complete booklet. Go to the webpage to print the entire pdf booklet, so your kids can begin today!

Alphabet printables: All spelling begins with letters. These worksheets cover ABC order for beginners.  Page one has letters for kids to cut out, then paste in order. Page two, shown here, has missing beginning consonants, and a challenge to rewrite the words in ABC order. Adult help may be needed. 

ABC Phonics Poem - Our ABC phonics poem is a fun AND funny way to learn about initial sounds. This parrot with a pickle is just one small example. Please read the entire poem and see if you agree. Then try our ideas for making the most of it at home or in the classroom! You'll find the ideas at listed on the web page. 

Ann Richmond Fisher is a longtime published educational writer, a former classroom teacher and a former homeschool teacher. Ann's spelling bee resources, graded spelling word lists, spelling games, worksheets, and other language arts resources have become respected around the globe since she launched Spelling-Words-Well in 2010.

Ann is also the creator of www.word-game-world.com.

Visit my YouTube Channel for fun spelling practice videos!

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