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Beginning Sounds Phonics Worksheets for Kindergarten
Teaching individual sounds in words is one of the most important phonics skills for kindergarten students to learn. As a former kindergarten teacher, I understand the huge correlation of understanding beginning phonics sounds and reading words.
Today I’m sharing my absolute favorite beginning sounds phonics worksheets to use in kindergarten and telling you all the reasons why it will make your teacher life easier!
Why Is It Important to Teach Beginning Sounds?
First let’s chat really quickly about why it is so important to teach beginning sounds to young kids. Well basically, it helps set up the entire foundation for reading and writing!
Once students know what letter a word starts with and the sound that a certain letter makes, it helps them to start to sound out and read the word.
In addition, as students figure out words based on initial sounds while reading, they will actually also develop more independent writing skills. Learning these initial sounds helps in linking a child’s oral language skills to written language skills!
How Do You Teach Beginning Letter Sounds to Kindergarten?
Teaching beginner letter sounds can sometimes feel overwhelming if you are a preschool or kindergarten teacher but I promise it doesn’t have to be!
Here’s my biggest piece of advice…
MAKE IT FUN!
When kids are engaged and having fun, they actually won’t even realize that they are learning!
I always found it best to have a mix of visual, auditory and tactile learning experiences for my kinder babies.
Beginning Sounds Phonics Worksheets for Kindergarten
Did you know that coloring activities actually make learning less intimidating for kids?
Kids love coloring, and it makes learning more fun and a lot less scary for them. When teachers add art to lessons, it makes learning feel more like playtime, which can help them enjoy it even more. This way, they start to really like learning from the beginning!
This is especially true when you give a child a worksheet to complete (which all kindergarten teachers do because we just have to sometimes!)
This is why one of my favorite ways to see if students could identify beginning sounds was to use these letter sound coloring pages.
When kids color pictures that match the starting sound of a letter, it helps them remember which sound goes with which letter. (aka-visual reinforcement)
So, if they color things that start with “a” like an apple or an ant, then they learn that “a” makes the /ah/ sound. This makes learning letters and their sounds easier and more fun for them!
More Reasons to Use Coloring Pages to Work on Beginning Sounds:
Let’s break it down:
It’s multi-sensory learning: When kids use their eyes and hands together to learn, they actually remember things better.
It involves active participation from the students: Young kids learn best through active participation. Coloring pictures that begin with a particular sound encourages them to actively search for and identify objects that match the target sound. This hands-on approach promotes active engagement in the learning process.
Easy to Differentiate: Coloring activities can be differentiated to suit every child’s learning styles and abilities. Teachers can adjust the complexity of the pictures or the number of beginning sound options provided based on what each student needs. This helps to make sure that each student gets the right level of support or challenge that they need!
Is It Better to Teach Letter Names or Sounds?
The answer to this question is both! Kids need to know the correct letters of the alphabet and the sound that each letter makes.
Knowing and understanding both of these phonics skills will help them to develop into better readers. So in my opinion, you need to take a balanced approach in this area.
For example, teachers may introduce a letter by teaching its name, its sound and words that begin with that letter simultaneously.
Teaching Letter Names First
When we start by teaching children the names of the letters, it lays the groundwork for their future reading and writing skills.
Knowing the names of the letters helps them recognize them in books and when writing their own words.
However, it’s essential to remember that focusing only on letter names might not directly help children understand how letters make sounds, which is also crucial for reading.
Teaching Letter Sounds First
If we begin by teaching kids the sounds that letters make, it helps them understand the basic principle of how letters work in words.
This approach is vital for building their ability to hear and identify individual sounds in spoken words, which is a key skill for reading.
However, we should remember that only focusing on letter sounds might not cover everything they need to know, especially when it comes to recognizing letters by their names or understanding alphabetical order.
The best approach for teaching early literacy skills is to be flexible to your student’s needs and assess from there.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: The Best Games for Practicing Letter Recognition
What are the First Sounds to Teach?
You will most likely rely on your district’s phonics curriculum for this but research says the best thing to do is to start with the most common and easily identifiable sounds found in words first.
Typically it is letters that are found frequently in common words such as: s, a, t, m, p, i n.
Vowels are always taught with learning their short sound first. This way using the letters above, students can start to sound out and create a variety of CVC words.
Other Activities for Teaching Beginning Sounds in Kindergarten
Overall, coloring pictures that start with the beginning sound listed is a good idea because it combines hands-on learning, visual reinforcement, creativity and fun!
If you are looking for some other engaging activities for teaching beginning sounds in kindergarten, here are some ideas:
Teaching Beginning Sound Ideas for Visual Learners
Teaching Beginning Sound Ideas for Auditory Learners
- Play I Spy: The teacher says “I spy an item in the room that starts with ___ (insert letter sound).” This requires them to listen carefully to the sound you say and then they can begin guessing items in the classroom.
- Sound Discrimination Games: students listen to pairs of words and identify whether they start with the same beginning sound or different ones.
- Phonics Songs and Rhymes: Use catchy phonics songs and rhymes that emphasize beginning sounds. Encourage students to listen carefully to the sounds in the words and participate in singing along. You can find many resources online like this one on Youtube by Jack Hartmann or you can create your own simple songs and chants focusing on specific beginning sounds.
Teaching Beginning Sound Ideas for Tactile Learners
- Use Alphabet Building Mats: Use items such as play dough, mini erasers, wikki stix or dry erase markers to build the letter on the mat. Then say the sound and an item that begins with that letter.
- Sensory Letter Tracing: Have your kinder babies touch and trace letters with their fingers in sand, beans, salt or shaving cream on a table. They can say the sounds as they trace. This helps them learn how letters are made and what sounds they make.
