phonics

10 Best Phonics activities for toddlers/ preschoolers

Reading and writing skills form the foundation of all education and learning. Hence, it is but natural for parents to look for activities to make the child interested in reading from an early age. One tried and tested method of introducing language is through Phonics activities. Here we list a few activities that will help you teach Phonics to your child:

1. Alphabet Hopping:
This game will keep your toddler busy while learning and reinforcing Phonics. Mark alphabets or a combination of alphabets ( like ch, sh for advanced learners) on the floor using coloured paper or tape. Roll the dice and let the child take the allotted number of hops to an alphabet and then let him tell what sound the alphabet makes.

2. Mystery Box:
Make chits of colourful paper with simple alphabets and a few combinations. Put the chits inside a paper bag. Take turns with your child to pick out a chit and read out what sound the letter makes.

3. Alphabet Ball:
This game combines the much loved ball throw with Phonics. First, the parent calls out a letter and throws the ball to the child. The child has to tell a word that starts with that letter. Then the child calls out a letter and the parent has to tell a word that starts with it and so on. You can also modify the game to say all words starting with a particular alphabet while passing the ball. Each player says a word with the given letter and passes the ball to next player.

4. Hunt for letters:
You can use old magazines or papers for this game. The parent chooses a sound and the child has to find all pictures/items on the page that make that phonetic sound. You can then cut those pictures and make your own customized Flashcard with a picture and the Phonetic sound.

5. Make a Phonics book:
What better way to grasp the concepts of Phonetics than to make a book together listing all sounds and pictures associated with them. Start with easier one letter sounds and start by sticking pictures of objects that you can find starting with that letter.

6. Letter Race:
If you have magnetic alphabets then you can play this game on the board or the fridge. Call out a word and the first one to identify the starting letter and paste it on the fridge wins.

7. Letter spin:
If you want a break from the worksheets, create this interesting letter wheel from Notimeforflashcards.com. Take an old foil tube or toilet paper roll. Cut the tube into half. Write the starting letters like “c” “m” on one end of tube and the other fragment of word on the other part. 

Now open one side of a hangar and insert the 2 tubes. You can now spin the two rolls to make a combination of different words like “cat”, “mat” etc.

8. Printable Worksheets:
You can find a lot of resources and mentors on website to help you with Phonics worksheets. The Learning Lab by Proeves gives you access to a plethora of Phonics resources. You can let your child keep himself engaged with the worksheets while you complete your work.

9. Making Words:
Once your child begins to understand the sounds made by letters, you can proceed towards making simple words from the alphabets. Cut out small circles from coloured paper and write individual letters on them. Let your child combine these to make different words like “bat”, “cat” etc.

10. Picture Sorts:
For this you will need a lot of pictures of basic things that your child recognizes and is able to pronounce. Make a table with a beginning letter and let the child paste the pictures of objects beginning with that letter.