When learning how to read students have to use their phonics skills. Here are 3 ela worksheets that help practice beginning sounds and digraph blends.
A fun way to take these worksheets and turn them into a more interactive surface is to:
- laminate them for use with dry erase markers
- use magnetic letters in place of writing with pencil
- copy them onto overheads and use them on a magnetic board (like a Magna Doodle)
Kinder students will work on beginning sounds as one of the first steps in learning how to read, so learning how to isolate that sound in a spoken word is part of that skill. Once they move past beginning, ending and medial sounds, then they are ready for digraphs or blends.
Most often this skill applies to first grade.
However, when students are ready its worth it to find activities for them to practice and get better.
Beginning Sounds
1. Beginning Sound Match – This set of cards can become an activity where students can get points! Make it interactive by using clothespins to clip and cover the right answer.
Another option is for students to cover with bingo chips on their playing board if you choose not to cut the sheet – then students can switch boards.
These could be copied onto overheads and cut into small squares to fit onto a small magna doodle board like found at the dollar store. Students could draw a line or use a magnetic stamper to cover the correct beginning sound. {Free download}
More on Beginning Sounds
- 4 beginning sound free downloads – There are links to game boards and another clip activity in the bottom of this post about collecting guided reading materials.
- Shopping for Beginning Sounds – Turn beginning sounds into a sorting game or activity using gift bags and little presents. {Free download}
Consonant Blends
2. Consonant Blends – Just like with beginning sounds, we often teach students blends in the beginning position in a word first.
This collection of worksheets will help make your students into pros by giving them a core base of blends to master: bl, br, st, sl, fr, gr and gl. These would make great dry erase materials to use as a center activity. {no longer available}
3. Ending Blends – After learning to see blends in the beginning portion of a word, students can take those and manipulate the ends and middle – working up to building entire words.
This set of worksheets features a CVCC pattern and would also work great with magnetic letters or even playdough stampers. {Free download}
More on Consonant Blends
- Consonant Blend Chart – There is a blend chart listed at the bottom of this post that is friendly with pictures for both kindergarten and first grade. {Free download}
- Consonant Blend Printable – This chart is more advanced in the word choice so it may be a better fit for 2nd grade and above. {Free download}
More ELA
- 3 Spring Alphabetical Order Downloads for First Grade
- 3 Kindergarten St. Patrick’s Day Sight Word Games
- ELA CVC Games {Free Download}
- 3 Vowel Pattern Worksheets {Free Download}
- 6 Spring ELA Word Work Ideas {Free Download}
Leslie {aka the original Teach Junkie} loves learning new things to make teaching easier and more effective. She enjoys featuring creative classroom fun when she's not designing teacher shirts, making kindergarten lesson plans or planning her family's next trip to Disney World.