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7 min read
The Magic of Learning with Characters and Stories
Imagine stepping into a world where learning is an adventure, not a chore. A world where charming characters guide you through new ideas, and exciting stories help you remember them. This isn't jus...
5 min read
Why Teaching Vocabulary Matters: Unlocking Academic Success
Teaching vocabulary is a cornerstone of a child's education, significantly impacting their language skills and overall academic success. With a robust vocabulary, children are much better placed to...
6 min read
Read, Play, Learn: How We Made Phonics Fun with Readiculous
Here at Mrs Wordsmith, we're passionate about making literacy fun. We believe learning to read should be an adventure, not an arduous chore. That's why we created Readiculous, our early literacy le...
5 min read
How Confident Readers Are Made, Not Born: A Helpful Report on The Science of Reading
Some things come naturally to humans. When something is too hot, we pull our hands back. When a baby wants to communicate, they’ll babble (long before they can speak). But unlike these actions, rea...
6 min read
Game-Based Learning: How To Transform Education Through Play
At Mrs Wordsmith, we're committed to exploring innovative ways to improve children's literacy and overall learning. In recent years, researchers have increasingly highlighted the signifi...
6 min read
Unlocking Literacy: A Deep Dive into Phonics Instruction
Literacy is the cornerstone of academic and lifelong success. But how do children make the leap from spotting familiar letters to reading fluently and independently? It all comes down to having a s...
1 min read
Vowel sounds chart
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Long vowels can be made with a single letter or a digraph (two letters making one sound). The sound of a in apple is a short vowel sound. The sound of...
1 min read
Phonics instruction phase three: more phonics
In Phase Three (typically the end of Kindergarten/Reception), children learn the remaining 25 phonemes. These phonemes are more difficult and/or less frequently used. Some of these 25 phonemes corr...
1 min read
Phonics instruction phase two: phonics
In Phase Two (typically in Kindergarten/Reception), children start to learn the sounds (phonemes) that letters (graphemes) make. There are 44 sounds (phonemes). Some of these sounds correspond to m...
1 min read
What is phonemic awareness?
Phonemic awareness refers to the specific ability to focus on and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.Phonemic awareness is the most advanced level of phonological awareness. It...
2 min read
What is a phoneme?
A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. A phoneme is the sound associated with a letter or group of letters. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme. For example, the letter t makes the sound ...
1 min read
Verbs in a sentence
OVERVIEW A verb is all about doing or being. Often, they are action words like sit and laugh. Download our Verbs in a sentence activity below. Read through the sentences and circle the verbs. Th...
1 min read
Short vowels: complete the words
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Download our Short vowel: complete the words activity below. Fill in the gaps with the missing vowels to form ten short vowel words. This activity has...
1 min read
Comparative adjectives
OVERVIEW An adjective is a word that describes a noun (person, place, or thing). Adjectives make writing more detailed and more exciting. They tell us how something looks, smells, sounds, or fee...
1 min read
What is an exclamation?
Overview A sentence tells something. It ends with a full stop (.).A question asks something that needs an answer. It ends with a question mark (?).An exclamation is a special type of sentence tha...
1 min read
Guide to Worksheets by Common Core Standard
Our curriculum-aligned resource library contains hundreds of free downloadable activities. Feeling overwhelmed or not sure where to start? We’ve mapped all of our free resources to Common Core curr...
1 min read
The letter D
Letter identification The letter D/dThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter H
Letter identification The letter H/hThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter G
Letter identification The letter G/gThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter L
Letter identification The letter L/lThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter M
Letter identification The letter M/mThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter V
Letter identification The letter V/vThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter Y
Letter identification The letter Y/yThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
Sequencing: order the events
Overview When you read a story, pay attention to the order of events. What happened first? What happened next? If you understand the sequence of events, you will be able to understand the story ...
1 min read
What is a noun?
OVERVIEW A noun is a person, place, or thing. Nouns can be concrete or abstract. Concrete nouns are things that you can see and touch. Abstract nouns are things that you can't see, like love, or...
1 min read
Who, what, when, where, and why?
OVERVIEW Questions often start with a question word. Who? To ask about a person.What? To ask about a thing.When? To ask about a time.Where? To ask about a place.Why? To ask for a reason. Downloa...
1 min read
2D shapes
OVERVIEW Two-dimensional shapes are completely flat. Learning 2D shapes is important for future math learning. Download our 2D shapes activity below. This activity introduces 2D shapes. Can you ...
1 min read
Adding up: money
OVERVIEW Adding up money is an incredibly useful skill that your child will use throughout their life. It is most beneficial to learn adding up money after learning to skip-count in twos, fives,...
1 min read
3D shapes
OVERVIEW Three-dimensional shapes are solid. You can hold them in your hands.Download our 3D shapes activity below.This activity introduces 3D shapes. Draw a line and match each shape to an obje...
1 min read
Speech marks
OVERVIEW Speech marks show what someone has said. They go at the start and end of speech in a sentence.Download our Speech marks activity below.This activity asks children to rewrite sentences a...
1 min read
Skip-counting by fives
OVERVIEW Skip-counting is counting forward by numbers other than 1. Download our Skip-counting by fives worksheets for kids below. This activity introduces children to skip-counting. There are f...
1 min read
The main idea: part 2
OVERVIEW The main idea is the most important thing about a picture or story. Download our What is happening? activity below. Look at the picture. What is happening in the picture? Pick the main ...
1 min read
What’s the difference between learning the alphabet and learning phonics?
The alphabet teaches children the names of letters but not their sounds (phonemes). Often, the name of the letter is not the same as its most common sound (phoneme). For example, the name of the le...
1 min read
Teaching phonemes
A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. A phoneme is the sound associated with a letter or group of letters (grapheme). Each different sound in a word is a phoneme.While there are lots to get thro...
1 min read
The phoneme /d/
Phonemes The phoneme /d/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
Sight words list: kindergarten
Overview The ability to decode words is crucial to reading, but a number of high frequency words are still worth learning whole. For example, some words cannot be “sounded out” in the usual way ...
4 min read
How is my child assessed at school in reading?
In the USIn the US, phonics is assessed by most districts, but the screening varies by state.As children progress through phonics instruction, they move onto reading graded books and eventually cha...
2 min read
When and how do children learn phonics at school?
Phonics instruction is recommended for beginner readers. While different schools take varying approaches to teaching phonics for kids as they learn to read, in the UK phonics instruction follows a ...
1 min read
Conjunctions
OVERVIEW Conjunctions join up words, phrases, and clauses.Download our Conjunctions activity below.This activity introduces children to basic conjunctions. Read through the sentences together. C...
1 min read
Personal pronouns
OVERVIEW A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun. Personal pronouns are words that are used instead of a person or animal's name. Download our Personal Pronouns activity below. This ...
1 min read
Verbs: complete the sentence
OVERVIEW Add -s to the verb when a sentence is about one noun (person, animal, place, or thing). Do not add -s to the verb when a sentence is about more than one noun (person, animal, place, or ...
1 min read
Vowel teams: picture match
OVERVIEW Two vowels can work together as a vowel team. This is called a digraph, when two letters make a single sound. The first vowel in the team is bold. It says its name, making a long vowel ...
1 min read
What are synonyms and antonyms?
Overview A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as another word. An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning to another word.Download our Synonyms and Antonyms: Big and Small and S...
1 min read
The letter U
Letter identification The letter U/uThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
Prepositions: picture match 1
OVERVIEW A preposition is a word that tells you where or when something is in relation to something else. Download our Prepositions 1 activity below. The activity introduces simple prepositions,...
1 min read
The letter B
Letter identification The letter B/bThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter W
Letter identification The letter W/wThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
Alphabet ordering
Overview The alphabet teaches children the names of letters and the order they go in. Learning the alphabet and alphabetical order is an important initial step before children move on to decodin...
1 min read
Sentences: find the complete sentences
OVERVIEW A sentence tells a complete thought. A sentence starts with an uppercase letter and ends with an end mark. Even a simple sentence must have these pieces. Download our Find the complete ...
1 min read
Lesson plan: short vowels
Short vowel sounds are some of the first sounds kids will learn. Vowels usually make a short sound when they appear directly before a consonant.A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Print out or...
1 min read
Lesson plan: self and creativity
Speaking and listening activities are some of the first things children encounter when they start school. We've produced a variety of tools to help kids improve their self-expression and creativity...
2 min read
What is phonics?
Phonics in English is a coding system for language that goes beyond the 26 letters of the alphabet. It teaches children 44 phonemes (sounds such as the /f/ in funny) and more than 200 graphemes (le...
1 min read
The grapheme ire
Phonemes The grapheme ire A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart ...
1 min read
Color words
OVERVIEW Some description words tell you about the color of an object. Download our Colors activity below. This activity introduces color words. There has been a messy mistake and paint is every...
1 min read
Words with multiple meanings
OVERVIEW Some words look the same but have different meanings. Same word, different meaning: words like this are called homonyms. Bark is the noise a dog makes and the outside part of a tree. D...
1 min read
Vowel teams: complete the words
OVERVIEW Two vowels can work together as a vowel team. This is called a digraph, when two letters make a single sound. The first vowel in the team is bold. It says its name, making a long vowel ...
1 min read
Diphthongs: complete the word
OVERVIEW Two letters blended together can make a long vowel sound. These are sometimes called diphthongs.Diphthong examples:Oi and oy are different spellings that make the same vowel sound. Ow a...
1 min read
The letter R
Letter identification The letter R/rThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter X
Letter identification The letter X/xThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The phoneme /sh/: practice
overview A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters). Download our Flush: /...
1 min read
Sight words list: 1st grade
Overview The ability to decode words is crucial to reading, but a number of high frequency words are still worth learning whole. For example, some words cannot be sounded out in the usual way us...
1 min read
Uppercase: the first letter of a sentence
OVERVIEW The first word in a sentence must start with an uppercase letter. Uppercase letters are also called capital letters. Download our Uppercase letters alphabet chart and Uppercase: first l...
1 min read
What is an adjective?
OVERVIEW An adjective is a word that describes a noun (person, place, or thing). Adjectives make writing more detailed and more exciting. They tell us how something looks, smells, sounds, or fee...
1 min read
Action verbs
OVERVIEW A verb is a word that tells you what a person, animal, or thing does. An action verb is a verb that describes an action. Download our Find the action verb activity below. This activity ...
1 min read
Months of the year
OVERVIEW Months are an important part of vocabulary learning because children are often expected to write the date at the top of their work. Months always begin with an uppercase letter. Downloa...
3 min read
Daily sound practice
A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. A phoneme is the sound associated with a letter or group of letters (grapheme). Each different sound in a word is a phoneme. For example, the letter t makes...
1 min read
Nouns in a sentence
OVERVIEW A noun is a person, place, or thing. Nouns can be concrete or abstract. Concrete nouns are things that you can see and touch. Abstract nouns are things that you can't see, like love, or...
1 min read
Number bonds
OVERVIEW A number bond is a simple addition of two numbers that add up to give the sum. These simple sums should become so familiar to your child that they can complete them almost automatically...
1 min read
Thanksgiving vocabulary
OVERVIEW Download our hilariously illustrated Thanksgiving Vocabulary activity below. Learn challenging adjectives and their synonyms before writing about your perfect Thanksgiving meal. Use the...
1 min read
Possessive pronouns
OVERVIEW A possessive noun shows who has or owns something. To make a possessive noun, add 's to a noun (a person, animal, place, or thing). Possessive pronouns can be used instead of possessive...
1 min read
What is systematic synthetic phonics?
National guidance in the US (Common Core ELA State Standards), the UK (National Curriculum, Letters and Sounds) and Australia (ACARA) promotes an integrated literacy approach using systematic synth...
1 min read
Singular possessive nouns
OVERVIEW A possessive noun shows who has or owns something. A singular noun is a single person, place or thing. To make a singular possessive noun, add 's to a noun (a person, animal, place, or ...
1 min read
Object-sorting for vocabulary learning
OVERVIEW Some things are alike. These things can go together in a group or category. Learning new vocabulary in categories allows for better comprehension and retention. Download our Sort object...
1 min read
Action verbs: complete the sentence
OVERVIEW A verb is a word that tells you what a person, animal, or thing does. An action verb is a verb that describes an action.Download our Action Verbs: Complete the sentences grammar workshe...
1 min read
Personal pronouns: complete the sentences
OVERVIEW A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun. Personal pronouns are words that are used instead of a person or animal's name. A subject pronoun tells who is doing something. It i...
1 min read
Sort the short and long vowel words
OVERVIEW Vowels can make short and long sounds. Vowels usually make a short sound when they appear directly before a consonant, but there are some exceptions to this rule. Long vowels sound like...
1 min read
The phoneme /j/
Phonemes The phoneme /j/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /oo/ (short)
Phonemes The phoneme /oo/ (short)A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters...
1 min read
The phoneme /t/
Phonemes The phoneme /t/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /r/
Phonemes The phoneme /r/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The grapheme air
Phonemes The grapheme air A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart ...
1 min read
The grapheme ure
Phonemes The grapheme ure A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart ...
1 min read
The grapheme v
Phonemes The grapheme v A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The letter A
Letter identification The letter A/a The alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one so...
1 min read
The letter Q
Letter identification The letter Q/qThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The letter P
Letter identification The letter P/pThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
The grapheme or
Phonemes The grapheme or A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme th (hard)
Phonemes The grapheme th (hard) A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the ...
1 min read
Common and proper nouns
OVERVIEW A noun is a person, place, or thing. A common noun names a generic person, animal, place, or thing. A proper noun names a specific person, animal, place, or thing. A proper noun always ...
1 min read
Singular or plural?
OVERVIEW Singular means one. Plural means more than one. Download our Singular or plural? activity below. Are these nouns singular or plural? Circle the correct answer. Can you think of any othe...
1 min read
Graphemes: kn
Overview A grapheme is a letter or a group of letters that represent a sound (phoneme) in a word. The grapheme kn represents the phoneme /n/. Download our Knight: kn sounds activity below. This...
1 min read
CVC words: u
Overview CVC words are short words that consist of a vowel connecting two consonants, like bug or cup. These short, three-letter CVC words are the first that children learn to read or decode, bu...
1 min read
CVC words: i
Overview CVC words are short words that consist of a vowel connecting two consonants, like big or sit. These short, three-letter CVC words are the first that children learn to read or decode, bu...
1 min read
CVC words: e
Overview CVC words are short words that consist of a vowel connecting two consonants, like bed or vet. These short, three-letter CVC words are the first that children learn to read or decode, bu...
1 min read
Imperative verbs
OVERVIEW A verb is a word that tells you what a person, animal, or thing does. Another way to describe verbs is to say that they are action words or doing words.Download our Imperatives activity...
1 min read
Even and odd numbers
OVERVIEW Even numbers can be split into twos. Odd numbers cannot be split into twos. Even numbers always end in 2, 4, 6, 8 and 0. Odd numbers always end in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.Download our Even and od...
2 min read
Grapheme-phoneme correspondences: it's complicated
In words such as clock and kick, the grapheme ck is associated with the sound or phoneme /k/ - so there are two letters making one sound.Notice that cat, kite, and duck all contain the same /k/ sou...
1 min read
The phoneme /ch/
Phonemes The phoneme /ch/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /igh/
Phonemes The phoneme /igh/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downl...
1 min read
The phoneme /ng/
Phonemes The phoneme /ng/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /ow/
Phonemes The phoneme /ow/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /sh/
Phonemes The phoneme /sh/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /th/ (hard)
Phonemes The phoneme /th/ (hard) A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters)...
1 min read
The phoneme /th/ (soft)
Phonemes The phoneme /th/ (soft)A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters)...
1 min read
The phoneme /w/
Phonemes The phoneme /w/ A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The grapheme ee
Phonemes The grapheme ee A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme w
Phonemes The grapheme w A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
Irregular plural nouns
OVERVIEW Normally, you add -s or -es to a noun to make it plural. However, some nouns do not follow this rule. These change their spellings. Like foot and feet.Download our Irregular Plurals act...
1 min read
The grapheme m
Phonemes The grapheme m A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
Sentences: unscramble the words
OVERVIEW A sentence tells a complete thought. A sentence starts with an uppercase letter and ends with an end mark. Download our Unscramble the words activity below. This activity asks children ...
1 min read
Action verbs: picture match
OVERVIEW A verb is a word that tells you what a person, animal, or thing does. An action verb is a verb that describes an action. Download our Match the picture to the action verb activity below...
2 min read
Phonics instruction phase five: GPC grapheme phoneme correspondence
In Phase Five (typically in First Grade or Year 1), children learn the range of different graphemes (spellings) used to represent key phonemes (sounds) – e.g. long vowel spellings and alternative g...
1 min read
The letter J
Letter identification The letter J/jThe alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Every letter has a name and can make its own sound. Many letters can make more than one sou...
1 min read
Graphemes: tch
OVERVIEW A grapheme is a letter or a group of letters that represent a sound (phoneme) in a word. The grapheme 'tch' represents the phoneme /ch/.Download our Sketch: ‘tch’ sounds activity below....
1 min read
The phoneme /e/
Phonemes The phoneme /e/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /l/
Phonemes The phoneme /l/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /oa/
Phonemes The phoneme /oa/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /u/
Phonemes The phoneme /u/ A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The grapheme a
Phonemes The grapheme a A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme aw
Phonemes The grapheme aw A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme h
Phonemes The grapheme h A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme j
Phonemes The grapheme j A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme l
Phonemes The grapheme l A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme oi
Phonemes The grapheme oi A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme oa
Phonemes The grapheme oa A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme r
Phonemes The grapheme r A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme th (soft)
Phonemes The grapheme th (soft) A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the ...
1 min read
The phoneme /er/: practice
Overview A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters). Download our Monster...
1 min read
Dolch sight words list: kindergarten
Overview The ability to decode words is crucial to reading, but a number of high frequency words are still worth learning whole. For example, some words cannot be “sounded out” in the usual way ...
1 min read
Fry sight words list
Overview The ability to decode words is crucial to reading, but a number of high frequency words are still worth learning whole. For example, some words cannot be “sounded out” in the usual way ...
1 min read
CVC words: a
Overview CVC words are short words that consist of a vowel connecting two consonants, like cat or hat. These short, three-letter CVC words are the first that children learn to read or decode, bu...
1 min read
CVC words: o
Overview CVC words are short words that consist of a vowel connecting two consonants, like mop or dog. These short, three-letter CVC words are the first that children learn to read or decode, bu...
1 min read
Whole body listening
Overview What better way is there to show the world around you some respect than to learn how to listen?Download our illustrated Whole Body Listening poster below. Shang High the giraffe shows u...
11 min read
Is Houseparty your homeschool?
The speed at which many educators have moved to hurl the curriculum online has been nothing short of heroic. Putting together a homeschool curriculum is no easy task. 1.2 billion children are now h...
1 min read
The phoneme /h/
Phonemes The phoneme /h/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /f/
Phonemes The phoneme /f/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /ire/
Phonemes The phoneme /ire/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downl...
1 min read
The phoneme /n/
Phonemes The phoneme /n/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /s/
Phonemes The phoneme /s/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The grapheme ai
Phonemes The grapheme ai A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme ar
Phonemes The grapheme ar A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme b
Phonemes The grapheme b A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme ear
Phonemes The grapheme ear A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart ...
1 min read
The grapheme d
Phonemes The grapheme d A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme p
Phonemes The grapheme p A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme sh
Phonemes The grapheme sh A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The phoneme /oi/
Phonemes The phoneme /oi/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /y/
Phonemes The phoneme /y/ A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /ure/
phonemes The phoneme /ure/ A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Down...
1 min read
The phoneme /z/
Phonemes The phoneme /z/ A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The grapheme e
Phonemes The grapheme e A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme f
Phonemes The grapheme f A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme g
Phonemes The grapheme g A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme o
Phonemes The grapheme o A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme qu
Phonemes The grapheme qu A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme t
Phonemes The grapheme t A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme si
Phonemes The grapheme si A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme x
Phonemes The grapheme x A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme u
Phonemes The grapheme u A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
Put the words in alphabetical order
OVERVIEW The alphabet is made up of letters that can be used to make words. Download our Put the words in alphabetical order activity below. Go through the alphabet in order, saying each letter ...
1 min read
Short vowels: complete the sentences
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short.Download our Short vowel: complete the sentences activity below.Complete the sentence by filling in the missing short vowel word. This activity has als...
1 min read
Dolch sight words list: 1st grade
Overview The ability to decode words is crucial to reading, but a number of high frequency words are still worth learning whole. For example, some words cannot be “sounded out” in the usual way ...
1 min read
Subject-verb agreement: complete the sentence
OVERVIEW Add -s to the verb when a sentence is about one noun (person, animal, place, or thing).Do not add -s to the verb when a sentence is about more than one noun (person, animal, place, or t...
1 min read
The grapheme n
Phonemes The grapheme n A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
Plurals: -s and -es
OVERVIEW A noun names a person, place, or thing. To show that there is more than one of that person, place, or thing, you can: Add -s to most nouns.Add -es if the noun ends in -s, -ch, -sh, -x, ...
1 min read
What are consonant blends?
Blends are clusters of two or three consonants which appear together in a word. Each letter in a blend makes a sound and these sounds are then blended together. For example, in the word play, the ...
1 min read
The phoneme /aw/
Phonemes The phoneme /aw/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /zh/
Phonemes The phoneme /zh/ A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downl...
1 min read
The grapheme ng
Phonemes The grapheme ng A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme i
Phonemes The grapheme i A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme igh
Phonemes The grapheme igh A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart ...
1 min read
The grapheme oo (long)
Phonemes The grapheme oo (long) A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the ...
1 min read
Adjective opposites
OVERVIEW An adjective is a word that describes a noun (person, place, or thing). Adjectives that have opposite meanings, like big and small, are called antonyms. Download our The opposite of big...
1 min read
The phoneme /ai/
Phonemes The phoneme /ai/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /b/
Phonemes The phoneme /b/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /ear/
Phonemes The phoneme /ear/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downl...
1 min read
The phoneme /m/
Phonemes The phoneme /m/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /p/
Phonemes The phoneme /p/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /g/
Phonemes The phoneme /g/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The grapheme y
Phonemes The grapheme y A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
Long vowels: adding e
OVERVIEW Adding 'e' can turn a short vowel into a long vowel. The sound of u in cub is a short vowel sound. The sound of u_e in cube is a long vowel sound. Download our Long vowels: adding e act...
1 min read
Graphemes: ea
Overview A grapheme is a letter or a group of letters that represent a sound (phoneme) in a word. The grapheme ea represents the phoneme /ee/. Download our Dream: ea sounds activity below. This ...
1 min read
What are onset and rime?
The onset of a word is its initial sound and the rime is the string of letters that follows, as in m-ilk, where m is the onset and ilk is the rime.Teaching children to blend and segment the onsets ...
1 min read
The phoneme /oo/ (long)
Phonemes The phoneme /oo/ (long)A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters)...
1 min read
The grapheme er
Phonemes The grapheme er A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
The grapheme z
Phonemes The grapheme z A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The phoneme /ee/
Phonemes The phoneme /ee/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
Sort words by the number of syllables
OVERVIEW Syllables are like the 'beats' of spoken language. The number of syllables in a word is equal to the number of times you hear a vowel sound in the word. Download our Sort by the number ...
1 min read
Personal pronouns: subject and object
OVERVIEW A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun. Personal pronouns are words that are used instead of a person or animal's name. A subject pronoun tells who is doing something. It i...
1 min read
What are CVC words?
Phonemes The phoneme /ee/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters). Downl...
1 min read
The phoneme /ks/
Phonemes The phoneme /ks/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /o/
Phonemes The phoneme /o/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
Short or long vowels?
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Long vowels can be made with a single letter or a digraph (two letters making one sound). The sound of i in igloo is a short vowel sound. The sound of...
1 min read
Long vowels: complete the sentences
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Long vowels can be made with a single letter or a digraph (two letters making one sound). The sound of a in apple is a short vowel sound. The sound of...
2 min read
What is a grapheme?
A grapheme is a letter or a group of letters that make up a single sound. Graphemes are units of writing corresponding to a single sound. A grapheme (letter) is used to represent a phoneme (sound)...
1 min read
The phoneme /ar/
Phonemes The phoneme /ar/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
The phoneme /a/
Phonemes The phoneme /a/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /or/
Phonemes The phoneme /or/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
Statements and questions
OVERVIEW A statement is a telling sentence. It ends with a period or full stop (.). A question is an asking sentence. It ends with a question mark (?). Download our Sentences: telling or asking ...
1 min read
Rhyming words: complete the poem
OVERVIEW Words are made up of sounds. Some words end with the same sounds. These words rhyme. Download our Rhyming: complete the poem activity below. This activity introduces children to simple ...
1 min read
Short or long vowel: i
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Long vowels can be made with a single letter or a digraph (two letters making one sound). The sound of i in igloo is a short vowel sound. The sound of...
1 min read
Diphthongs chart
OVERVIEW Two letters blended together can make a long vowel sound. These are sometimes called diphthongs.Diphthong examples:Oi and oy are different spellings that make the same vowel sound. Ow a...
1 min read
Vowel teams chart
OVERVIEW Two vowels can work together as a vowel team. This is called a digraph, when two letters make a single sound.This is called a digraph, when two letters make a single sound. The first vo...
1 min read
The grapheme s
Phonemes The grapheme s A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The grapheme c
Phonemes The grapheme c A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart or...
1 min read
The phoneme /k/
Phonemes The phoneme /k/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The grapheme ch
phonemes The grapheme ch A grapheme is a letter or group of letters that corresponds to a single phoneme (the smallest unit of sound). Download our Graphemes chart below. Print out the chart o...
1 min read
Short or long vowel: a
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Long vowels can be made with a single letter or a digraph (two letters making one sound). The sound of a in hat is a short vowel sound. The sound of a...
1 min read
Phonemes chart
Overview A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Download our Phonemes ...
1 min read
The phoneme /kw/
Phonemes The phoneme /kw/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
1 min read
Short or long vowel: o
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Long vowels can be made with a single letter or a digraph (two letters making one sound). The sound of o in hot is a short vowel sound. The sound of o...
1 min read
The phoneme /i/
Phonemes The phoneme /i/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downloa...
1 min read
The phoneme /air/
Phonemes The phoneme /air/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downl...
1 min read
Frequently confused letters
Overview Some letters look alike. Children sometimes struggle to tell alike letters apart. When reading and writing, children need to be able to tell these apart. Download our Confusing letters...
1 min read
Short or long vowel: u
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Long vowels can be made with a single letter or a digraph (two letters making one sound). The sound of u in umbrella is a short vowel sound. The sound...
1 min read
Blending and segmenting
Overview Blending and segmenting encourages children to break down words into smaller parts and then put them back together again.Syllables are like the 'beats' of spoken language. The number of...
1 min read
What are decoding and encoding?
Decoding involves translating printed words to sounds. It is literally the process of reading words in text. When a child reads the words “The ball is big”, for example, they need to understand wha...
1 min read
The phoneme /er/
Phonemes The phoneme /er/A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. Each different sound in a word is a phoneme, and each phoneme is represented by a grapheme (a letter or group of letters).Downlo...
4 min read
How to teach vowel teams
What are vowel teams?A vowel team is a combination of letters that represent one vowel sound. They can be in the form of vowel diagraphs (e.g., ai, ea), diphthongs (e.g., oi, ou), or longer combina...
3 min read
How to teach consonant blends
What are consonant blends?Consonant blends are clusters of two or three consonants which appear together in a word. Each letter in a blend makes a sound and these sounds are then blended together. ...
1 min read
Short or long vowel: e
OVERVIEW Vowel sounds can be long or short. Long vowels can be made with a single letter or a digraph (two letters making one sound). The sound of e in bed is a short vowel sound. The sound of e...
1 min read
What are digraphs and trigraphs?
Graphemes can be made up of more than one letter. A digraph is a two-letter grapheme, a combination of two letters representing only one sound. For example, s and h together make up sh, a digraph o...
1 min read
Common digraphs: practice
Overview When two letters come together to make one sound, they are called a digraph.Download our Common digraphs: practice activity below.This activity outlines common digraphs using example wor...
1 min read
Blending and segmenting beyond CVC words
CVC words (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) are the first words that children learn to segment and blend. After CVC words, phonics instruction moves on to slightly more complicated patterns such as CVCC ...
1 min read
Summer activities
School's out and summer is coming! As the school year winds down for many of us, it's the perfect time to reflect on students' personal growth and look forward to the summer break. Celebrate summe...
1 min read
Reality vs. fiction
OVERVIEW If something happens in real life, it is reality.If something is made up, it is fiction. Download our Which could happen in real life? activity below. Look at the two images. Which is r...
1 min read
Digraphs: double letters
OVERVIEW When two letters come together to make one sound, they are called a digraph. Some words end with -ck. These letters make just one sound, like in duck. Some words end with the double lett...
1 min read
How many graphemes are there?
In English, there are around 44 phonemes (sounds), but there are around 250 graphemes (letters or letter groups that correspond to a single sound). This is because every phoneme (sound) corresponds...
1 min read
How many phonemes are there?
There are 44* phonemes in the English language, that is, there are 44 different sounds that make up all English words.Many phonemes have more than one grapheme, that is, they can be written using d...
1 min read
What is the difference between a consonant blend and a consonant digraph?
A consonant digraph contains two letters but only makes one sound: the digraph sh makes the sound /sh/. Other common consonant digraphs are sh, ch, wh, th, ck. A blend contains two or three consona...
2 min read
How to teach r-controlled vowels
What are r-controlled vowels?An r-controlled vowel is simply a vowel that is followed by an r, like the ar in smart, the ir in girl. The r affects the sound that the vowel makes, turning it into a ...
1 min read
Common endings: ang, ing, ong, ung
Overview Sometimes, you have to remember to say the letters at the end of a word differently. You say all the letter sounds, but in a faster and stickier way, like ang, ing, ong and ung. These a...
1 min read
Common digraphs: sh, ch, th, wh, ck
Overview When two letters come together to make one sound, they are called a digraph. Download our Common Digraphs: sh, ch, th, wh, ck activity below. This activity outlines common consonant digra...
1 min read
Lowercase and uppercase letters
Overview Each letter in the alphabet can be lowercase or uppercase. Uppercase letters are also called capital letters. Download our Lowercase letters alphabet chart and Uppercase letters alphabe...Not sure where to start ?
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3 min read
Sight words: The difference between irregular and high-frequency
High-frequency words are words that appear commonly in children's books. These are also worth learning by sight. Examples of high frequency words include words such as are and she. Many high-freque...
3 min read
Why don’t children just learn whole words?
Research favors phonics for kids because the “whole word” approach is inefficient. Children cannot store tens of thousands of words in their memory. Eye movement research has shown that, when readi...
5 min read