Phonics Pocket Flash Cards

Phonics Pocket Flash Cards

What is Phonics?
The English alphabet contains 26 letters, and these letters represent 45 speech sounds. Many letters and letter combinations represent a number of different sounds. Phonics is the relationship between letters or letter combinations and the sounds of language.

Phonics Fun
Before playing, sort the flash cards into the following groups:

• cards with blue borders - short vowel sounds,
• cards with red borders - long vowel sounds,
• cards with green borders - consonants,
• cards with pink borders - consonant blends,
• cards with purple borders - digraphs.

Start playing with the short vowel cards, progressing into long vowels. When the vowel sounds are mastered, begin playing with the consonant cards, moving into blends, and the diagraphs.

Used some of the activities and games suggested here or make up your own. Before long, your child will be an expert reader!

Fun with Partners!
See and Say. Race with a partner. Ask someone to flash the cards one at a time so you and your partner can both see. Who can be the first to say a word that starts with the letter? Score a point to whoever says a correct word first.

Say a Match. Show a card front to your partner. Ask your partner to say the word on the card. Then, listen as your partner says a word with the same sound. Let your partner know if he or she is right. Remember to share help when it's needed. Switch roles after five turns.

Hear and Write. Choose ten cards. One partner is a reader; the other is a listener. The reader draws a card and says a word from the list on the back. The listener says or writes another word with the same sound as the reader asked for. When the reader and listener both agree it's correct, draw another card and play a new round. Switch roles after five cards. Choose new cards and start again.

Racetrack. Choose someone to be the leader. Choose a group of cards and lay them on the floor to make a racetrack. Leave a space between each card so there is room for a player to stand by it. Line up at the start of the racetrack with two or three other players. Listen as the leader says a sound: "th as in feather," for example. The first person in line tells a word that has the same sound as the leader said. If the word is correct, that player stands by the card that shows that sound. Keep taking turns until someone reaches the end of the racetrack. Play again with a different leader and group of cards.

Fun for One!
Look at the picture on the front of the card and say the picture name. Listen for the sound of the coloured letter(s) in the word. Do you hear it? Now say the words on the back of the card. Listen for the sound made by the colour letters. Use and/or write each in a sentence.

Choose a flash card and circle that vowel, consonant, consonant blend, or digraph in words you see on newspaper or magazine pages. Choose different cards each time you play.

Game play instructions and activities sheets included.