Fun Phonics for Kids

Hey there, fellow parents! This is the post for fun phonics for kids!

Are you ready to dive into the wonderful world of phonics with your little ones?

See, phonics is like the secret code to reading and spelling. What we want to impress upon the kids is that learning to read the phonics way can be super fun and so let us, as parents with our children, learn together.

Is learning phonics really useful?

It is vital that children learn letter-sound relationships because in the English language letters in the alphabet are used to represent sounds. Hence, through learning phonics a child can learn how to read more easily. Your child can learn the sounds that each letter makes, and learn that a change in the order of letters makes new words.

Start with Learning the Alphabets

A is for Apple: Let’s start with the basics! Each letter of the alphabet has a sound. ‘A’ makes the “a” sound, like in “apple”. So, whenever your kid sees the letter A, they can remember the sound it makes.

B is for Ball: Move on to B. It sounds like “b” in “ball”. Help your child associate the letter B with that bouncy ball they love!

C is for Cat: Now comes C. It sounds like “c” in “cat”. Think of a curious cat when you see this letter! Here do remember there is the soft ‘c’ sound like ‘cent’ and that hard ‘k’ sound like ‘cat’.

D is for Dog: D makes the “d” sound, like in “dog”.

E is for Elephant: E has the “e” sound, like in “elephant”. Imagine an elephant’s trumpet sound!

F is for Fish: F sounds like “f” in “fish”. Your little one can pretend to blow bubbles underwater, just like a fish!

G is for Guitar: G sounds like “g” in “guitar”. Imagine strumming a guitar string when you say gee! There is also a soft sound ‘g’ as in ‘gem’.

H is for Hat: H makes the “h” sound, like in “hat”. Pretend to blow out a candle – that’s the “h” sound!

I is for Igloo: I sounds like “i” in “igloo”. Act out and make your little one do a shivering pose and think ‘igloo’ – ‘I-I-Igloo!”

J is for Jump: J makes the “j” sound, like in “jump”. Get your child to hop like a kangaroo and say ‘Luh’ for extra fun!

K is for Kite: K sounds like “k” in “kite”. Make as if flying a kite in the wind with the “k” sound!

L is for Lion: L makes the “l” sound, like in “lion”. Roar like a lion together! Roar out a loud ‘luh’.

M is for Moon: M sounds like “m” in “moon”. Your kiddo can pretend to be a rocket going to the moon – “M-M-M” countdown!

N is for Nest: N sounds like “n” in “nest”. Visualize a bird building a nest – “N-N-N”.

O is for Octopus: O has the “o” sound, like in “octopus”. Pretend to wiggle those octopus’ arms!

P is for Penguin: P sounds like “p” in “penguin”. Your child can waddle like a penguin while making the ‘P-P-P’ sound!

Q is for Queen: Q sounds like “kw” as in “queen”. Pretend to wear a royal crown and say “kw-kw-kw”.

R is for Rainbow: R makes the “r” sound, like in “rainbow”. Imagine your tongue is a little rainbow – “R-R-R”.

S is for Sun: S sounds like “s” in “sun”. Make a snake-like hissing sound – “S-S-S”.

T is for Turtle: T sounds like “t” in “turtle”. Pretend to be a slow-moving turtle – “T-T-T”.

U is for Umbrella: U has the “u” sound, like in “umbrella”. Imagine holding an umbrella on a rainy day and ‘uh’!

V is for Violin: V sounds like “v” in “violin”. Pretend to play a tiny violin – “V-V-V”.

W is for Watermelon: W sounds like “w” in “watermelon”. Pretend to spit out watermelon seeds with a “wuh-wuh-wuh” sound.

X is for Xylophone: X sounds like “ks” as in “xylophone”. Pretend to play a xylophone – “Ks-Ks-Ks.”

Y is for Yawn: Y can sound like “y” in “yawn”. Pretend to stretch and yawn and make a “Y-Y-Y” sound.

Z is for Zebra: Z sounds like “z” in “zebra”. Imagine zipping like a zebra and say out loud the “Z-Z-Z” sound.

This is the starting point as your child navigates the alphabets and commences his reading journey.

Learning phonics for kids should be done through a variety of approaches both online and offline. Reading books, articulating words and rhymes while also staring to write responses are all positive ways as long as you make learning phonics fun.

One secret to help your child activate the area of the brain that deals with kinesthetic memory and to improve his phonemic awareness skills is to have him write a letter and simultaneously say its sound.

Fun Phonics For Kids

Some of these suggested phonics activities can help young learners ‘break’or form words into their appropriate sounds so that they will steadily help children build their reading and literacy skills.

1. Sing a phonics song
   Singing songs is both fun and effective. Children love to watch and sing-along with phonics song videos and may not even realize they’re learning while having fun. I particularly like Rock ‘N Learn especially the phonics song: ‘ABC Phonics Song with Sounds for Children

Alphabet Song with Two Words for Each Letter’. Do look it up.

2. Color in the beginning sounds
   Most kids start learning phonics by mastering the beginning sounds of words. Have kids color in the words that start with the matching sound on your ‘Do-It-Yourself’ worksheets. You can also source in the internet, worksheets for your child. One source you could look up: The Measured Mom—Beginning Sounds Coloring Pages

3. Hang some charts
   When it comes to phonics, there’s a lot to learn. Start by hanging Alphabet Charts. Progress to posting anchor charts around the room to help kids remember important rules like silent E, vowel blends, and hard and soft C and G.

The above picture is taken from a free printable site called ‘Twinkl’:
https://www.twinkl.com.sg/resource/beach-alphabet-posters-us-cm-1687436453

4. Build words with a chart of beginning sounds
   Grab free printable charts in the internet and print out copies for your child to work on. One suggested source: This Reading Mama—Beginning Sounds Chart

5. Treasure hunt to fill in the missing letters

This active game combines a scavenger hunt with phonics. Hide sticky notes around the room with various vowels. Then, write consonant-vowel-consonant words with the vowels missing. Have kids hunt for the missing sounds and fill them in. This is guaranteed to be a fun activity!

6. Just swap one letter

As students move from box to box, they change one letter to make the new word represented by the picture. They might need to change the first, middle, or last letter, so it can be a real fun challenge!

7. Make magic spoons

Using a pack of plastic spoons, use them to practice building words by combining beginning sounds with word endings.

8. Toss and blend with plastic cups

Grab a stack of plastic cups and some ping-pong balls for this fun phonics game. Label the cups with different letter blends and set them out (you may tape them down if they tend to fall over). You and your kid can toss a ball into a cup, then come up with a word that uses that letter blend to earn a point.

9. Flip the pages
   Using post-its that have been divided into thirds, write letters on each strip. Flip them to form new words. See who is the first to read aloud the word that has just been formed.

10. Mix and match cups to make words
    Label plastic cups with letters or letter blends, then use them to mix and match words. This is an especially fun way to work on consonant-vowel-consonant and sight words.

11. Use Ice-cream sticks and paper to make word pull-outs
    This clever phonics improvisation is easy to make. Using ice-cream sticks and paper strips or just plain paper with set letters written down to form incomplete word blends, simply slide the stick right or left to make new words.

12. Try locks and keys to learn phonics

This fun phonics activity is also a good way to practice fine motor skills. Label keys with beginning sounds and locks with word endings, then match them up and try the key to see if you have the right key to the respective lock.

One suggested source: : Unlock and Learn Games

Conclusion

Woohoo, you did it! With creativity and some improvisation, you can create a lot of fun phonics activities to help your child cover the whole alphabet list and learn using the phonics way to begin his reading and writing journey. Remember, practice and play are the keys to phonics success.

Enjoy these playful moments together while building the foundation for your child’s learning. Wishing you a happy and fun phonics learning!

Learn English with us – the S.A, E. way.