Here’s a resource that’s perfect for your very early readers! As they commence their learning journey, students need to be able to identify individual sounds in words. Often, the initial focus is on the beginning consonant phonemes, as these tend to be easier to hear.

Use this sorting activity to help your students develop their phonological awareness. Students match picture cards to the word mat that shares the same beginning sound. The focus initial sounds are:

• c (cat)
• b (bat)
• m (mat)

The following pictures require sorting:

• ball
• bear
• bus
• bike
• bin
• banana
• bee
• bone

 

• cake
• car
• cow
• carrot
• clock
• cap
• corn
• caterpillar

 

• moon
• monkey
• mouse
• milk
• mop
• mushroom
• mountain
• map

More Classroom Games Featuring Words with the Same Beginning Sounds!

Looking to scaffold this resource or turn it into a whole class phonics exercise? Check out additional ways to use this activity.

Odd Man Out

Place 3 picture cards at various stations around the room, making sure 2 of the cards represent the same beginning word sound and the 3rd card is different. Either independently or in pairs, students rotate through each station to identify and write the beginning letter of the matching pair on a separate sheet of paper.

Scoot Activity

Place all 24 picture cards around the room with a number identifying each one. Students move around the room from one card to the next, recording the number and writing down the correct beginning sound for each on a sheet of paper.

 

Strengthen your students’ confidence in isolating and identifying beginning sounds in words with this fun sorting activity!

 

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This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a Teach Starter Collaborator.

 

Find more resources suited to early readers here:

[resource:4670076] [resource:4687917] [resource:4427787]