How to Play Our Phoneme Segmentation Game

Use this resource in your reading rotations, as a phonemic awareness activity, or as a whole class exercise (see below) to practise breaking words down into their phonemes.

To play, shuffle the cards and lay them in a stack upside down in the middle of the playing area. The players will take turns flipping over the cards and tapping the dots as they say each sound in the word. Students should follow the arrow with their fingers as they blend the phonemes together to say the word. 

For example: /r/ + /e/ + /d/ = red

The cards are a mix of 2-, 3-, and 4-phoneme words. 

Scaffolding + Extension Tips 

This game also works well as a whole-class practice activity! Project each card on the screen and complete the activity together as a class. Call on students to lead the class through the card and give them a special “pointer” to segment the phonemes. They’ll love pretending to be the teacher!

Challenge students who already understand the concept to work on spelling the words as they identify each phoneme. Students can write the words on a piece of paper or mini whiteboard as they play.  

Support students who need help understanding the concepts by using an alphabet chart that includes vowel sounds.  

More Phoneme Segmentation Activities from ONE Game! 

Use this resource as independent practise for fast finishers and full-class learning opportunities like scoot activities, lesson reviews, formative assessments, and more.

🛴 Scoot Activity (Beginner)

Mix up the cards and hang all 18 around the room to have your students complete a gallery walk. Working either alone or in pairs, assign a task card to each and have them rotate around the cards (on your signal “Scoot!”), practising phoneme segmentation until they have completed each one.

🏃‍♂️ Big Board Game (Beginner)

Divide your small group into 2 teams and lay all the pieces out in one long line as if it were a human-sized board game. Players take turns rolling a die and moving that number of spaces (the cards). When they land on a card, the student must tap out the phonemes to keep their space or move back to where they were. 

⏰ Rhyme Time (Intermediate)

As students sound out words, have them think of a word that rhymes with the word on their card. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Print on card for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Before You Download

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

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