Use this activity as a fun way to review or reinforce substituting initial and final phonemes (and blends) in short e words.

How to play SPLAT!

1. Print out the task cards on cardstock and cut them out on the dotted line. Store in a resealable bag to be used again and again.
2. Shuffle the cards and place them in a pile face down in the middle of the playing area.
3. Have one player draw a card and complete the task.
4. If the player completes the task correctly, they get to keep the card. If they do not complete the task correctly, they place the card on the bottom of the pile.
5. If a SPLAT! card is drawn, the player must put all of their cards back in the pile.
6. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins!

This resource is great when used as a guided reading activity to reinforce phonemes and blend substitutions in short e words.

How to Reinforce Substitution in Struggling Students

If students are struggling to substitute the phonemes or blends, write the word on a whiteboard and physically show the students how to erase and substitute the letters. Then, have them try it on their own.

You might also like to sound out the word orally with the student both before and after making the necessary changes. This will allow the student to hear each phoneme, making it easier to blend the sounds together to create the word.

Looking for a way to use this resource with your entire class? Simply project a card on the board and complete it together as a warm-up before starting a lesson.

This resource was created by Lauren Piper, a teacher from Illinois and a Teach Starter Collaborator.