Top 5 Phonics Activities for Reading Practice
Overview of this Blog:
Developing strong reading skills is a crucial milestone in a child's educational journey. Phonics activities provide an interactive and enjoyable way to support literacy development for children across Australia and New Zealand. These are our top 5 phonics activities that will help make reading practice engaging, educational, and fun for parents, teachers, and caregivers.
Table of Contents
Activity 1: Phonics Bingo
Activity 2: Sound Sorting Game
Activity 3: Rhyme Time
Activity 4: Phonics Hopscotch
Activity 5: Digital Phonics Quiz
Conclusion
Activity 1: Phonics Bingo
Bingo transforms from a classic game night favourite to a powerful phonics learning tool. By replacing traditional number cards with carefully selected words or sounds, this activity turns sound recognition into an exciting, competitive game that keeps children fully engaged while they learn.
Example Activity:
Create a bingo card with words ending in "-at":
- cat
- hat
- mat
- sat
- rat
The caller says a sound or word, and children mark the corresponding square. For instance, when "bat" is called, children would mark the "bat" square.
Learning Outcomes:
- Sound recognition
- Listening skills
- Word family understanding
Activity 2: Sound Sorting Game
More than just a simple matching exercise, this activity challenges children to become sound detectives. By physically separating words or images based on their initial, middle, or ending sounds, children develop critical phonemic awareness skills that are fundamental to reading and spelling success.
Example Activity:
Prepare three containers labeled with different initial sounds:
- /s/ sound (sun, sock, star)
- /m/ sound (moon, mouse, mug)
- /p/ sound (pig, pan, pencil)
Give children a mixed pile of picture cards. Challenge them to sort the cards into the correct sound containers. This visual and tactile approach helps children understand sound distinctions.
Key Benefits:
- Sound discrimination
- Phonemic segmentation
- Visual-auditory connection
Activity 3: Rhyme Time
Rhyming is a playful gateway to understanding sound patterns and language structure. This activity goes beyond simple word play, helping children develop phonological awareness by exploring how sounds can change, blend, and create meaning while building a robust foundation for reading comprehension.
Example Activity:
Create a rhyming challenge game. Start with a word like "light" and have children generate as many rhyming words as possible:
- light
- might
- fight
- sight
- tight
Make it competitive by setting a time limit or offering points for unique rhymes. Encourage silly, made-up words to keep the activity fun and engaging.
Skill Development:
- Phonological awareness
- Vocabulary expansion
- Creative language play
Activity 4: Phonics Hopscotch
Combining physical movement with sound learning, Phonics Hopscotch transforms a playground favourite into an active learning experience. This multi-sensory approach helps kinaesthetic learners connect physical movement with sound recognition, making phonics practice an exciting full-body activity.
Example Activity:
Draw a hopscotch grid and instead of numbers, write letters or sounds in each square:
- Square 1: /c/
- Square 2: /a/
- Square 3: /t/
As children hop, they must say the sound or a word starting with that letter. For the above example, they might say "cat" when hopping through those squares.
Physical and Educational Benefits:
- Combines movement with learning
- Improves coordination
- Reinforces sound recognition
Activity 5: Digital Phonics Quiz
Digital learning platforms offer a modern approach to phonics practice, providing interactive and instantly responsive learning experiences. These quizzes leverage technology to create personalised, adaptive learning environments that can track progress, provide immediate feedback, and make phonics learning both educational and entertaining.
Example Activity:
ePlatform's Decodable Readers Game, The Fun Listening Quiz:
- The quiz sounds out a word (e.g., "c-a-t")
- Multiple word options appear on the screen
- Children click on the correct word they heard
Features Included:
- Clear audio pronunciation: Hear the full word or the word broken down phonetically
- Multiple difficulty levels: Select your level and book number for a fun game, specific to the book you have just read
- Immediate scoring and feedback
- Curriculum-aligned content
Conclusion
Phonics activities are most effective when they're enjoyable, interactive, and tailored to individual learning styles. The key is to keep activities short, varied, and positive, celebrating each child's progress and unique learning journey.
Quick Tips
- Rotate activities to maintain engagement
- Personalise challenges to skill level
- Make learning fun and stress-free
- Provide plenty of encouragement
— Happy Reading!
Want to Learn More?
Here are some of our recent blog posts on Phonics and Decodable Readers:
- 3 Tips to Perfecting Your Child's Reading Routine
- Systematic Synthetic Phonics: EXPLAINED
- Avoid These 4 Mistakes When Teaching Kids with Decodable Readers
- The Digital Advantage: How Online Decodable Readers Transform Learning Outcomes
- The Phonics Milestones Your Child Should Hit (And When)
- Teacher's Toolkit: Creating a Multi-Sensory Reading Experience
- Reading Intervention: Strategies for Learning Challenges