Simple Tips for Phonemic Awareness Practice

As teachers, we know that there is not a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to finding the right curriculum.  We work hard to identify comprehensive programs that will meet the needs of diverse learners.  For example, many schools are seeing great results with the Heggerty daily phonemic awareness program.  However, there will be students in every classroom that could use some additional practice beyond the learning activities in this routine.  If that’s the case in your class, I wanted to share some simple tips and resources for additional phonemic awareness practice in kindergarten.  

Phonemic Awareness Practice Activities

Kindergarten classrooms are full of wonderfully diverse children who have a variety of learning styles.  This means that we will have students who, for many different reasons, might need some additional phonemic awareness practice.  When this happens, I like to use a variety of different methods to provide extra support.  What is engaging and effective for one student might not be the right fit for another student.  With a robust toolbox of phonemic awareness practice activities, we are able to better support all learners as they build their essential foundation of phonemic awareness skills.

Keep scrolling for some of my favorite supplemental activities for phonemic awareness practice.  These are low prep activities that I like to keep on hand as our class works through the curriculum.  This way, I can quickly and easily supplement with additional resources when needed.

Phonemic Awareness Flashcards

Flashcards are a great resource to keep on hand for extra phonemic awareness practice.  You can pull out flashcards in little pockets of time to review a variety of skills.  I love to use flashcards for rhyming words because there are so many ways you can use them!  

I have created a set of rhyming words flashcards that includes a rhyming mat.  Students choose a card and put it on one box on the mat.  Then they find additional cards that rhyme with the focus word and add it to the mat. 

Flashcards are also perfect for phonemic awareness games! Use multiple pairs of rhyming cards to play a memory game.  Just turn the cards face down on the table and have fun matching the words that rhyme.  Students could also play Go Fish: “Do you have a word that rhymes with _____?” You could also give each student a flashcard at random and have them find a classmate with the matching rhyme.  This is a fun way to break the class into partners for an activity!

Phonemic Awareness Task Cards

Task cards are another great way to add engaging phonemic awareness practice activities to your classroom.  Just prep and store until needed! Task cards are perfect for literacy centers, morning work, or even a fast finisher activity.  One way to get students even more excited to practice phonemic awareness using task cards is to use a variety of fun mini erasers.  I love to use erasers or other manipulatives to match the current season. You could also have students draw on laminated task cards with dry-erase markers.

You can practice many different phonemic awareness skills with task cards!  Students can identify the number of syllables for a given picture. They could also identify a picture that has the same beginning, middle, or ending sound as the picture on the task card. Students can also use task cards to practice identifying pictures with rhyming words.

Pocket Chart Picture Sorts

Do you have a small group of students who could benefit from additional phonemic awareness practice?  Pocket chart picture sorts are a great option for a small group intervention activity!  I like to place the cards face down on the table and have students take turns drawing a card. Then the student can decide where the card goes on the pocket chart, getting help from their peers if needed. 

You can use these picture sorts for a variety of phonemic awareness skills, such as syllables or beginning, middle, and ending sounds. Pocket chart picture sorts are also a great activity to have on hand for whole group practice when you find yourself with a little bit of extra time before the next transition.

Picture Sort Worksheets

If your students love practicing phonemic awareness with pocket chart picture sorts, you should definitely try picture sort worksheets!  Students can practice fine motor skills by coloring, cutting, and gluing pictures in the correct place on each worksheet.

Worksheets are also an easy way to differentiate phonemic awareness activities based on the skills that require extra practice for each student.  For example, one student can complete a picture sort for beginning sounds while another student does a picture sort for rhyming words. Since the general activity is the same, it is easy to monitor students and keep track of the necessary supplies.

Phonemic Awareness Worksheets

Phonemic awareness practice worksheets are a great resource to have on hand for supplementing your curriculum when students need a little extra practice.  While the best phonological awareness practice is interactive and auditory, worksheets can still be helpful tools for skills practice.  I like to use phonemic awareness worksheets during whole group practice, interventions with small groups, or even for practice at home.

I have created a set of phonemic awareness practice worksheets that can be assembled into a packet of daily work.  These quick review activities make a great supplement to Heggerty and are perfect for routine practice, such as morning seatwork.

Phonemic Awareness Practice Bundle

All of the activities shown above (and more!) can be found in one money-saving bundle!  Inside this bundle, you will find a variety of activities to practice syllables, rhyming, beginning sounds, medial sounds, and ending sounds.  If you’d like to take a closer look at everything that is included in this bundle, you can find it in the Teaching Exceptional Kinders shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Save these Phonemic Awareness Practice Ideas

If you’re short on time, be sure to save this pin for later!  You can quickly find these phonemic awareness tips and resources whenever you need them.