Add this game to your literacy toolkit!
Are you teaching your students how to identify the initial sounds in words? These beginning letter sound games are a fun way for them to show you what they know! They are the perfect addition to your literacy centers, small group activities, or even partner work.
Grab your set below and then join the priority list for our VIP teaching membership, The Science of Reading Formula, so you can unlock access to all of our teaching tools in one time-saving spot.
Activity Prep
The prep for this beginning letter sound game is easy peasy. Print the board games on cardstock and laminate them to use year after year. Grab a playing die and some counters for students to move around the boards.
Beginning Letter Sound Game
It’s more important for students to focus on the sound a letter makes rather than its name. As a whole class, review letter sounds for the letters that students have already been taught. Taking time to break down the look and feel of each sound helps students’ brains notice the unique characteristics that make each one special. Talk about their tongue placement, mouth shape, whether their voice box is vibrating (for a voiced sound like /z/) or off (for an unvoiced sound like /p/)… Having a rock solid understanding of the sound makes it easier to connect that sound to its written letter later.
Once students are working in partners or small groups, each player will take turns rolling the die and moving their counter that many spaces. When they land on a spot, they will name the sound the letter makes plus a word that starts with that sound. For example, if a student rolls the die and lands on D, she might say “/d/… dog begins with the /d/ sound.”
Roll after roll, players will move along the alphabet path. The first player to reach the finish line wins the game.
Grab Your Copy
Click the blue button below to grab your freebie and then request an invite to our VIP teaching membership, The Science of Reading Formula, so you can teach reading the easier, brain-friendly way
Thanks so much for the free letter-sound game. Perfect for a 4 year-old new student of mine. Cute and fun!
Thank you~ Very useful~
So glad you’re enjoying it!
Warmly,
Ashley // Happiness Ambassador
This is a lovely website. So generous of you to share your ideas and work like this. I cannot thank you enough.
Thank you.
Thanks so much for sharing your game boards. They are just what I need for my kindergarten students struggling with letters/sounds.
Thanks Cindi, I’m glad they are helpful. 🙂
I like the games! So easy and fun to teach beginning sounds.
Thanks for sharing,
Alesia
Thanks Alesia, I’m glad you love the games. 🙂
Thank you! My 4yo will love these!
Thank you for the free game-board. I love it and will be sure to use it with my Kinder students.
Thank you very much!
Welcome! I hope you find hours of fun and inspiration for you and your class!
Warmly,
Kimberleigh // Happiness Ambassador
Thank you so much for all these wonderful worksheets! They’re a big help with my ESL kids.
You are very welcome, Lauren!
We consider it a privilege to give back!
Warmly,
Ashley // Happiness Ambassador
Thsnks
You are very welcome 🙂
Warmly,
Ashley // Happiness Ambassador
Thankyou so much for this resource, it’s greatly appreciated 🙂
Thankyou so much for the delightful beginning sound board game. this will make the learning more interesting for my little ones as I am teaching remedial for little African children and English is therefore their second language which is difficult for many of them as they don’t even have the basics such as vocabulary.
thanks a lot for this amazing resourses .. it was so fun for my students
I love your stuff! And Free?! Love it! Thank you!
YAY! We are so happy to hear that, Patricia! ♥️♥️
Kaylee // Playdough to Plato Team
Thank you soooo much!!
Where can I download this?
Hi Tinne,
Look for the blue button that says “Download here.”
Warmly,
Sarah // Playdough to Plato Team
Where do you actually download load the FREE games. I clicked on download arrow and didn’t see anything anywhere to download….?
Hi Cindy,
When you click the blue “Download Here” button, a pop-up should open. You can try checking to make sure your browser isn’t blocking pop-ups from the site or try using a different browser. If you happen to be attempting the download at school, your district’s web filter may be blocking the pop-up. The pop up will prompt you for your name and email address. Once you enter those and hit submit, your download will load. Let me know if you’re not able to get the board games!
Warmly,
Sarah // Playdough to Plato Team
Thank you so much. The perfect alphabet board game for kids.
Hi Sophia,
You’re very welcome! I hope you and your students enjoy the board games!
Warmly,
Sarah // Playdough to Plato Team