#17 Fun Phonics Activities for Early Readers
If you’ve ever taught phonics, you know that keeping young learners engaged can be a challenge. We all want our students to master phonics skills, but how can we make learning both effective and enjoyable? The good news is that phonics can be fun—and today, we’re diving into five simple, brain-friendly activities that will get kids excited about reading while reinforcing essential skills.
1. Use a Systematic and Explicit Phonics Sequence
Before we jump into games and activities, let’s start with an essential foundation: a structured phonics sequence. If phonics instruction feels dull or overwhelming, it’s often because lessons lack a step-by-step progression. Following a structured approach ensures that students are working on skills that match their current ability—not too hard, not too easy.
👉 Tip: Use a phonics curriculum like ours that provides a clear progression from letter sounds to digraphs, blends, and morphology. This keeps students engaged and prevents frustration!
2. Turn Phonics into a Game
Worksheets and flashcards can feel repetitive, but when learning feels like play, students stay engaged! Try incorporating simple games that reinforce phonics skills in an interactive way.
Phonics Tic-Tac-Toe: Instead of X’s and O’s, students write a phonics word (like “cat” or “tan”) in each space. This turns phonics practice into a fun challenge!
Word Trash: Write phonics words on small pieces of paper, crumple them into “trash,” and have students pick them up, read them aloud, and sort them into word families. This hands-on activity adds excitement and movement to phonics practice!
3. Encourage Repeated Reading with a Fun Twist
Reading practice doesn’t have to feel tedious. One way to boost fluency and confidence is by having students read passages multiple times—but with a twist!
Collect Signatures: Have students read a short phonics passage to different classmates. Each time they read, their peer signs their paper. The goal? Collect as many signatures as possible! This builds motivation while reinforcing phonics patterns in context.
4. Bring Enthusiasm to Every Lesson
Your energy as a teacher sets the tone for the classroom. If phonics is presented as dull, students will disengage. Instead, bring excitement to your phonics lessons by celebrating small wins, using dramatic storytelling, and making each lesson feel like an adventure.
Think of it this way: If you were handed the keys to a rocket ship but given no instructions, it wouldn’t be much fun! Kids need step-by-step guidance and excitement to stay engaged in phonics learning.
5. Celebrate Progress to Build Confidence
When students see their progress, their motivation soars! Take time to acknowledge their growth, whether it’s reading a tricky word, mastering a new sound, or blending smoothly.
Try This: Create a class phonics achievement board where students earn stickers or stars for mastering phonics skills. Small celebrations reinforce effort and build a love for learning!
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
✔️ How to make phonics instruction engaging and fun.
✔️ The importance of following a structured phonics sequence.
✔️ Simple classroom games that reinforce phonics skills.
✔️ A powerful reading strategy that builds fluency and confidence.
✔️ Why celebrating progress increases student motivation.
Bringing It All Together
Phonics doesn’t have to be a struggle—for teachers or students! By incorporating structured lessons, interactive games, repeated reading, enthusiasm, and celebration, phonics instruction becomes both effective and fun.
Want to make phonics instruction easier? Join The Science of Reading Formula, where you’ll get access to ready-to-use phonics lessons and engaging activities that take the guesswork out of teaching.
👉 Join here and start making phonics fun today!
LINKS
- Listen on Apple or Spotify.
- Step-by-step phonics lesson plans & games
- Print-and-go decodable passages
- Follow Malia on Instagram
- Become a Science of Reading Formula member!
GRAB THE FREE SIGHT WORD TRASH GAME
Click the big blue “DOWNLOAD HERE” button below to print the “Sight Word Trash” game I mentioned in this episode.
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