Phonemic awareness activities to do at home with your child
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
You can practice phonemic awareness at home with short sound games: guess a word said in separate sounds, find things that start with a sound, clap the beats in names, and stretch words out slowly. Five minutes a day is plenty. Ask your child's teacher which skill to practice, keep it playful, and stop before your child gets tired.
Phonemic awareness means hearing the separate sounds inside spoken words. When your child hears that "dog" is made of three sounds, /d/ /o/ /g/, that is phonemic awareness. It is one of the skills children need before they can sound out words in a book. You do not need any special materials to practice it. Most of it can happen in the car or at the dinner table.
If your child has an IEP for reading or speech, these games can back up what the school is doing. For a plain explanation of the terms the school may use, see phonological awareness vs phonemic awareness.
Before you start: ask one question
Ask your child's teacher: "Which sound skill is my child working on right now?" The answer might be rhyming, clapping word parts, hearing first sounds, or blending sounds into words. Practicing the same skill at home helps more than practicing everything at once.
You can also ask for a few practice words. Many teachers are glad to send a list.
How to say the sounds
This one tip makes the games work. Say sounds short and clean, without adding "uh."
- Say /b/, not "buh."
- Say /t/, not "tuh."
- Stretch the sounds you can hold: "mmm," "sss," "fff."
If you say "buh-a-tuh," your child hears "buhatuh," which is not "bat." Short, clean sounds blend into a real word.
Seven activities for home
1. Talk like a robot (blending)
Say a word one sound at a time, like a robot: "/k/ /u/ /p/." Your child says the word: "cup!" Use things you can see so your child can check. Good words: cup, sock, bed, fish, mop, sun, bus, hat.
2. Sound hunt (first sounds)
In the kitchen: "Find something that starts with /p/." Your child might find a pan, a plate or a pear. Take turns, so your child gives you a sound too.
3. Clap the beats (syllables)
Clap the beats in family names: "Ma-ri-a" is three claps, "Ben" is one. Then try foods: ba-na-na, ap-ple, pizza. This is a good starting game for young children.
4. Stretch it out (segmenting)
Hold a hair tie or rubber band between two fingers. Say a word slowly and stretch the band as you say each sound: "sssuuunnn." Then let it snap back and say the word fast: "sun." Then let your child stretch one.
5. Rhyme time (rhyme)
At bath time, pick a word: "tub." Take turns saying words that rhyme: rub, cub, sub. Silly made-up words count: "zub" is a fine rhyme.
6. Silly names (changing sounds)
Change the first sound of names: "If Dad started with /m/, he'd be Mad!" "If Sam started with /j/, he'd be Jam!" Children love this. Use it only after your child is good at first sounds.
7. Fridge letters (sounds plus letters)
Once your child knows some letter sounds, use magnetic letters. Make "cat." Ask, "Can you make it say hat?" Your child swaps the c for an h. Linking sounds to letters is what helps reading the most. The What Works Clearinghouse reading guide recommends teaching how speech sounds connect to letters.[1]
Example: one family's routine
Sam is a fictional kindergartner with an IEP for reading. His teacher says he is working on blending sounds into words. In October, his mom tries 10 robot-talk words. Sam gets 3 right.
His mom plans 5 minutes after dinner, 4 nights a week. She uses robot talk with things on the table and the fridge letters on weekends. Once a week, she says 10 new words and counts how many Sam gets right.
| Week | Robot words right (out of 10) | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3 | Used only 2-sound words at first: up, in, me |
| Week 2 | 5 | Moved to 3-sound words: cup, sock, map |
| Week 3 | 6 | Pointed to the thing after Sam guessed, so he could check |
| Week 5 | 8 | Started fridge letters for 3 words a night |
| Week 7 | 9 | Asked the teacher for the next skill |
Sam's mom shared her chart at the next progress meeting. The teacher's numbers matched, and the team moved Sam on to splitting words into sounds. If your child's IEP has a goal like this, the blend sounds into words during a home game template shows how schools sometimes write home practice into a goal.
Mistakes to avoid
- Instead of: Correcting every answer with "No, wrong." Try: "Listen again: /k/ /u/ /p/. Cup." Then have your child say it.
- Instead of: 20 minutes when your child is tired. Try: 5 minutes when your child is fresh, and stop while it is still fun.
- Instead of: Long, hard words like "elephant" for blending. Try: Short words with 2 or 3 sounds: up, sun, map.
- Instead of: Saying letter names: "What starts with B?" Try: Saying sounds: "What starts with /b/?"
- Instead of: Practicing every skill each night. Try: Practicing the one skill the teacher named.
Questions to ask your child's teacher
- "Which sound skill is my child working on right now?"
- "Can you send home a few practice words each week?"
- "How will I know when my child is ready for the next skill?"
- "What does my child's IEP goal for this skill say?"
- "How often are you checking progress, and can I see the chart?"
- "Should we practice with letters at home, or just sounds?"
For help reading the goal itself, see understanding IEP goals. For reading the progress report that comes home, see how to read a progress report.
Next steps
Pick one game from the list and try it for one week, 5 minutes a day. Write down how many of 10 words your child gets right at the start and end of the week. Share it with the teacher.
If you have questions about your child's IEP or rights, your state's Parent Training and Information Center can help for free. The Center for Parent Information and Resources lists every center.[2] For teachers' versions of these activities, see phonemic awareness activities for 1st grade and manipulatives for phonemic awareness. Goal wording schools use is on the phonological awareness goals page.
Frequently asked questions
How can I help my child with phonemic awareness at home?
Play short sound games: say a word in separate sounds and have your child guess it, find things that start with a sound, or clap the beats in names. Five minutes a day is enough. Ask the teacher which skill to practice.
How long should we practice each day?
About 5 minutes, 4 or 5 days a week. Short, regular practice works better than long sessions. Stop while your child is still having fun.
Should I use letters when we practice?
Yes, once your child knows some letter sounds. Magnetic letters on the fridge are a simple way to connect the sounds your child hears to the letters in words. Before that, sound games alone are fine.
What if my child gets frustrated?
Make the game easier. Use shorter words, give a hint, or go back to a game your child already enjoys. End on a word your child gets right. If frustration keeps happening, tell the teacher.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Phonological awareness goals (reading)
- Phonemic awareness in the IEP glossary
- Phonological awareness in the IEP glossary
- Understanding IEP goals (for parents)
Related guides
- Phonemic awareness interventions for students with IEPs
- Phonological awareness vs phonemic awareness vs phonics
- Phonemic awareness activities for 1st grade intervention
- Manipulatives for phonemic awareness: what to use for each skill
- Phonemic awareness IEP goal examples
Sources
- Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
- Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.