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Printable Worksheet

Phonics at Home

Sound-by-sound practice that makes decoding automatic

Phonics is the link between the sounds children hear and the letters they see. Ten focused minutes a day of explicit sound-symbol practice builds the decoding accuracy every other reading skill depends on.

Printable worksheet: Sound boxes, two word ladders, a word-reading grid, sentence dictation, and a five-day practice log.

Sound Tapping

5 min
  1. Say a short word aloud (for example, ship).
  2. Have your child tap one finger for each sound: /sh/ /i/ /p/.
  3. Ask them to blend the taps back into the whole word.
  4. Repeat with 6–8 words that share the same pattern.

Materials: No materials needed

Word Building with Letter Tiles

10 min
  1. Build a simple word such as cap with letter tiles or index cards.
  2. Change one letter at a time: cap → cat → cot → cut.
  3. Have your child read each new word before the next change.
  4. Finish by writing three of the words from memory.

Materials: Letter tiles, magnets, or index cards

Decodable Book Warm-Up

10 min
  1. Preview the target pattern in tonight's decodable book.
  2. Read the first page together, then let your child read it alone.
  3. Mark tricky words with a sticky note and revisit them tomorrow.

Materials: One decodable reader on your child's pattern

Sound Hunt

5 min
  1. Pick a target sound for the day (for example, long a).
  2. Hunt for the sound on signs, labels, and packaging.
  3. Record finds on a tally sheet and celebrate at ten.

Materials: Paper and pencil

Coaching Tips

  • Practice sounds, not letter names, when blending.
  • Keep sessions short and finish while your child is still successful.
  • Always end with reading real words in connected text.

When to Ask for Help

  • Guessing words from the first letter or the picture.
  • Confusing similar sounds such as /b/ and /d/ past age seven.
  • Reading the same word correctly on one line and not the next.

Keep going

Fluency at HomeAccuracy, pace, and expression through repeated readingVocabulary at HomeWord-rich conversation that grows comprehensionComprehension at HomeTalking about text so meaning sticks

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