Reading and vocabulary are two essential academic skills that every child should possess. Manier times parents fail to realize that good reading skills start with an understanding of phonics. If reading well is your goal then phonics is the foundation. However, in today’s day and age, the attention span of our children is reducing by the minute so, in order to teach young learners the basics of phonics, educators all across Dubai, UAE, GCC and the Middle East are using engaging online and offline games that encourage kids to start playing with letters and sound. Here are a few games that you can try in order to get your child familiar with phonics in a fun and interactive way.

1. Fast Phonics By Reading Eggs

This is an online phonics program by the Reading Eggs that offers hundreds of interactive games that uses phonics instructions and boosts reading skills. The program has 20 levels where children get a chance to learn letter-sound recognition, spellings, blending etc. It is perfect for kids aged from 5 to 10 as it keeps them engaged and eager to improve at phonics in a creative way.

2. Anchor Charts

When it comes to phonics, it is a staple to use anchor charts with kids. Just hang them around the room so it is easier for them to memorise vowel blends, silent letters hard and soft C and G and much more. A wide variety of anchor carts are available online and can be easily downloaded

3. Beginning Sound Charts

When you combine visuals with audio lessons, their retention increases dramatically. This is exactly why it is a good idea to create beginning sound charts with your kids. You can either draw and create the chart yourself along with your children or downloaded printable versions from the internet and hang them around your room for daily revision.

4. Toss and Blend with Plastic Cups

No one ever says no to a game of ping-pong right? Now let’s convert this fun game into a phonics activity for young kids. Grab a stack of plastic cups and label them with different letter blends. Then ask the child to throw the ping-pong ball into any of the cups, whatever cup the ball falls into, the kid has to pronounce the letter blend. You can also convert this game into a fun competition among kids to keep them attentive.

5. Match Cups to make a word

If you have cups leftover from the last game, you can use them effectively to build a new phonics game. Write different consonants and vowels on each cup and ask the child to mix and match to create their own word. This is a fun way to work on sight words and encourages creative thinking among young learners.

6. Use Lock and Keys to learn phonics

Label keys with beginning sounds and locks with word endings. Then you can ask the child to match the right key with the right lock. This self-correcting activity not only refines their motor skills but also facilitates phonic learning.

7. Phonic Water balloon game

This is a fun activity to do in your backyard along with a group of young kids. Tape beginnings sounds to your wall or fence and then throw water balloons with ending words right at them. This way your child will not only learn new spellings and sounds but also have loads of fun outdoors. These are just a few games and activities that facilitate phonic learning and reading among children. Kids today are highly advanced and that calls for recognising new effective ways of studying. Try these unique activities with your children and watch them get more and more intrigued about phonics.

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