KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Bb
The /b/ sound, as in bee: trace and write B and b, find every b among look-alike letters, trace three b words (bat, bed, bug) and draw something that starts with /b/.
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Free printables · kindergarten to 2nd grade
Phonics worksheets for kindergarten to 2nd grade
50 free phonics and letter sounds activities for K–2: beginning sounds, short vowel CVC words in sound boxes, rhyming and word families, digraphs and blends, magic e, vowel teams, bossy R and syllables. 43 come with an answer key. Every page uses Kevin Coulston’s cartoon characters and an easy-to-read school font.
KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Cc
The /c/ sound, as in cactus: trace and write C and c, find every c among look-alike letters, trace three c words (cat, cup, cot) and draw something that starts with /c/.
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KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Dd
The /d/ sound, as in donut: trace and write D and d, find every d among look-alike letters, trace three d words (dog, dig, dad) and draw something that starts with /d/.
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KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Gg
The /g/ sound, as in goblin: trace and write G and g, find every g among look-alike letters, trace three g words (gum, got, gas) and draw something that starts with /g/.
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KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Ll
The /l/ sound, as in lion: trace and write L and l, find every l among look-alike letters, trace three l words (log, lip, leg) and draw something that starts with /l/.
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KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Mm
The /m/ sound, as in monkey: trace and write M and m, find every m among look-alike letters, trace three m words (map, mop, mud) and draw something that starts with /m/.
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KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Pp
The /p/ sound, as in pizza: trace and write P and p, find every p among look-alike letters, trace three p words (pig, pan, pet) and draw something that starts with /p/.
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KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Rr
The /r/ sound, as in robot: trace and write R and r, find every r among look-alike letters, trace three r words (rat, red, rug) and draw something that starts with /r/.
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KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Ss
The /s/ sound, as in seahorse: trace and write S and s, find every s among look-alike letters, trace three s words (sun, sit, sad) and draw something that starts with /s/.
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KindergartenLetter sound
Letter Sound: Tt
The /t/ sound, as in tiger: trace and write T and t, find every t among look-alike letters, trace three t words (top, ten, tub) and draw something that starts with /t/.
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KindergartenFirst sound
Beginning Sounds: First Letter
Twelve of Kevin’s cartoon characters, from bee to unicorn. Say each name, listen for the first sound and write the letter that makes it.
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KindergartenPicture sort
Picture Sort: P, R or T?
A cut-and-glue sort: nine character pictures go under p, r or t by their first sound. Scissors and glue practice too.
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KindergartenSyllables
Clap the Syllables
Say each character’s name and clap it out: bee is one clap, monkey is two, elephant is three. Color a circle for each clap.
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KindergartenRhyme match
Rhyme Time
Six pairs of short rhyming words to match with a line: cat and hat, sun and run, pig and wig, bed and red, dog and log, bug and rug.
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KindergartenWord sort
Word Families: -at and -an
Twelve words to sort into the -at house and the -an house: cat, hat and mat, can, fan and van. Read them, then write them.
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KindergartenSound boxes
Short a Words: Sound It Out
Six short a words (cat, map, bag, hat, jam, van) in sound boxes: say each sound, blend them, write the word and draw a picture of it.
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KindergartenSound boxes
Short i Words: Sound It Out
Six short i words (pig, lip, fin, six, wig, bib) in sound boxes: say each sound, blend them, write the word and draw a picture of it.
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1st gradeSound boxes
Short o Words: Sound It Out
Six short o words (dog, pot, box, mop, fox, log) in sound boxes: say each sound, blend them, write the word and draw a picture of it.
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1st gradeSound boxes
Short u Words: Sound It Out
Six short u words (bus, cup, sun, bug, rug, tub) in sound boxes: say each sound, blend them, write the word and draw a picture of it.
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1st gradeSound boxes
Short e Words: Sound It Out
Six short e words (bed, hen, net, web, leg, ten) in sound boxes: say each sound, blend them, write the word and draw a picture of it.
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1st gradePick the letters
Missing Short Vowels
Eight short sentences, each with a vowel missing from one word. The sentence tells kids which short vowel fits.
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1st gradeWord builder
Word Families: -ig, -op, -ug
Nine starting letters and three word families. Kids build real words like pig, mop and bug and write them in each house.
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1st gradePhonics pattern
Digraph: sh
sh at the start and end of words: read and trace ship, shop and fish, color the sh words, sort them by where sh is, and read a sentence.
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1st gradePhonics pattern
Digraph: ch
ch at the start and end of words: read and trace chin, chip and lunch, color the ch words, sort them by where ch is, and read a sentence.
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1st gradePhonics pattern
Digraph: th
th at the start and end of words: read and trace thin, thick and bath, color the th words, sort them by where th is, and read a sentence.
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1st gradeWord sort
Digraph Sort: sh, ch, th, wh
Twelve words to sort under sh, ch, th and wh, from ship and lunch to moth and whale.
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1st gradePick the letters
L Blends: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl
Six sentences, each missing an l blend: flag, play, clock, glass, sled and blue. Only one choice makes a real word.
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1st gradePick the letters
R Blends: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, tr
Six sentences, each missing an r blend: frog, drum, crab, tree, grapes and brush.
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1st gradePick the letters
S Blends: sn, st, sw, sk, sm, sp
Six sentences, each missing an s blend: snail, star, swim, skunk, smile and spider.
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1st gradePick the letters
Ending Blends: mp, nd, nk, st, nt, sk
Blends at the end of words: jump, hand, pink, fast, tent and desk, each in a short sentence.
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1st gradeMagic e
Magic E: a_e and i_e
Six short words that change when you add an e: cap to cape, can to cane, kit to kite, pin to pine. Then draw a cap and a cape.
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1st gradeMagic e
Magic E: o_e and u_e
Six short words that change when you add an e: hop to hope, not to note, cub to cube, cut to cute. Then draw a tub and a tube.
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1st gradeWord search
Digraphs and Blends Word Search
Ten words with digraphs and blends hidden across, down and diagonally down: ship, chop, moth, whip, frog and more.
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1st gradeRead and draw
Read and Draw: Short Vowels
Four silly short vowel sentences to read and draw. A quick check that kids read every word, not just the first one.
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2nd gradePhonics pattern
Vowel Teams: ai and ay
The long a vowel teams: trace rain, tail and play, color the ai and ay words, fill in the right team and read a sentence.
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2nd gradePhonics pattern
Vowel Teams: ee and ea
The long e vowel teams: trace tree, feet and leaf, color the ee and ea words, fill in the right team and read a sentence.
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2nd gradePhonics pattern
Vowel Teams: oa and ow
The long o vowel teams: trace boat, soap and snow, color the oa and ow words, fill in the right team and read a sentence.
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2nd gradeWord sort
Long Vowel Sort: a, e, o
Twelve vowel team words to sort by the long vowel sound they make: mail and play, green and beach, boat and snow.
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2nd gradePhonics pattern
Bossy R: ar
The ar sound: trace car, star and shark, color the ar words, choose ar or or to finish six words and read a sentence.
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2nd gradePhonics pattern
Bossy R: or
The or sound: trace corn, fork and horse, color the or words, choose or or ar to finish six words and read a sentence.
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2nd gradePhonics pattern
Bossy R: er, ir, ur
One sound, three spellings: trace her, bird and fur, color the er, ir and ur words, pick the right spelling for six words and read a sentence.
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2nd gradePick the letters
Bossy R Sentences
Eight sentences with ar, or, ir and ur words to finish: car, fork, bird, nurse, star, horse, shirt and dirt.
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2nd gradePhonics pattern
oi and oy
The /oy/ sound: trace coin, oil and boy, color the oi and oy words, fill in the right spelling and read a sentence.
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2nd gradePhonics pattern
ou and ow
The /ow/ sound: trace cloud, house and cow, color the ou and ow words, fill in the right spelling and read a sentence.
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2nd gradeWord sort
Soft C and Soft G
Sixteen words to sort by the sound c and g make: city and cat, gem and goat. The rule is printed on the sheet.
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2nd gradeSyllable split
Syllable Split
Ten words to clap and split into syllables, from rab|bit and sun|set to di|no|saur and but|ter|fly.
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2nd gradeWord sort
Ending -ed: three sounds
The ending -ed can say /t/, /d/ or /id/. Twelve words to read out loud and sort by the sound: jumped, played and painted.
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2nd gradeAdd -ing
Adding -ing
Ten verbs to add -ing to, with the three rules on the sheet: jumping, swimming, baking, hopping and smiling.
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2nd gradePick the letters
Silent Letters: kn, wr, mb
In kn the k is silent, in wr the w is silent and in mb the b is silent. Eight sentences: knock, write, thumb, knight, wrist, lamb, knee and climb.
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2nd gradeBingo
Vowel Team Bingo
Two different bingo cards with 16 vowel team and bossy R words, plus the caller’s list. Play in pairs or as a class.
Print this sheet (PDF)Kindergarten pack
All 17 kindergarten sheets in one PDF, with their answer keys at the end.
Print the kindergarten pack (PDF)1st grade pack
All 17 1st grade sheets in one PDF, with their answer keys at the end.
Print the 1st grade pack (PDF)2nd grade pack
All 16 2nd grade sheets in one PDF, with their answer keys at the end.
Print the 2nd grade pack (PDF)The whole set
All 50 worksheets, then every answer key. The answer keys are also one PDF on their own.
Print all 50 (PDF)The phonics skills, in teaching order
Start at the top and work down. Tap a sheet to jump to it.
Letter sounds 12 sheets
Say, trace and find each letter, hear the first sound in a word and sort pictures by sound.
Letter Sound: BbLetter Sound: CcLetter Sound: DdLetter Sound: GgLetter Sound: LlLetter Sound: MmLetter Sound: PpLetter Sound: RrLetter Sound: SsLetter Sound: TtBeginning Sounds: First LetterPicture Sort: P, R or T?
Short vowels and CVC words 7 sheets
Sound out three-letter words in sound boxes, pick the missing vowel and read short vowel sentences.
Short a Words: Sound It OutShort i Words: Sound It OutShort o Words: Sound It OutShort u Words: Sound It OutShort e Words: Sound It OutMissing Short VowelsRead and Draw: Short Vowels
Rhyming and word families 3 sheets
Match rhymes and build words in the -at, -an, -ig, -op and -ug families.
Rhyme TimeWord Families: -at and -anWord Families: -ig, -op, -ug
Digraphs and blends 9 sheets
sh, ch, th and wh, l, r and s blends, ending blends and a word search.
Digraph: shDigraph: chDigraph: thDigraph Sort: sh, ch, th, whL Blends: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, slR Blends: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, trS Blends: sn, st, sw, sk, sm, spEnding Blends: mp, nd, nk, st, nt, skDigraphs and Blends Word Search
Long vowels 7 sheets
Magic e, the vowel teams ai, ay, ee, ea, oa and ow, a long vowel sort and bingo.
Magic E: a_e and i_eMagic E: o_e and u_eVowel Teams: ai and ayVowel Teams: ee and eaVowel Teams: oa and owLong Vowel Sort: a, e, oVowel Team Bingo
Bossy R and diphthongs 6 sheets
ar, or, er, ir and ur, plus oi, oy, ou and ow.
Bossy R: arBossy R: orBossy R: er, ir, urBossy R Sentencesoi and oyou and ow
Syllables and word endings 6 sheets
Clap and split syllables, -ed and -ing endings, soft c and g, and silent letters.
Clap the SyllablesSoft C and Soft GSyllable SplitEnding -ed: three soundsAdding -ingSilent Letters: kn, wr, mb
A 15-minute phonics lesson
- Hear it: say the sound and three words that have it. Kids say them back.
- See it: show the letter or letters that spell the sound, like the big letters in “Say it”.
- Trace and write it: trace the gray letters, starting each one at the top, then write it alone.
- Read it: sound out words with it, one sound at a time, then blend.
- Use it: read the sentence, then draw it. Drawing shows they understood the words.
A week of letter sounds
- Monday: a new letter sound page, like Letter Sound: Mm.
- Tuesday: another letter, then Beginning Sounds: First Letter.
- Wednesday: Picture Sort: P, R or T? with scissors and glue.
- Thursday: Clap the Syllables and Rhyme Time.
- Friday: blend real words in Short a Words: Sound It Out.
1st and 2nd grade: one pattern page on Monday (like Digraph: sh or Vowel Teams: ai and ay), the sort or sentence sheet for that skill mid-week, and Vowel Team Bingo on Friday.
More free printables for the classroom
- Sight word worksheets50 read, trace and write pages for the words kids learn by heart.
- Thinking sheets500 one-page draw-and-write sheets for morning work.
- Story StudioDraw first, then write: comic starters and a fold-up mini-book.
- Draw then write promptsDrawing as a warm-up for early writers.
- Animals from A to ZA drawing lesson for every letter of an alphabet unit.
- Early-finisher cardsCut-apart cards for the art center.
Books for new readers and writers
Kevin Coulston’s Alphabet Monsters books turn every letter of the alphabet into a monster to trace, draw and color, a fun way to practice letter shapes alongside letter sounds.
Trace Then Color: Alphabet Monsters
How to Draw: Alphabet Monsters
Draw by Grid: Alphabet Monsters
Trace Then Color: Cute Cartoon AnimalsAs an Amazon Associate, FirstArtBooks earns from qualifying purchases.
Questions
Are these phonics worksheets free?
Yes. All 50 worksheets and their answer keys are free to print for home and classroom use. Print one sheet, a grade-level pack or the whole set.
What order should I teach them in?
Top to bottom. The sheets follow the usual phonics order: letter sounds, short vowels and CVC words, rhyming and word families, digraphs and blends, magic e and vowel teams, bossy R and diphthongs, then syllables and word endings. Kindergarten covers the first steps, 1st grade the middle and 2nd grade the rest, but every class is different, so pick by skill as well as by grade.
Which letters are on the letter sound pages?
Ten consonants with a clear first sound: b, c, d, g, l, m, p, r, s and t. Each one has a picture of one of Kevin Coulston’s cartoon characters, from a bee for b to a tiger for t. c and g are the hard sounds (cat, gum); the soft sounds are on the 2nd grade soft c and soft g sheet.
What are sound boxes?
Each box holds one sound. Kids touch each box as they say its sound, then sweep a finger under the word to blend the sounds together. The short vowel sits in a colored box so it stands out. Sound boxes are also called Elkonin boxes.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. 43 of the sheets have an answer key: the same page with the answers filled in, as page 2 of the sheet’s PDF. The grade packs have their keys at the end, and all the keys are also one PDF on their own.
Why are there so few pictures?
Every picture on these sheets is one of Kevin Coulston’s own characters, not clip art, so pictures only appear where a character fits the word. On the rest, kids read the printed word, and many sheets ask them to draw the picture themselves.
Do the sheets print in black and white?
Yes. The headers are light colors that look fine in gray, and nothing depends on color ink. Sheets are US Letter and also print on A4.
All sheets are US Letter, print well in black and white, and are free for home and classroom use. The letters are set in Andika, a font made for new readers, with the a and g kids learn to write. More for teachers in the teacher resources library.
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