First Sound Match
Match pictures that start with the same sound.
Words
Match
How to run it
Say both words when a match is made, stressing the first sound: sssun, sssock. The saying is what teaches; the matching only shows what is already known. If a child is stuck, offer two options rather than the whole board, which turns a search into a comparison and is much easier. Eight minutes covers all twelve pairs.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentSay the item and wait 5 seconds for the student's answer.Log as correct
- Stretch itSay the word again slowly, stretching the sounds or tapping the syllables.Log as cued
- Two choicesOffer two answers, the right one not always second.Log as cued
- ModelDo it yourself, tapping as you go, then the student does it after you.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use pictures, fewer items, and words with fewer sounds.
Take the pictures away, or move on to blending three sounds into a word.
Matching IEP goal
Given spoken words, such as 'sun' and 'moon', Student will identify the first or last sound in a word in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one repetition.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Twelve pairs of pictures that share their first sound: sun and sock, moon and map, ball and bed, cat and cup, dog and duck, fish and fan, leaf and lamp, pig and pen, rain and ring, goat and gate, nose and net. Matching by first sound is a step beyond sorting into bins — the child has to hold one sound in mind and search for its partner.
What to listen for
Watch for matching by meaning or by picture. A child who pairs dog with cat has categorised, which is a real skill and the wrong one here, and it is worth naming so they know what is being asked. Notice which sounds are hardest: continuants like /s/, /m/ and /f/ can be stretched and are easier; stops like /d/, /g/ and /p/ are over quickly and are genuinely harder to hold in mind.
Carrying it home
First-sound games work anywhere. Which of these starts like your name, or find me something that starts with the same sound as milk, takes a moment and uses whatever is in the room.
What's in this activity
- sun sock
- moon map
- ball bed
- cat cup
- dog duck
- fish fan
- leaf lamp
- pig pen
- rain ring
- top tail
- goat gate
- nose net
Questions
- What ages is this for?
- Kindergarten and first grade, where initial phoneme awareness is an expected skill.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all twelve pairs play with no account.
- Should I say the sound or the letter?
- The sound. This is a listening task, and letter names introduce a second layer that gets in the way — a child hearing bee for /b/ has an extra step to make.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.