About this activity
Sixteen consonants with their sounds and a keyword each: m says /m/ as in map, s says /s/ as in sun, t says /t/ as in top, b says /b/ as in bed, c says /k/ as in cat, g says /g/ as in goat, j says /j/ as in jam, v says /v/ as in van. The keyword is doing real work — a child who forgets the sound can retrieve it through the word.
How to use it in a session
Say the letter name, the sound, and the keyword in that order, every time. The three-part routine is standard in structured literacy for a reason: it links the visual symbol, the sound and a retrievable anchor. Note that c and k both give /k/ here — that is worth mentioning rather than glossing over, because a child who meets it unprepared assumes they have misremembered.
What to listen for
Watch for letter names being given instead of sounds. A child who says bee for b has the name and not the sound, which is a specific and common confusion at this stage. Notice which letters need the keyword to retrieve — a letter that needs the anchor every time has not been learned yet, and that tells you what to keep in the deck.
Carrying it home
Letter sounds are everywhere on packaging and signs. Asking what sound a letter makes, rather than what it is called, is a five-second question that reinforces the distinction children most often confuse.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Kindergarten and first grade, at the start of phonics instruction.
- Do I need to sign in?
- No, all sixteen cards play free in the browser.
- Should I teach the letter name or the sound?
- Both, and keep them distinct. The sound is what reading depends on, and children who confuse the name for the sound try to decode with names — which does not work.