Simple Activities for Phonics Practice

Coming up with simple activities for phonics practice doesn’t have to be time-consuming! This easy-to-play phonics practice game is a lifesaver! Whether you’re working on a specific phonics skill or learning new sight words, this no-prep practice game is a quick and easy way to get your students engaged and learning.

This simple activity for phonics practice is one of my favorites because it is easy to adapt and implement so that you don’t spend hours planning and prepping. Plus, it makes a great last-minute activity! 

How to Play This Activity for Phonics Practice

Start by collecting your supplies. All you need for this game is a big piece of construction paper or easel paper and markers. 

For this example, we’ll pretend we are working on digraphs (ch, sh, th, etc.) Write the skill(s) at the top of the paper. (You can either split them into ch, sh, th, or have them all on one paper.)

Set a timer for 5-10 minutes (you pick) and have students take out their independent reading books and search for words that match the skill. 

When they find one, they run to the chart, grab a marker, and write it down. If students find a word that is already on the chart, they can still go up, but instead, they’ll put a tally next to the word instead of rewriting it.

The goal is to FILL the chart(s) with words that match the phonics skill. After the time is up, you can review all the words students found!

Variations of the Game

Depending on your class, you can choose to make this phonics practice game non-competitive or competitive.

Non-competitive version: Play as a whole class, where everyone is searching, writing, etc. This way the whole class can work together to fill the chart.

Competitive version: Play in groups. Give table groups of 4-6 students their own blank chart to use. At the end, see which group found the most words.

Get More FREE Phonics Activities

I hope your students love playing these activities for phonics practice! Want more free activities to support phonics? Grab this FREE Word Work Starter Kit! It is filled with ideas to help get your word work center up and running, plus some incredibly helpful resources! In this FREE kit, you’ll receive:

• Editable word work choice boards
• Editable word sort templates
• Teacher planning templates
• Charts for vowel sounds, blends, and digraphs
• 25 hands-on word work activity ideas

If you’re looking for more phonics teaching ideas, you’ll definitely want to check out this post about my digital phonics activities.