Initial Sounds Sorting Game

initial sounds sorting activity

Do you spend lots of money on items for your classroom? Most teachers do since there is always something for a special project or even just an item that is an essential staple.

So, when we can create a hands-on learning project for the kids that goes easy on the pocketbook, we are relieved and delighted. This initial sounds activity was created just for that purpose. We’re learning on a budget today.

We have the perfect sorting activity to build literacy skills. Grab a few items from the kitchen and you are ready to create an easy center or small group activity.

initial sounds literacy sorting for preschool

Initial Sounds Sorting Game

This activity works well with a small group of children to build literacy and fine motor skills.
The skills covered in this activity include:
Literacy

  • develop phonemic awareness
  • identify beginning sounds
  • identify letters of the alphabet (used in the variation activity)
  • match letters and sounds (used in the variation activity)

Fine Motor

  • uses fingers and hands

Building phonemic awareness helps pre-readers prepare for their reading journey. The more opportunities we give children to hear and say sounds, the more we are “filling” their reading tank with fuel to read on their own one day.

Preparing the Activity

Materials Needed

  • 1 muffin tin
  • 12 cupcake paper liners
  • 24 small stickers (Try the 1000 Stickers by Priddy)
  • 12 milk or pouch caps
  • 1 permanent marker (You will need if you play the variation activity.)

Preparing the activity:

  • Place a cupcake liner in each muffin tin cup.
  • Attach one sticker to the bottom of each cupcake liner.
  • On the caps attach stickers that begin with the same sounds of the stickers that you added to the cupcake liners. For example, if you want the kids to identify the /g/ sound, you might have a sticker of a goat on the liner and a stick of gum sticker on the cap.

phonemic awareness activity prek

Playing the Activity

Invite the child to name an item in one of the cupcake liners. Then, ask the child to identify the beginning sound. Finally, ask the child to find a cap of a picture that also begins with the same sound.

Here is an example.

Teacher: Tell me the name of this object. (Teacher points to one of the muffin tin cups.)

Child: Sock

Teacher: Say sock and tell me the sound you hear at the beginning of sock.

Child: /s/

Teacher: Find a cap that has a picture of something else that begins with /s/.

Child: scissors (Child picks up the scissors cap.)

Teacher: Place the cap with the scissors in the cup with the sock. Sock and scissors both begin with /s/ sound. (Child places the cap in the tin with the sock.)

Play continues until all caps have been sorted.

Variation Activity

When we add the written letter into the mix, we enter into the phonics arena. Some research says teaching the letters and sounds simultaneously is beneficial. Here is a variation to the activity above that uses letters with pictures.

Prepare the muffin tin with the cupcake liners and stickers just like you did above. Instead of placing stickers on the caps, write the letter that corresponds to each cupcake liner.

Play the same as above, but this time, the child finds the letter that represents the beginning sound of each picture.

Hands-on activities support making connections between letters and sounds. How else do you build initial sound awareness with your kids?

BIO: Jodie is the creator of Growing Book by Book where she shares book lists, reading and writing activities, and literacy-building tips for young children. She is also the proud mom of 2 little boys- check out her Ultimate List of Preschool Books! You can connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

More Literacy Posts Related to Beginning Sounds—
How to Teach Phonological Awareness
Harvest I Spy Beginning Sounds
Beginning Sound Paint Sticks
Little Red Hen Literacy Packet

Phonological Awareness Pinterest Board
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