This activity builds phonemic awareness — the ability to link a letter’s sound to a word that starts with it — an essential pre-reading skill. Write 5 to 6 letters on separate cards, and gather pictures of things that each start with one of these letters.
- Lay the letter cards in a row in front of your child.
- Scatter the object pictures and ask them to pick the right one for each letter.
- Say the letter’s name and sound clearly before they choose.
- After a correct match, ask them to say the full word out loud.
This activity prepares your child for decoding words later, practicing that each letter has a specific sound that appears at the start of certain words — an important foundation before building and reading words.
