Phonics Games for Improved Reading Skills

As a teacher, you already know the primary focus of phonics games is to help readers understand how letters are linked to sounds (phonemes). Building strong phonics skills is crucial to building strong reading skills.

As a reading specialist, I’ve seen a common pattern with students who struggle with reading. Even though many students build a strong foundation in basic phonics during the early grades, challenges often arise when it comes to more advanced skills, like vowel teams, diphthongs, and syllabication. And this isn’t just a problem for younger students—I’ve seen it impact readers all the way up through 4th grade.

So, why does this happen? From my experience, there are three main reasons:

1. Moving On Too Quickly: Often, students are taught a skill, and it’s assumed they’ve mastered it. But not everyone moves at the same pace. Some students fall behind, yet the class keeps moving forward to the next skill, leaving gaps in their understanding.
2. Not Enough Time for Phonics: Phonics instruction can sometimes get squeezed out of the schedule. With so much to cover, these essential skills might not get the attention they need, and some students end up missing out.
3. Phonics Can Feel Tedious: Let’s face it—phonics instruction can be a bit dry, especially when it’s worksheet-based. By the time students get older, if the approach isn’t engaging, they can lose interest quickly. And once that happens, it’s hard to regain their focus.

By addressing these issues, we can help struggling readers build on their early phonics foundation and grow into confident readers.

So, how can you help students master phonics skills?

PHONICS GAMES = FUN!

FUN = MOTIVATION

MOTIVATION = LEARNING

I work with students in grades k-4 and my students beg to play games at the end of our regular reading intervention lessons. I love that my students are motivated to play educational phonics games! For me it is a no brainer. Increasing a student’s phonics skills increases reading skills. Want to experience what I’m talking about?

 Download our FREE VOWEL TEAM GAME below ⬇

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