This page contains affiliate links. In this post I will be sharing with you three phonics games for you to download and print for free, for helping children to read and spell words with the sounds 'oo' and 'ee'. Two letters making one sound: oo and eeMost children find these sounds easy to learn. They are clear and distinct. As always, the key to learning these new sounds, is to help the child to see two letters together, making one new sound. So 'when we see the word: 'feet', we say: f ee t which is 3 sounds NOT f e e t which is 4 sounds ee Phonic GamesMost of my 'ee' phonic games include the sound 'oo' as well, as this sound has just been taught previous to 'ee' in my Reading Made Simple Free reading programme. I have written this game for pupils with special needs who find it hard to learn that one 'e' says 'e' as in bed, and two e's says 'ee' as in feet. The 'e' or 'ee' Phonic game helps pupils to differentiate between the two sounds, so that they become familiar with the new sound before attempting to read and spell words containing it. I suggest that you introduce the sound 'ee'. Then practice it on a flashcard with the sound 'e' and then play this game. 'OO' makes two soundsIf you think of the word boot and then the word look you will hear that although they are both written with 'oo', they do not both have the same 'oo' sound. boot has a long ooo sound, while look just has a short 'oo' sound. One easy way of helping children to remember is to say it is like a cuckoo 'oo' says cu (for look) and coo for moon. |
Teaching Tips
- Use flashcards of the phonic sounds and drill pupils daily (mon-fri) and have the child say
- Look for words with oo and ee in books.
- Help children to become familiar with the 'oo' and 'ee' sound (not worrying about reading and spelling for this - just listening) by coming up with rhyming words:
look: took book shook rook cook hook
hoot: boot toot coot
feet: meet street beat fleet greet seat meat
Pupils will learn the other ways to make these sounds later on - what matters is that they can hear the sounds in words.
Look after your games
Have you seen our other games?
Find oo/ee worksheets here to support learning:
Download the free oo/ee phonics games here:
Learning this sound is a natural progression from first having learnt to blend cvc and ccvc words.
Rigour and repetition in phonics work
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Flashcards - old fashioned but so effective!
Therefore I suggest in my reading programme that each sound is taught thoroughly for a week, while at the same time practising the sounds that have gone before. At the end of this time, move to the next sound, but continue to practice all the sounds learnt so far. Your pupil will no doubt continue to need reminding of the new sounds and support to use them when both reading and spelling.Reading Made Simple ensures that children have that regular practice by the use of weekly simple dictations of little stories using only words they have already learnt. This builds real confidence and concretes the knowledge firmly in place.
ck sound words games help the new rule to 'stick' in the mind
The 'ck' rule - repetition is the key!
sack peck lick sock duck
- Make it a daily saying.
- Say it every time you spell or read a 'ck' word
The first game involves finding the 'ack', 'eck', 'ick', 'ock' or 'uck' ending to complete each word.
Make it a daily saying:
The first game involves finding the 'ack', 'eck', 'ick', 'ock' or 'uck' ending to complete each word.
Resources to help you make your games
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Keep your games somewhere safe. I like to use plastic A4 plastic wallets for each game. Then I don't lose any pieces!
If you find these games helpful, please do tell others and leave a review as a comment on this mail.
Find free phonics 'ck' worksheets here.
FREE CCVC games!
Although we keep phonic vocabulary to the minimum, it would do all students well if they knew these two terms:
vowel - five special letters with out at least one we cannot make a word.
consonant - all the letters of the alphabet that are not vowels.
A consonant blend, is simply two consonants together. Many words start or end in this way:
st, fr, sp, lt, lk, st, pr, pl, tr, tw, etc...
Once young readers can blend three sounds with a short vowel, then they can move on to blending four sounds with consonant blends and a short vowel. Remember - a short vowel simply means the vowel saying its sound not its name: 'a' for apple, rather than 'ay'.
The blend can either come at the start of the word:
f r o g
s a n d
Children do not have to memorise these blends as they can just sound them out, however it will speed up their reading no end if they can blend them quickly.
These ccvc games have been designed to help children both feel the consonant blends with their lips as they say them - which helps with reading - and to hear them in order to sound out a word - with helps with spelling. I am a great believer in multi-sensory learning.
A mirror is a useful piece of teaching equipment, especially for helping children with speech difficulties, as you can teach speech as the same time as phonics. Let the child see their mouth in the mirror as they shape each sound. Let them say each sound slowly and see the lips change position. Blend the sounds slowly and feel the movement of the lips and tongue.
CCVC games
This is a good game for students who are just being introduced to putting two letters together in this way. Because the pupil is only being asked to look at two letters, rather than a whole word, it takes the stress off of having to read a whole word and focuses the attention on the blends.
These two games give plenty of practice in doing just that. If your pupil is willing - then encourage him/her to play them again and again. Play with Dad, Mum, Gran, sister, brother, friends - who can win? And because winning is not dependent on cleverness, there is no threat if anyone loses! The more practice the better!
Four Letter Word Game
Missing Letter Games
Both of these games will provide plenty of practice.
- Two stop/ three go faces
- Five ticks for 'Have a turn' and a cross for 'Miss a turn'
- Five smiley faces for 'Have a turn' and one/two sad faces for 'Miss a turn.'
Use a dice!
Tools to help you make your games...
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Purchase all of these games in ONE FILE for ease of use - low price!
(FREE to download singly below).
Following on from our CVC reading books, they form a first reading scheme!
Download your FREE CCVC Games here:
We are welcome to any feedback you may have to help us to help you better!
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The first game gives extra practice in hearing the middle vowel sound. This is necessary as the vowels are all sounds made at the back of the throat and for some children they can be difficult to tell apart. These games all have a short vowel in the middle- that is, a vowel saying its sound not its name. For example 'a' as in apple, not 'ay'.
All ages, including special needs and ESL students.
Students who are having difficulty hearing all three sounds in a cvc word.
So easy to make...
Print out the game pages - not my terms and conditions! I like to print on card. Laminating the baseboards will make them last longer, or you can use A4 plastic wallets.
Then:
- Missing Vowel Game: Cut out the individual word cards.
- Final sound Game: cut out the letter and picture cards.
- Store your game in a folder. Small cards can be kept in envelopes. I like these folders to keep mine in.
So easy to play...
Missing vowel Game:
- Take a baseboard each.
- Scatter the letter cards face down on the table.
- Take it in turns to take a letter card and see if there is place for it on your picture board.
- If there is, then place the letter in the word.
- If not return it face down to the table. Continue play until one player completes their board.
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- Take it in turns to choose a letter card.
- Sound out the letters on the letter card first.
- Then look at your pictures to see if you have the missing final letter.
- If it matches one of your picture cards, sound out the word, say it properly and then put the completed word to one side.
- Then take another picture card.
- If it doesn’t match, the letter card should be returned face down to the pool of letter cards.
- Play continues until all the cards have been used up. the winner has the most completed picture cards.
Young readers need to hear the 'breaking-up into sounds' process modelled to them many times. Sound out your words as you read them. Get used to saying each sound separately, like 'c..a...t' and then saying the whole word 'cat'. Drag out the vowel sound so that it is easier for the child to hear how the sounds join to make a word: 'c....aaaaaa....t'. If they hear you doing it, they will be more inclined to try for themselves.
Make some mistakes sometimes and correct yourself. This might seem odd, but actually, you will find your student peering over your shoulder to help you! Being the teacher really helps children to think through what they know!
Resources to help you make the games...
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If you like these games, then rather than having your computer cluttered up with separate files, why not purchase this compendium, for a small price, and have all 6 games in one file?
Find FREE-to-download Decodable CVC reading books here.
Download your FREE cvc spelling games here:
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They are free for you to download and print.
CVC words all have a short vowel sound - that's a vowel saying its sound, not it's name. So 'a' as in apple, not 'ay'. It is a simple matching game which the child could either do themselves or play as a game with an adult (which is much more fun!).
c a t
Everyone! These games have worked well with toddlers through to adults learning English as a second language.
So easy to make...
All you have to do is:
- Just print off the three pages for each game. I like to print on card and laminate them, or you could use A4 plastic wallets instead.
- Then cut out the individual word cards.
- Store the little cards in envelopes and keep the whole game in a folder to keep it safe.
From the 'All vowels Game' which can be played in two ways,
with either pictures or words as a base board.
with either pictures or words as a base board.
- Each player takes a picture board and the word/letter cards are scattered face down on the table.
- Players take a word/letter card in turn, and read it/say the sound.
- If it matches a picture or completes a word on their board they can keep it.
- If not the player returns the word/letter to the table face down. Keep playing until somebody completes their board.
- Young readers need to hear the blending process modelled to them many times. Sound out your words as you read them. Get used to saying each sound separately, like 'c..a...t' and then saying the whole word 'cat'. Drag out the vowel sound so that it is easier for the child to hear how the sounds join to make a word: 'c....aaaaaa....t'. If they hear you doing it, they will be more inclined to try for themselves.
- Make some mistakes sometimes and correct yourself. This might seem odd, but actually, you will find your child peering over your shoulder to help you! Being the teacher really helps children to think through what they know!
Give your child's reading a head start with these books.
Even suitable for special needs children!
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Download your FREE CVC Games here:
If not, please tell us what you require!
This post contains affiliate links.
I have the privilege of teaching Ben. Ben is a 14 year old boy who is autistic and has ADHD. He is very behind with his reading and writing and his mother has become concerned about his lack of progress. From the reports from his school it seemed his reading was better than his spelling, but neither were great.
Any older child who has become despondent about reading will need to trust you not to fail them again, after years of failure. Games take the risk of failure away. After all, if they lose, they can blame the game, not their lack of ability.
It has taken me several sessions to win Ben's confidence. To start with I met just with his mother, who showed me various reports so that I could get a feel for where he is at. Not all children will have such reports and you should always do your own assessment anyway. I then gave her a lesson in phonics, starting with initial sounds and progressing to hear the sounds in cvc words. I left her with my Alphabet Matching game to play with Ben When I next visited, I was told that Ben had really enjoyed playing the game and had played it several times. This helped me form a bridge to Ben - I could play the game with him too and he knew it was safe. My next step was to invite Ben to my garden, where he picked raspberries and joined in a game of football with my son. By my next visit to his house he was no longer running away, but willing to talk. At this point I still didn't try and teach him, but just let him get used to me by establishing a relationship.
Not all children will need this level of reassurance, but they will all need a period of 'learning to trust you'.
How to assess current reading ability
These are the stages I take in an assessment.
- I will ask them to take part in a short reading test to gain a reading age. This will give me a means of measuring future progress. While administering the test I observe word attack strategies which gives me useful information. Is the child guessing, perhaps looking solely at the initial sound, or is the child attempting to you use phonic knowledge?
- I then test that the child is secure in their knowledge of the sounds the letters of the alphabet stand for (initial sounds) as a weakness here can cause untold problems. I will probably ask them not only to read the letters but write them too unless they are unable to write. I also ask the child to order the letters of the alphabet and say the alphabet (using letter names).
- I will want to know if they can blend (to read) and segment (sound out to spell) three sounds with a short vowel in the middle (cvc words) like 'm..a..t'. I will make a few words with magnetic letters and ask the child to read them, or say a word and ask them to make them with the letters, watching all the time for clues as to what strategies the child is using. I will make sure I check words containing all five vowels. If I think they may already know the words, I will then give a made up word, just to be sure, like 'j..e..p'.
- Then I will test their ability to blend and segment cvcc words (four letters with a short vowel and consonant blend, like 's..t..e..p' as for cvc words.
- If so far so good, I will then test their knowledge of the common digraphs.
- At some point I will test their knowledge of common sight words, like 'the', 'here', 'of', 'is' etc.
For his first visit to my house for a lesson, Ben started by wanting mum to stay, but 5 minutes later, told her she could go! Another game (fishing - see instructions below) had caught his attention and he was delighted to find he could read the cvc words with the vowel 'e'. This was a fun way to assess. I discovered that he had a smattering of look and say, and although he attempted to sound out the words he didn't know, this was hit and miss. After much fun and laughter, he was relaxed enough to sit at the table with my son, with a white board each, and I tested his ability to write given letters as I said their sound. He performed quite well with this, but his fear of failure was evident as he was reluctant to directly show me his work. I contrived a way whereby he checked with my son first, before showing me. He was happy with this arrangement.
Assessment is taking time as I am having to slowly win his trust, but my initial reactions are that Ben is fairly secure on his initial sounds, with just the letter 'x' causing problems. Handwriting is an issue, and I think some letters he knew but couldn't remember how to write the letter. This was confirmed when the next session I gave him a set of magnetic letters and asked him to match them to the alphabet game pictures. He did this very quickly and accurately. However, he had difficulty recognising some of the magnetic letters, particularly, u/n and b/d/p/q. This is not unusual.
After asking him to spell out some cvc words, I discovered that he was not sure about the final sounds of cvc words. We will work on that with the Final Sounds game next session.
Ben is very keen to read. He read me a book his mother had bought him, but it was obvious to her and me that Ben had learnt to use the pictures as a cue to guessing. Therefore, he wasn't actually reading the words. I had chosen this book from his collection as it was titled 'Mad, Mad, Mad' and contained some cvc words I knew he could read. I therefore covered over the pictures and suggested we share read it. He started and I read the non cvc words. He did know little words like 'the' and 'is'. I could feel the temptation to guess was strong and I had to keep saying, 'Now you can read this word - sound it out!' He was so thrilled at the end. I feel sure he himself knew the difference between really reading and guessing. This gave me much information to use to plan out lessons.
Plan your first phonic lesson
Having assessed the above points, you are now ready to decide where to start teaching. You begin teaching at the point that you identified a weakness. If there was only one letter of the alphabet that was weak, for example, then you will want to address that. At the same time you will be moving forward. Maybe that letter was weak, but they could blend and segment cvc words well, but were not secure with consonant blends. In this case, I would make practicing the weak initial sound a short part of the lesson, a 'warm up' activity, before moving into more specific teaching of the lacking skill.
Each lesson can have several short activities. Plan to keep the pace brisk, purposeful and focused.
I always like to finish with a game as it sends the child home on a positive note. My games are designed so that it is easy to print a copy to send home for the child to play and show mum and dad how well they are doing.
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Make reading as multi-sensory as possible
When you are working with older children who have not made expected progress in reading, a multi-sensory approach is most often beneficial as it links sight, sound, movement and touch. These help the necessary brain connections to be made. So as you plan activities, think of how to make them feel, look, listen and get them physically moving as much of their bodies as you can!
Here are some ideas:
- Feeling how the mouth changes as different sounds are made, the position of tongue, teeth and lips. Use a mirror so that they can watch them selves saying sounds in the mirror.
- Make sandpaper letters for them to trace.
- Let them physically hold letters: arrange magnetic letters on a metal tray.
- Write on different surfaces: chalk board, white board, as well as paper.
- Play games.
The fishing game
This is great every once in a while for a child who finds it hard to sit still for very long, as they can get up and move about. Do be prepared for 'tricks' that they will soon find, like picking up more than one word at a time. I never mind this as they have to read more words!
Print out a page of fishes.
Write a cvc word clearly on each fish.
Attach a paper clip to each fish.
Make a pond with a piece of blue paper/card.
Make two rods with cardboard tubes (the stiff ones from rolls of tin foil are best), a length of string and a magnet to tie on the end.
Take it in turns to catch a fish. If they catch more than one, I allow two (after all it means more reading!)
Welcome
Hello, I'm Lilibette, qualified teacher (B.Ed Hons). I have taught phonics in mainstream education, followed by have home-educated my two sons to 18, and am now a private tutor.
Reading Made Simple (a completely free systematic phonic reading programme) and Sound-it-out are the results!
I aim to bring advice and resources aimed at enabling parents and teachers to EASILY teach phonics effectively. That is: to help children become life-long readers, forming a bedrock on which all further education can be built. My mother helps to draw the pictures and between us we have many years experience of teaching KS1, special needs and ESL. We hope you enjoy browsing our site!
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