Stage 1 Start here
Sound–Letter
Match a letter to its sound. Begin with a small set such as s, a, t, p, i, n rather than the entire alphabet.
Phonics games for ages 3 to 8
Work through the stages in order
Start at Stage 1 and follow the stages from easiest to hardest. Stages 1–3 are free to play.
Stage 2
Sound It Out
Identify the individual sounds in simple words. If this game asks children to identify the sounds in ship, save it until they have learned the relevant sounds, including sh.
Stage 3
Blender
Blend sounds together to read words, such as /s/ /a/ /t/ → sat. Introduce simple words as soon as the child knows enough letters.
Stage 4
Reading
Read simple, decodable words independently, then progress to short phrases and sentences.
Stage 5
Spelling + C–V Sorting
Practise breaking spoken words into sounds and choosing the letters that represent them. This develops spelling alongside reading.
Stage 6
Short Vowels
Practise distinguishing vowel sounds in words such as cat, bed, sit, hot and cup.
Stage 7
ABC Order + Case Match
Learn alphabetical order and match uppercase and lowercase letters. These are useful supporting skills, but alphabet order isn’t a prerequisite for learning to blend words.
Stage 8
Letter–Sound
Reinforce letter–sound recognition and recall. This can also be introduced much earlier as a revision game.
Stage 9
Sound Bingo
Practise recognising familiar sounds in different formats. Add more complex sounds such as sh, ch, th when appropriate.
Stage 10
Reading Bingo, Grammar + Sentence Builder
Build fluency, vocabulary, sentence construction and grammatical awareness once children can read the relevant words.
