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Phonics Games For Homeschoolers

Animal Word Families Phonics Games

Help young and new readers improve their phonics skills with games that build their knowledge and familiarity with word families.  We have observed first hand with our own children, the power of scheduled play to create and develop confident and happy readers.  Using our hands-on, 2-piece flashcard manipulatives, help learners to read and create words from different phonetic word families.   We have paired families with different animals to increase the fun factor.  The uniqueness of these resources is in the placement of the letters on the cards.  Rather than orienting the letters to the center of the cards like many professional providers do, we off set them to have the pair create a real word without requiring the new learner the arduous task of trying to visualize the finished word.  Play requires the Alpha Masters Card set as well as an Animal Family set.  Each family set includes Animal Word Family Cards and an Animal Family Introduction Sheet.  Play can be independent or interactive.

The Alpha Masters List - *Required for all Animal Word Family play

The Clam Family - The 'AM' Word Family

The Man Family - The 'AN' Word Family

The Cat Family - The 'AT' Word Family

The Pig Family - The 'IG' Word Family

The Dolphin Family - The 'IN' Word Family

The Butterfly Family - The 'IT' Word Family (They flit )

The Pup Family - The 'UP' Word Family

Age:  Wee+

Focus:  Various word families

These simple to use games can make learning to read and spell quite fun and imaginative.

Download and printout an Alpha Master Card Set.  This set will be used in conjunction with all of the Animal Word Families Games.  You can use these tools in a variety of ways.

1.  Have the child make up the words according to the accompanying Animal Introduction Sheet provided for each family.

2.  You can have the child put together words he already recognizes.

3.  You can use it for beginning spelling and letter sound recognition.

4.  Our youngest daughter's favourite way to use this was to have me create a story using the words from the list as they randomly came up.  As you flip cards from the alpha master list next to a card from the word family, let the child tell you when a "real" word is made. i.e. cat vs. caqu for example.  As real words were made I would add them into a very nonsense rhyming story.  Always funny and a hit with the kids.

5.  Create some words that you believe the child will recognize and some words that are not "real" words.  See if the child can remember the real ones. 

There are many more ways to use these resources but these are just a few starters.

Please note:  We realize that man is not an "animal" per se but a mammal.  In God's great design we are to have dominion over all the creatures.  Please feel free to talk about the distinction of animal vs. mammal if need be.  The graphic worked for the "AN" family is all. 

Visit our Our Learning Cards page to get our matching Phonics Animal Word Families Learning Cards. These are great for reinforcement.  Click here to go there now. 

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