The Best Phonemic Awareness Game You Can Play Anywhere (No Prep)

Why This Game Works

Learning to read is a life skill, but kids learn best while having fun! This is a quick game that you can play anywhere that helps build foundational reading and writing skills.

If you have played the Secret Word Car Game, then your child is already learning that words can be pulled apart and squished together. This is a fun game to help them break up words.

How to Play: Sound Stomp!

Give your child an easy three sound word, and have them “stomp” out each sound. Then jump and say it fast.

For example:

Max: Your word is cat!

Sam: c (stomp)- a (stomp)- t (stomp) - cat! (Jump)

*** Make sure they are saying sounds and not letter names***

Suggested word list:

• Short a: cat, hat, mat, dad, bag, wag, ram, rag, tag

• Short o: dog, hog, log, fog, mom, pop

• Short I: pig, rig, kid, pit, kit, bit, fin, fin

• Short u: fun, sun, pun, gum, bun, rut, rug

• words with more letters, but still only 3 sounds so only 3 stomps: knit, pick, tuck, rock