4 Games to Hack for Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Practice

4 Games to Hack for Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Practice

When you are helping students with phonics and phonemic awareness practice, it’s important to mix in some fun and really engaging activities and games!

Here are 4 games to hack for phonics and phonemic awareness practice.

1. Connect Four

The classic Connect Four game is a fun one. Let’s talk about how modify it a bit for phonics and phonemic awareness practice.

Either write on the discs with sharpie or attach paper labels to each with with letters, word families, etc. that you students need to practice. You can even make it more challenging by adding a rule like: once a short vowel disc is dropped in a column, asll other words in that column must have the same short vowel.

Tip – if you don’t have Connect Four yet, try looking on Facebook Marketplace, a local Facebook buy nothing type group, or ask for a parent to donate one as a gift to the class.

2. Twister

Most of us probably remember Twister from our childhood. It is yet another fairly simple way to incorporate some phonics and phonemic awareness practice. You can simply write on a twister mat with sharpie (Or attach some cards with words, letters etc. if you want something temporary). If a student wants to claim that space with their hand/foot, they have to read the word on that circle first. It’s a cool way to work in a way that is different from just sitting at a table or desk.

Plus you never know – it may become a recess or free choice favorite!

3. Hopscotch

Even Hopscotch could be hacked! For phonemic awareness practice, write letters instead of numbers on the squares. Kids say the sounds as they hop. Even more basic and easy, to practice letter ID, write letters on the squares.

4. Uno

And I saved Uno for last! It is the most time consuming to hack but really fun. Replace the numbers on the cards with words with the skills you are working on. You can use an index card to do this, but you want to make sure to let the color of the cards show. You will need to plan/strategize too. For example, the 8 on the yellow cards could include a word from the “ock” word family, but the 8 on the blue, green etc cards should also have an “ock” rhyme. When discarding cards, students need to read the words!

You might also try heading over to Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) and searching Uno game. I think some already prepared Uno type games are availabel there for purchase.