Try this activity to help your child identify the beginning, middle, and ending sound in a particular word.
In January, when I celebrated my blog’s 3-year anniversary, I asked my readers what materials they’d like to see next. One repeated request was activities that focus on beginning, middle, and ending sounds within words.
We already have quite a few beginning sound activities. We even have some middle vowel clip cards. But I hadn’t created any ending sounds activities yet, nor did I have anything that combined all three.
Until now!
Introducing…
“Where’s that sound?” clip cards
To play:
- Have your child identify the sound of the featured letter in the gold circle.
- Tell your child to say the name of the picture slowly, listening for the featured sound.
- Your child can point to or clip the word “beginning,” “middle,” or end” to show where the sound occurs within the word.
I began this game with my Four, who knows his letter sounds well (except for those pesky short vowels) and was ready for the next step.
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First, I showed my preschooler that he needed to listen for whether the sound was in the beginning, middle, or end of a word. Even though he can’t read those three words, he had no trouble remembering which was which as he did the activity.
He identified the main sound and said the name of each picture. “Hippo. Hhhhippo. Beginning.”
YOU’LL LOVE THIS PRACTICAL BOOK!
Looking for an easy-to-read guide to help you reach all readers? If you teach kindergarten through third grade, this is the book for you. Get practical ideas and lesson plan templates that you can implement tomorrow!
Some of the cards made him think a little… like this one. He’s still shaky with his vowel sounds, so I reminded him that short i says /i/.
I was pleased when he could hear the middle consonant sounds, such as /m/ in hammer.
I’ll be honest and tell you that after a few cards he became frustrated and wanted to quit. (He got stuck on the word “olive.”) I’m used to this sort of thing from him, so when I feel like we should keep going, I insist on it.
I know it looks like I do learning activities like this with my kids all the time, but it’s truly only a handful of times a week. And since he’d clearly demonstrated he could do this activity, I pushed him to do a few more cards. “Just five more.”
Well, after he cheered up he chose to keep going for quite a few more than five.
After my kindergartner came home, I pulled out the activity for him, too. He had to think a minute for cards like this one. He knew that knife ends with an e, but he also knew that since the e is silent, the /f/ sound is what comes at the end of the word.
He did about half of the set, but I don’t have more pictures to share because most of them were blurry. I was holding our 2-month-old at the time, and my multitasking only goes so far!
We hope you enjoy this freebie!
YOU’LL LOVE THIS PRACTICAL BOOK!
Looking for an easy-to-read guide to help you reach all readers? If you teach kindergarten through third grade, this is the book for you. Get practical ideas and lesson plan templates that you can implement tomorrow!
Get your free beginning, middle, and ending sound clip cards!
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Phonemic Awareness Games & Activities
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The research is in! Children with a strong foundation of phonemic awareness become better readers. Our bundle is your one-stop shop for teaching all levels of this important skill.
Edward Pillay
Thanks so much. I am a new teacher and I am having a hard time getting my class interested in learning. I was also looking for activities with onset and rime.
Shikha Jain
Lovely phonics mats , cards for my little toddler beginning sounds I just wished I came earlier on your site and i really like that you are providing the bundles for free for moms in need and that too of amazing quality and qty ….kudos …please provide someting on ending blends like you have so much for beginning blends
HS
Anna, you are a life saver 😛 i was looking for middle sounds practice, which i think my almost 5 year old daughter is ready to learn. Thanksss a bunch !!
Anna G
You’re very welcome!
Renee
Wow! These are fantastic! Thank you for your generousity!
Anna G
You’re welcome, Renee!
Jo Anne
Thank you so much for this activity. My students are struggling with beginning, middle, and ending sounds and this is great for a small group.
Anna G
You’re welcome!
Ratna Kassim
Dear Anna,
I am a teacher from Malaysia. I had received plenty of your free printables and this is the first time I am going to use them to my children in the childcare centre. I am going to start with the community helpers. I think they are great materials. I would like to buy more materials related to community helpers. Can you advise me if it is possible to ship to Malaysia. Thanking you in advance.
Anna G
HI Ratna! All my materials are digital. So you would receive the files in your email so you could print and assemble. I don’t ship anything.
Paul
Hi,
Can you tell me what the hairy animal with a y in it is? We’re not familiar with it in Ireland. We thought Bison or Buffalo but there is no y in those words.
Anna G
Yak 🙂
Nilu
Dear Anna
Thank you soo….. much for theses valuable ideas and free printable . I will try out this with my grade 1 students. Now they love english than earlier. ????
Anna G
Thank you so much for the kind words, Nilu!
kim
Dear Anna,
A million “thank yous” for the great printables and for sharing them. Now that I’ve “tuned in” I don’t know how I got along without them.
Keep up the great work!
Best regards,
Kim ( from Barbados)
kim
Dear,Anna
I’m so happy to meet this website. The contents of this website is so great and wonderful.
And thank you so ~~much that opening free your great materials .
from kim (south korea )
Anna G
I’m so glad you can use them, Kim!
Eman
I am searching for the ending sound flashcards for letter s only
Anna Geiger
I don’t have a set of cards just for ending sounds.
Nikki Mullins
Hello Anna,
I would first like to thank you for all the wonderful free printable’s I use a lot of them so thanks so much. I was also wondering if you had anything to help a kindergartner with the sound th my son is having trouble with that sound thanks again.
Anna Geiger
Yes, try one of these:
https://www.themeasuredmom.com/5-free-games-for-teaching-digraphs/
https://www.themeasuredmom.com/free-activity-teach-sounds-consonant-digraphs/
https://www.themeasuredmom.com/free-single-player-digraph-games/
Christine
Hi Anna,
Your resources are all amazing! these stuff would be very beneficial to every child who’s having difficulty on reading and recognizing letter sounds. Their learning is worth your effort. Thank you so much for all the hard works. You are such a very kind and passionate teacher.
Anna Geiger
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, Christine!
Brandi
Thank you for all your hard work making these clip cards! They are wonderful and such a time saver!
Anna Geiger
Yay – I’m so glad you can use them, Brandi!
Leida Diedrichs
Anna,
Thank you so very much for the great printables that you share. These make great centers, perfect for all the skills we are working on and the kids enjoy them so much. Thanks a million for your generous spirit!!!!
Leida
Anna Geiger
I’m so glad my materials are working for you and your students, Leida!
clara lauber
Anna,
You are a genius and a life saver!
“Me Too” times double and triple the above comments.
Thank you so much for your wonderful printables. Thank
you for providing your goodies free of charge.
I do have a question. How can I print the above directions?
I am absent-minded and have printed many of your games, but unless I have your directions
in front of me I am lost when it comes time to work with students.
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Clara! I just installed a “print” button. Scroll to the bottom of the post and click it. You can click the things that you don’t want to print, leaving just the directions.
Becky Spence
These are fantastic!!!
Anna Geiger
Thank you, Becky! I’m just trying (unsuccessfully!) to keep up with all the great stuff you’ve been creating lately!
Crystal
Yes!! Thank You!! Complete genius you are!
Anna Geiger
🙂 Thank you, Crystal!
Camilla
Dear Anna, thank you very much for your ideas. They are always adorable. And they always work great. Kids love them. Good luck!
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Camilla! Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
Regina Du Plessis
Dear Anna
Thank you so much for all the lovely printables you share.
The children and I have great fun with them.
Kind regards Regina. (South Africa)
Anna Geiger
I’m so glad you can use them, Regina!