Interactive Phonics Games

Systematic and explicit phonics instruction is a crucial part of any reading program, and interactive phonics games are one of the most effective and enjoyable ways for kids to learn phonics.

Phonics instruction, that is, the method of teaching how letters are linked to sounds (phonemes), has experienced renewed popularity online, where interactive phonics games are typically found. These games have proved to be great tools to help kids learn the 26 letters of the alphabet and the 44 sounds that they make, both individually and in letter combinations.

Phonics games found online offer a variety of highly interactive tasks, activities and lessons that help develop a child’s phonemic awareness. The effectiveness of online phonics games lies in their many enjoyable elements that keep kids motivated to learn, with many featuring vibrant visuals and animations, catchy music and sound effects as well as many rewards for children to earn.

Combined with their motivational qualities, phonics games are also highly instructional. Many will repeat the sound of a letter several times, along with a visual of the letter to help the child develop strong letter-sound correspondences. Some will also allow a child to draw the letter with the mouse, developing motor skills and helping the them commit the letter’s form to memory.

While online instruction cannot nor should not replace face-to-face reading instruction, interactive phonics activities that help the child make further connections between a letter of the alphabet, its sound and its shape as presented on the computer screen as well as printed on the page, is of great help for young readers.

Reading Eggs provides a diverse array of interactive phonics games for young readers. The earliest lessons and interactive phonics games focus on helping the youngest readers deepen their knowledge and understanding of the alphabetic principle. Each letter of the alphabet is introduced in its own lesson, and all activities within that lesson, including the interactive phonics games, work on developing the knowledge of that particular letter and the appropriate sound(s) that it makes.

Reading Eggs provides a comprehensive phonics program that includes lessons on phonics skills such as identifying and working with the beginning and ending blends of words, the variety of sounds that vowels make, and equipping kids to be able to march up and tackle words of multi-syllables with confidence.

All of the Reading Eggs interactive phonics games are a part of larger reading program that is focused on kids learning how to read well. No phonics activity is offered that does not directly relate to and reinforce the literacy work being done in the reading program as a whole. The goal of every Reading Eggs lesson is kids reading real texts, and with each lesson completed, kids become more and more adept at reading.

Testimonials

Hi there, I’m a Learning Support teacher and I think this program is the best computer program I have seen for teaching phonics. Thanks for such a great resource!

- Natalie

My son is four. I really didn’t think he was old enough to start a phonics program but I figured it was fun and engaging for him it couldn’t hurt. I didn’t have very high expectations. He went from having no phonics knowledge to reading in about a month! The ‘game’ is so fun for him, he asks to do it nearly every day. He loves the egg reward system too; when he completes enough lessons he gets to go ‘shopping’ in the ‘store’ for game items…I highly recommend this program to all my friends with young children. This is the best online program we have found for phonics!

- J. Thornburg