Learning games for 5 year olds

Five is kindergarten age for most children. These games practice what kindergarten reading covers: two letters that make one sound (sh, ch, th) and the primer sight words.

Play Spell the Picture, age 5 Watch calm videos

The age 5 cards: sh, ch, th

The age 5 deck has 95 cards. Digraphs come first: sh (ship, fish), ch (chick, lunch), th and wh (tooth, whale), and ng and nk (ring, drink). Then 51 sight words from the Dolch primer list, which kindergarten classes often use.

Pick how hard: Easy gives the letters in order and shows faint letters in the tray. Mix mixes the letters up. Tricky hides the word and adds two extra letters, so your child sounds it out from the picture.

Playing together at 5

Point out that sh, ch and th are two letters making one sound. The game keeps them as two tiles, so your child sees both letters.
After a round, hunt for a word at home with the same sound: "shoe has sh too!"
Try Tricky on a calm day: no word shown and two extra letters.
Keep it short. One or two rounds, then something else.

Other ages

Questions parents ask

Is this good for kindergarten?

Yes. The age 5 cards cover digraphs and the Dolch primer sight words, both common in kindergarten. Children who need a warm-up can start with the age 3 short vowel words.

What are digraphs?

Two letters that make one sound, like sh in ship, ch in chick and th in tooth. They usually come after children can read short words like cat and pig.

Does my child need to read?

No. Each card shows a picture and the voice says the word and every letter, so a child can spell by listening and matching. Sight words have no picture: the child taps the ear to hear the word.