Beginning sounds phonics worksheets

Before children can blend a word, they need to hear where it starts. Beginning sounds — catching the /s/ in sun, the /m/ in moon — are the first real phonics skill, and this free printable practises them entirely through pictures, so it works even before your child can read.

Three simple pages — one activity each: circle the letter, spot the /m/ pictures, write the first sound. All picture-based.

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What's on the sheets

One activity per page, so each sitting stays simple — and the pictures are there to be coloured when the work's done.

Page 1 — Circle the letter. Say each picture's name aloud, listen for the very first sound, and circle the letter that makes it.

Page 2 — Spot the /m/ pictures. A page of pictures, some starting with /m/ and some not — your child hunts down the /m/ ones.

Page 3 — Write the first sound. Say the picture, hear the first sound, and write the letter that makes it.

Parent note. A short guide to running the activities — including the one rule that matters most: say the sound, not the letter name.

How to teach beginning sounds

• Say the sound, not the letter name. /s/, not "ess." Letter names don't blend into words; sounds do.
• Stretch the word's start. sss-un, mmm-oon — exaggerating the first sound makes it easy to catch.
• Play it away from the page too. "I spy something that starts with /m/" in the kitchen is the same exercise. Oral first, page second.

When this is the right level

Use this if:

• Your child knows some letter sounds
• They're starting to notice how words begin
• They're roughly ages 4–6

Skip this if:

• They already blend CVC words — move to short vowels and CVC words

Related resources

• Alphabet worksheets — one worksheet per letter, A to Z
• Short vowel worksheets — the next sounds to master
• CVC worksheets — first blended words
• Kindergarten phonics worksheets — the full kindergarten pathway

Common questions

What are beginning sounds?

The first sound in a spoken word — /s/ in sun, /c/ in cat. Hearing them is the first step of phonemic awareness, and the bridge to blending.

Should I say "sss" or "ess" when we practise?

The sound, always: /s/ as in sun. Letter names come easily later; it's the sounds that build reading.

My child can't read yet — can they still use this?

Yes, by design. Every activity works from the pictures; no reading required.

Are these worksheets free?

Yes — free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.