Beginning sound mat maker

A mat for each letter and picture cards to sort

Make beginning sound mats. Each letter gets a mat with empty boxes, and one more page holds the picture cards. Your child cuts out the pictures, says each one, listens for the first sound, and puts it on the mat for that letter.

Pick a design

Now: . Hundreds of designs to choose from.

Choose each part yourself

To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. What you type stays on your device: it is not sent to us and not saved.

Your worksheet:

How to make your worksheet

  1. Pick a group of letters, or choose “Type your own letters” and type two to four.
  2. Choose how many pictures each letter gets.
  3. Print the mats and the page of picture cards.
  4. Cut out the pictures and sort them onto the mats. Use them again, or glue them down.

The reading skill

Sorting pictures by first sound is practice in hearing the first sound of a word and tying it to a letter. It is the step before sounding out.

One clear answer

Each picture is one a child would name with a word that starts with that sound. Two letters whose sounds are easy to mix up, such as c and k, are never put in the same sort.

Make it last

Slide the mats into plastic sleeves and keep the cards in an envelope.

Good questions

Which letters can I choose?

Every letter that has two or more pictures in our library, and sh and ch. The page tells you when a letter is left out.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. Keep “Answer key page” on.

Can I print in black and white?

Yes. Every picture becomes a line drawing your child can color in.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limit.

Make another kind of sheet

More than worksheets

Does this sound like your child?

“Cannot tell me the first sound of a word, or cannot rhyme”

Ears First is a full 10-day plan, with a short video that shows you every step. The goal: on day 10 your child hears the sounds in a short word. They say how it starts, push three sounds together into a word, and pull a word apart into its sounds. It is the goal, not a promise.

  • 22 printable pages, one short day at a time
  • 11 short videos that show you each day before you do it
  • 2 sound tracks your child works with, while you stay nearby
  • A check on day 1 and day 10, and a report
  • About five minutes a day from you
  • $19, one payment. 30-day money back.

See the 10-day plan →Or do the free 3-minute check first