Work together to build and protect a town that is under attack by giant robots. In this interactive game, students earn actions by answering questions correctly. Each turn, they must choose how to defend the town—upgrade homes to grow the population, reinforce the walls, or launch an attack to weaken the robots!

This version focuses on phonemic awareness with the letter E. Students will view an image, identify the object or animal shown, and then segment the word to determine whether it begins with the /e/ sound. This encourages careful listening and strong sound-symbol connections in a fun, high-stakes setting.

Let’s Defend – Does It Start With E? is perfect for Foundation and Year 1 students working on initial sound recognition. It fits seamlessly into your phonics rotations and is ideal for whole-class play on the whiteboard or independent review using the QR code.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Identify the initial sound in words
• ✅ Determine whether a word begins with the letter E
• ✅ Develop phonemic awareness and segmentation skills
• ✅ Strengthen letter-sound recognition through image-based practise
• ✅ Engage in early phonics skills through game-based cooperative play

How to Play:

1. Students are shown an image and must identify what the object or animal is.
2. They segment the word to determine whether it begins with the /e/ sound.
3. Correct answers earn a town-building action—upgrade, defend, or attack.
4. The game continues through a series of images and decisions.
5. The goal is to build the strongest town and defeat the robot invasion!

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use during phonics lessons focused on initial sound identification
• 💡 Great for Foundation and Year 1 students learning letter-sound connections
• 💡 Add to sound-based literacy rotations for independent reinforcement
• 💡 Follow up with a small-group activity sorting E and not-E words using pictures

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Let students personalise their experience by choosing from six characters before the game begins
• 💛 Select the number of players or teams at the start of the game to suit individual, paired, or group play
• 💛 Send the QR code home for students to play as a homework or revision task

Let’s Defend – Does It Start With E? helps early learners strengthen their phonics foundation while building, defending, and celebrating success as a team!