Initial Sounds Fishing Game
Description
Looking for a playful way to reinforce phonemic awareness and letter-sound correspondence? Our Initial Sounds Fishing Game is an exciting, hands-on activity designed to help early learners master identifying the beginning sounds of words while having loads of fun!
This engaging game encourages students to sort illustrated fish into buckets labelled with the correct initial sound. With three different fish included for each letter of the alphabet, children get multiple opportunities to practise and consolidate their knowledge of beginning sounds across a wide variety of vocabulary.
To bring even more fun to the activity, students can "go fishing" by using mini fishing rods and magnets to catch the fish. This adds an interactive fine motor element and turns the learning experience into a game students will want to play again and again!
Key Learning Outcomes
- ✅ Identify and match the initial sound of a spoken word with its corresponding letter
- ✅ Strengthen phonological awareness and early decoding skills
- ✅ Practise letter recognition and sound-symbol correspondence
- ✅ Develop fine motor coordination through interactive play
What’s Included
- Three illustrated fish for every letter of the alphabet
- Bucket labels for all 26 initial sounds
- Full-colour and black & white printing options
Materials Needed
- Printed and laminated fish and bucket labels
- Mini fishing rods with magnets (available from Kmart or craft stores)
- Paper clips (one per fish)
- Optional: shallow tubs, trays or buckets for sorting
- Optional: tongs for a fine motor alternative to fishing rods
How to Use
- Print and cut out the fish and buckets. Laminate for durability.
- Attach a paper clip to each fish to make them magnetic.
- Lay out the buckets or labels in an accessible space for students to sort.
- Have students take turns "fishing" for a card, saying the word aloud and identifying the initial sound.
- Students then sort their fish into the correct bucket with the matching beginning letter.
Ideas for Classroom Use
- 💡 Use during literacy rotations to support phonics instruction
- 💡 Set up in your fine motor or sensory play station with magnetic rods and rice trays
- 💡 Create a class challenge to see who can catch and sort all the fish first
- 💡 Introduce the game in small groups for guided phonics practise
- 💡 Use as an intervention tool for students needing extra support with initial sounds
Top Teacher Tips
- 💛 Store the fish in ziplock bags labelled by letter group for easy organisation
- 💛 Introduce only a few letters at a time to scaffold learners who are just beginning
- 💛 Use the black and white version as a colouring activity to reinforce sounds further
Initial Sounds Fishing Game is a joyful and hands-on way to build foundational phonics skills in early years learners. With opportunities for movement, sorting, and sensory exploration, it's the perfect resource for combining literacy and play-based learning.
Available in our basic fun font and all Australian state fonts.
Additional information
Australian Curriculum Code | AC9EFLY09, AC9EFLY11 |
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File Format |
Australian Curriculum V9
F - 6
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