Roll, Read & Cover: Vowel Sounds is a hands-on, interactive phonics game designed to help early readers build confidence and fluency with CVC words. Students roll two dice – one for onset (beginning sound) and one for the rime (word ending) – and blend the two parts together to form a word. If the word matches a picture on their game board, they cover it. This fun and fast-paced activity helps reinforce blending, segmenting, decoding and word recognition.

With simple prep and high engagement, this game is ideal for literacy rotations, partner activities, or as a fun warm-up for phonics lessons. It supports independent learning and encourages students to practise essential decoding skills while playing cooperatively with classmates.

By blending onset and rime to match CVC words with pictures, students develop phonemic awareness and word-building confidence – all in a playful format that feels like a game rather than a task.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Blend onset and rime to form and read CVC words
• ✅ Recognise and decode vowel sounds within simple words
• ✅ Strengthen phonemic awareness through hands-on learning
• ✅ Develop vocabulary and word recognition through image matching
• ✅ Practise turn-taking and collaboration during partner or group play

What’s Included:

• Printable onset and rime dice templates
• Multiple game boards with picture prompts for CVC words
• Clear instructions for assembly and gameplay

Materials Needed:

• Printed game boards (preferably on cardstock for durability)
• Onset and rime dice (print, cut and assemble)
• Small counters or tokens for covering pictures

How to Use:

1. Print and prepare all game materials. Consider using different coloured card for each die.
2. Cut and assemble the two dice – one for onset, one for rime.
3. Provide each student or pair with a game board and a set of counters.
4. Students take turns rolling both dice, blending the onset and rime to create a word.
5. If the word matches an image on their board, they cover it. Play continues until someone covers all pictures.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use as a literacy rotation task to reinforce CVC word reading
• 💡 Play in pairs or small groups for cooperative learning
• 💡 Use as a fun phonics warm-up or Friday game session
• 💡 Pair with a whiteboard so students can write each word before covering it

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Review the onset and rime sounds as a class before starting play
• 💛 Provide visuals or anchor charts nearby for students who need support with blending
• 💛 Laminate the game boards and dice for long-term use
• 💛 Use different sets for different vowel focus weeks (e.g. short a, e, i, o, u)

Roll, Read & Cover: Vowel Sounds turns phonics practise into a playful learning adventure – helping your students read with confidence, one word at a time.

Available in our basic fun font and all Australian state fonts.