GrowMindGrowA little word. A whole new world.
Spot a letter. Grow a word. Find a clue in a story. Pick a small adventure and enjoy it together.
Find our next gameFree starting points · Kindergarten & early elementary
Start with what feels familiar
Choose by the skill your child is exploring. A kindergartener and a first grader may enjoy the same starting point.
Not sure where to begin? Follow the reading path, one step at a time.
Or follow the path
Four steps, in the order children usually meet them. Start at the step that feels familiar, and move on when it feels easy. Grades are only a guide; the “Ready when” line matters more. These are practice choices, not a reading program or an assessment.
Notice the sounds inside spoken words, and the shapes of letters.
A grown-up gives the sound clue.
Ready when: Can hear the first sound of a familiar word when you stretch it.
A grown-up says the words aloud.
Ready when: Enjoys word play and can hear that two words sound alike at the end.
A grown-up reads the directions.
Ready when: Is noticing letter shapes. This game matches letters; it does not teach their sounds.
Join letter sounds into a word, then change one sound to make another.
A grown-up models the sounds.
Ready when: Knows the sounds of the letters in a word and is learning to join them.
A grown-up says each new word.
Ready when: Can blend a three-letter word and hear which sound differs between two words.
A grown-up leads the game.
Ready when: Is blending a few short-vowel words and ready to practise away from the screen.
Read the small words that turn up in almost every book.
A grown-up helps with unfamiliar sounds.
Ready when: Has started learning a few common words and can blend short ones.
A grown-up keeps the record.
Ready when: Reads some common words, and you want to notice which are becoming automatic. It is a record, not a test.
Talk about what a story says, and what it makes you think.
A grown-up reads the story aloud.
Ready when: Can listen to a short story and answer a question about it.
A grown-up reads along and asks the questions.
Ready when: Can follow a short passage, read aloud or alone.
A grown-up asks; any thoughtful answer counts.
Ready when: Reads or listens to books with you and likes to talk about them.
Fill it in together.
Ready when: Reads or listens most days and likes seeing the week add up.
Three ways to play on screen
Stay beside your child to read directions or model a sound when they need it.
Letter recognition · Free browser sample
Look at the big target letter, then select every matching letter in the group.
A good starting point: your child is noticing letter shapes. This game practices matching letters; it does not teach their sounds.
Play the letter-matching sampleOpens on our play site without signing in. After several sample games, a signup prompt may appear. A tablet or computer gives the pieces more room.
Short-vowel blending · Guided browser activity
Choose a short vowel, slide beneath the letters and join their sounds. Explore six words, then revisit any you choose.
A good starting point: your child knows the letter sounds in the selected words and is learning to blend them.
Play the CVC word gardenFree, no signup. A grown-up models the sounds: this activity has no recorded phoneme audio and does not listen to or score your child’s reading.
Common words · Two guided games
Read a familiar word together, find its card and build it from spelling pieces. Choose words to blend, words with a special part to notice, or a little of both.
A good starting point: your child has started learning these words and you can help with unfamiliar sounds.
Play the sight word gamesFree, no signup. Twelve words and two pages of printable cards. A grown-up supplies the voice; there is no recorded audio or reading score.
Move, listen, imagine
These are spoken and read-together activities. The screen holds the directions; you supply the voices, turns and encouragement.
Listening game · No letters needed
Give a sound clue and search your room for something that starts with it.
“Does sock or cup start like sun?” Sock and sun begin with /s/. Say the words aloud; the child does not need to read them.
Make it easier: offer two familiar objects and model both names before choosing.
Rhyming game · Say it aloud
Pack an imaginary picnic with pairs of words that rhyme. A moon and a spoon can come too!
Moon–spoon, cat–hat and bee–tree rhyme. Cat and cup start alike but do not rhyme. Listen to the spoken words instead of looking for matching letters.
Make it easier: choose between two words before asking your child to invent a rhyme. Use words that rhyme in your family’s pronunciation.
Read-together game · Notice the clues
Read the tiny story aloud together. Then take turns being the detective who finds a clue.
A grown-up can read every word. This is a conversation about meaning, not a test of independent decoding.
Our tiny story
Maya packed two apples and a blanket. At the door, she heard rain tapping on the steps. She carried the blanket to the living room. “Our picnic can stay dry in here,” she told her brother.
Two apples and a blanket. Find those words in the first sentence.
She wanted the picnic to stay dry. The rain at the door and her last sentence give us clues.
There is more than one possible answer. They might spread the blanket and eat the apples. Ask, “What in the story helped you imagine that?”
Your turn: change the weather or the picnic food and tell a new version together.
Keep a little play for later
These resources support practice and conversation. Choose the pages you need.
Choose from 60 short-vowel word cards, letter tiles, sound boxes and a reusable game board.
Explore this resource Printable checklist · 4 pagesTrack Fry’s first 100 words over three visits. Record sounding out separately from recognizing a word immediately.
Explore this resource Browser tool + printable cardsChoose before, during or after reading. Use the questions with a book you read together or independently.
Explore this resource Printable reading log · 1 pageMake room for reading alone, reading together and listening to a story in one weekly record.
Explore this resourceA note for grown-ups
Start with familiar sounds or words, model what to do, and stop or simplify when the activity becomes frustrating. The Institute of Education Sciences’ family reading activities offer guidance on choosing an appropriate starting point and practicing together.
These games are practice choices, not a complete reading program or assessment. For a child’s next phonics patterns or suitable reading text, follow the sequence used by their teacher.
Ready for a different kind of play? Explore our pictured learning games, math games by grade or story planner.
