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C, D, E Letter Sounds Worksheet: Circle and Count! – free printable counting worksheet preview

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Ages 3–5 · counting · PDF, A4/Letter
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C, D, E Letter Sounds Worksheet: Circle and Count!

This activity gives children ages 3-5 focused practice recognizing the beginning sounds of the letters C, D, and E, asking them to circle matching pictures in different colors for each letter before counting the results. Combining phonics with counting means children practice two skills in one sitting: identifying initial letter sounds and recording a numeric total, both foundational for kindergarten readiness. Color-coding each letter also helps children visually organize the three sounds instead of mixing them together.

Curriculum

Phonics - Letter Sounds > Beginning Sounds

How to use this worksheet

Look at each picture on the page and say its name out loud together, listening for the very first sound. Circle words that start with C in blue, D in red, and E in yellow, checking as you go that the color matches the correct letter. After circling, count how many objects were found for each letter and write that number in the box. Review all three groups together, saying each letter sound and its matching words aloud.

Materials needed

  • Pencils
  • Blue, Red, and Yellow Crayons or Markers

Extension activities

  • •Find other objects in the house that start with the letters C, D, and E.
  • •Draw pictures of objects that start with C, D, and E.
  • •Practice writing the letters C, D, and E in both uppercase and lowercase.
  • •Sort small toys or household items into three piles by their beginning sound.
  • •Make up a silly sentence using several words that all start with the same letter.

Tips for parents and teachers

Encourage your child to say the words out loud as they circle and count, since hearing the beginning sound repeated reinforces both the letter sounds and the counting task. If a child mixes up which color goes with which letter, keep the color key visible nearby as a quick reference rather than requiring them to memorize it right away. Celebrate small wins, like correctly identifying just one letter sound, since distinguishing C, D, and E beginning sounds can be genuinely tricky at this age.

Hemsweta Jain (Teacher Cheena), founder of RaisoActive

Written by

Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena

MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai

Every RaisoActive worksheet is designed and checked by the founder before publishing.

Published · Last reviewed

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