Match the Words! A Fun Phonics Worksheet for Preschoolers
This phonics worksheet asks children ages 3-5 to match words to pictures and then fill in missing letters, combining whole-word recognition with letter-sound practice in one activity. Recognizing a written word and connecting it to its meaning is an early literacy milestone, while filling in missing letters pushes children to actively recall which sound belongs where rather than just reading passively. Together these two tasks build both sight recognition and phonemic spelling skills side by side.
Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Look at each picture and read the word choices aloud together, having your child point to the one that matches. Once they circle the correct word, move to the second part of the page where letters are missing from words. Say the word slowly, stretching each sound, and have your child figure out which letter belongs in the blank. Work through the page picture by picture, checking each answer against the image before moving on.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Eraser
Extension activities
- •Write the completed words on a separate sheet and have your child copy them from memory.
- •Ask your child to draw a picture representing one of the finished words and label it.
- •Play a quick oral game where you say a word missing its middle sound and your child fills it in.
- •Build the words using letter tiles or magnetic letters, removing one letter at a time for your child to replace.
- •Create simple flashcards from the words and quiz each other on reading them quickly.
Tips for parents and teachers
If your child hesitates on the missing-letter section, have them say the whole word out loud first before isolating just the missing sound — jumping straight to the blank is much harder. Keep the pace playful rather than test-like, since confidence matters more than speed at this age. Praise correct sounding-out attempts even when the letter choice is wrong, since the strategy is what you're reinforcing.
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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