Phonics Fun: Circle the Beginning Letter Worksheet for Kids
This 'Circle the Beginning Letter' worksheet strengthens phoneme-grapheme correspondence for children ages 4-6, teaching them to connect the sound they hear at the start of a word to its written letter. Naming each picture aloud and choosing among several letter options builds auditory discrimination, a skill that predicts later decoding success. It also reinforces letter recognition by asking children to distinguish the target letter from visually similar distractors.
Part of the pack
Month 12: Learning & Development | Ages Up to 4Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Start by pointing to the first picture and naming the object together, stretching out the beginning sound so your child can hear it clearly. Show them the row of letter choices beneath the picture and ask which one matches the sound they just heard. Have them circle their answer, then move on to the next picture and repeat the process. Once the page is complete, go back through each answer and have your child say the object's name and its beginning letter together.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Eraser
Extension activities
- •Make a 'sound box' of small objects and have your child sort them by beginning sound before naming the letter for each pile.
- •Play 'I Spy' using only the beginning sound, e.g. 'I spy something that starts with /b/.'
- •Write the circled letters on index cards and have your child think of a new word for each one.
- •Take turns clapping out the syllables and sounds in each picture's name before circling the answer.
Tips for parents and teachers
Watch whether your child is truly listening for the sound or just guessing from the letter shapes — ask them to say the word slowly if they seem unsure. Confusing visually similar letters like b/d is common at this age and isn't a cause for concern. Praise the sounding-out process itself, since that verbal habit is what carries over into independent reading.
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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