Say My Sound: Beginning Letter Sounds Worksheet for Preschoolers
Saying a picture's name aloud and then circling the letter that matches its beginning sound builds phonemic awareness in children ages 3-5, teaching them to isolate the very first sound in a spoken word before connecting it to a printed letter. Because several letter options are given for each picture, this worksheet requires children to actively compare sounds rather than simply recognize a single correct letter by memory. This kind of applied letter-sound practice is one of the strongest early predictors of later reading success.
Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Look at the first picture together and say its name slowly and clearly, stretching out the beginning sound so your child can hear it distinctly. Read each letter option aloud, asking your child which one makes the same sound as the beginning of the picture's name. Have your child circle the correct letter, then say the whole word once more to double-check it sounds right. Continue through each picture on the page, encouraging your child to say each word slowly before choosing a letter.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- •Have your child draw their own picture of something new and identify its beginning sound and matching letter.
- •Go on a sound hunt around the house, finding objects that start with the same letters practiced on the worksheet.
- •Play a sorting game putting small objects or toy pictures into piles based on their beginning sound.
- •Practice saying tongue-twister style phrases using words that all start with the same sound.
- •Read a picture book together and pause on a few pages to identify beginning sounds of objects shown.
Tips for parents and teachers
If your child circles the wrong letter, have them say the word again slowly and listen carefully to just the very first sound, since isolating that sound is often the harder part of the task, not identifying the letter itself. Some letter sounds are easily confused, like b and d or m and n, so extra repetition on those pairs is normal and expected. Keeping this practice playful and low-pressure, rather than treating it like a test, encourages children to keep trying even when a sound is tricky.
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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